How Ethanol Gas Attracts Water from the Air - Demonstration

[toondog]

This demonstration is not done under the exact conditions your boat gas tank will experience, but does demonstrate how bad this crap is.

[Venturous]

Interesting. But for this demo to be worth a crap he would have had to shown a second jar with NON-ETHENOL gas to prove that the condensation was indeed caused by the ethenol and not just the effect of cooling a open liquid filled jar. Heck my pepsi can and glass of water sweats too. Pretty sure they don't have ethenol in them.

Not saying ethenol is not bad, just that this demo is worthless.

[toondog]

I agree this is not a controlled scientific experiment. The two examples you sighted usually are cooled first making them colder than the surrounding air, causing the sweat. The faster rates at which alcohol evaporates causes it own cooling.

[HandymanHerb]

Ethanol has been used for years to dry gas, because it's good at sucking it up and you burn it, but you now where close to the percentage the gas is now days using dry gas.

Another thing to factor in this test, your inside a dry garage, do the same test over water and see what happens.

[Drago]

What I see in the demo is air being blown over the open container of fuel which is quickly evaporating and dropping the temperature of the container to below dew point in the garage. Moisture is condensing out of the air on both cooling surfaces and dripping down (to the fuel inside container and to the table outside). Hopefully, in the real world of the boat operation, the fuel/water separator filter will trap that water. Unfortunately, if it sits long in the tank, it may become phase separated and take the ethanol with it. That could cause some really nasty things to occur.

My tank set for six months over the winter with slightly over 10 gallons in the 35 gal tank and I was very hard pressed to see any change in the fuel when testing for water and ethanol %. As a precaution, I drained 5 gallons, mixed in some octane booster - http://www.goldeagle.com/brands/104_plus/default.aspx - and put the 5 gal back in the tank. The boat cranked easily and ran great.

If you think you might have unhealthy fuel in your boat, I suggest testing it - http://www.fuel-testers.com/order.html - and draining it if found bad.

[WaltF]

I must say i was concerned about it this year too.
I winterized my boat this last year with 10 gallons in a 30 gallon tank. I added seafoam, and ran the engine while winterizing it for prob 15 mins.

Shut it down and crossed my fingers.

Dragged it by the gas station and topped it off with 87 oct, then put it in the lake yesterday for the first time.
Back the trailer in, turned the key, and with a couple throttle pumps, it fired right up!
Ran like a top for the next 4 hours...
Summer is here...

[HandymanHerb]

oh and most tanks unless there covered are running with the top lose to vent with air blowing over them, my tanks are under the rear seats so I don't have the air blowing over them, so i guess I'm alright.

[toondog]

I just realized that video is on Starbritecorp youtube account. Maker of starbrite startron. Not sure if that gives it more credibility or possibly hyped.
For agrument sake, lets say even non e10 gas would do the same. Makes a good case to get a water seperator. My two tanks are in the rear out in the open.

[Olustee bus]

I use heet which is denatured alcohol as I understand it. It and water combines and will burn.

Last year, my toon (40 hp two stroke) would practically cut off as I was going along. IT did not do it all the time, it was sporadic.

This year I added new gas, Marine Stabil and a can of Seafoam. Started across the lake and it was coughing and sputtering terribly. After about a mile, it smoothed out and runs like a champ.

[toondog]

Now I'm getting paranoid. I've been using my boat gas for the lawn mower. (Last years non e10 gas)
Finally used it up and Sunday I went to fill up some gas cans with the new e10. Added some startron and put them away in my shed. Today (Tuesday) I go into the shed to mix some 2 stroke oil for the weed eater and found dew around the bottom of both my 2 gallon tanks. No dew on the 5 gallon tank though. All 3 were closed and slightly puffed up. That's normal. What I haven't seen before is the dew.
The pictures don't show it too well, but you should be able to see the wet line. They were close to dripping.

[WaltF]

I say you take those cans to the lake where Al Gores Bloated Anti-Green house boat is, swim em out, pour it on there, spark a match, crack a beer, and watch the show!

[toondog]

Where is that boat located anyway. Just curious. No reason.

[Venturous]

Looks to me what happens when air warms faster than the liquid being stored. You could piss in that jug and get the same result. Relax!!

[toondog]

You could piss in that jug and get the same result.

For your example to work, you would have to drink lots of beer. hmmmmmm.....