Water in fuel?

Miata

I have a 275 gallon Roth tank outside w a bottle of Heat 4 in 1 added at each fill. Tank had about 80 gallons in it. Last night the tiger loop showed foaming and oil was strawberry colored. Boiler was running rough and later would not fire. Carlan primary showed "no flame". I hit the reset and burner fired but sounded like pellets banging off inside of chamber. Burner continued to operate w sounds the rest of night. Called for service and tech arrived 30 minutes after oil was delivered - 167 gallons. No unusual sound but Tiger loop still had strawberry colored oil.Tech drained about 2 gallons from line until it was almost back to red color. He checked tank w paste and no color change. The tank was installed Nov. 2023. This September same thing happened minus the oil delivery. Tech drained line and no water showed up on stick. Tank has the required Roth cover. I realize condensation could occur but why not show on stick. Also tech removed spin on filter and top of it showed rust stains. Unit now seems to be running fine. Any thoughts? Thank you.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Water should show up with the paste on a stick, but the oil delivery may have mixed it up.

I would also take an oil sample and put it in a glass jar and see if it separates. The water if any will be on the bottom.

I would call your oil company and discuss the situation with the service manager. You shouldn't be having issues with a 2 year old tank.

Miata

Thank you

leonz

You need a better fuel filter as it sounds as if they are not draining water out of their tanks.

The RACOR 500FG fuel filter has a 10,000 gallon life rating and the clear polycarbonate bowl houses the stationary vanes that spin the fuel as it passes through the canister and the dirt and water drops out and settles in the bottom where you can open the drain valve to get rid of it using a can filled with kitty litter or wood pellets.

Maybe they will offer to come by with a pump cart that will separate the water from the fuel for you.

Miata

I looked that up. It should solve my problem. Thank you. I still do not understand why back in September I had the same problem and no paste on stick change without an oil delivery to stir things up.

leonz

Hello Miata,

The water would have sunk to the bottom of the tank quickly in any case.

You have to keep in mind kerosene has a specific gravity of less than 1.

Water has a specific gravity of 1 and it weighs more than the kerosene.

If you want more help with a RACOR 500FG unit please send me a PM as

you have the choice of 2 filter grades being 2 micron or 10 micron filtration of solids.

If you have a two pipe system the fuel will be filtered and the over flow returned to the tank every minute the burner runs and a filter cartridge will last for 10,000 gallons between changes.

EdTheHeaterMan

@leonz said: "If you have a two pipe system the fuel will be filtered and the over flow returned to the tank every minute the burner runs and a filter cartridge will last for 10,000 gallons between changes."

This is fascinating to me. Does the filter last for 10,000 gallons of oil burned, or 10,000 gallons of oil filtered?

If the A2VA fuel pump gear sets move 17 GPH through the filter, burn 1 GPH and return 16 GPH to the tank, doesn’t each hour of burner operation count as 17 gallons filtered?  That would only be food enough for 588 gallons burned.  The Tigerloop Ultra filters only the amount of fuel burned and the two pipe operation of the fuel pump happens after the fuel is filtered.   I believe that there needs to be an analysis of the fuel in the tank.  If the water is staying suspended in the fuel or if that problem is BioFuel eating away at parts that are not rated for BioFuel, then you will need to address that problem.  Sometimes as the amount of Bio increases and the amount of Fuel decreases, the problems with some of the old school gaskets and parts are compromised. 

I agree that the milky fuel (strawberry milkshake color) would indicate water in the oil, but perhaps it is suspended in the oil and not accumulating at the bottom in any quantity that will show up with water paste.

I think there is more going on here. Test the water detecting paste using a glass of water the next time. See if the Water Paste is really Water Paste.

Also: Oil Companies do not deliver Water from their truck on purpose. If the did, they would not be selling fuel much longer once the word got out. How is the fuel line set up in the tank?

Miata

The fuel line from the burner connects to a nipple and enters the top of the Roth tank through a duplex fitting w the second hole pluged. The line in the tank is 3/8 copper and ends about 3 inches from bottom. Is it possible the Hot all in one "captures the water" in suspension and it changes as it is circulated through the tiger loop so the color changes. I realize this was poorly worded but I do not understand the bottle stating it disperses water.

leonz

Hello Miata,

The RACOR500 FG filter would be fine for this work in your single line system. The internal check valve in the 500FG filter also prevent a slug of air from block fuel flow.

You may have a large enough volume of water in the base of the tank that it is being pulled in with the fuel that is pulled down to the drop pipe inlet as well.

if you had a floating dip tube to pull fuel into the oil delivery line you would have clean fuel all the time unless the tank is run out of fuel.

The water does not go away it is thinned even further. In automotive gasoline, alcohol is used for this it does not go away. Using the 500FG filter would eliminate it from the fuel stream using a single pipe or 2 pipe system.

The stationary vanes in the base of the 500FG fuel filter require the fuel to spin as it is pulled into the 500FG filter housing.

The water and dirt are thrown against the sides of the clear polycarbonate bowl where it settles to the bottom as the cleaner clearer fuel rises up and enters the side of the ribbed filter cartridge before it is passed to the 500FG canisters outlet and on to the engines fuel pump or in my case the old Riello burner that I no longer use and cannot get parts for because it is so old.

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Hello Ed,

The RACOR 500FG is rated for 10,000 gallons of diesel fuel filtered and consumed in a single line system to either a direct injection diesel engine or indirect injection diesel engine which pumps the heated overflow fuel from the indirect injection engines fuel return to tank line.

EdTheHeaterMan

@leonz said: Hello Ed,

The RACOR 500FG is rated for 10,000 gallons of diesel fuel filtered and consumed in a single line system to either a direct injection diesel engine or indirect injection diesel engine which pumps the heated overflow fuel from the indirect injection engines fuel return to tank line.

So 588 gallons on an oil burner with a 2 pipe that has a return line back to the tank.

The TigerLoop Ultra has an oil filter included and that will last much longer (more Gallons) than the Automotive part you suggested. The refill cartridge for the 500FG is about $10.00 as is the TigerLoop replacement spin on filter cartridge. I don't see the benefit to scrapping the TigerLoop in favor of a $250.00+ automotive filter. They are each designed for a different use. I agree that they both filter the same product, but in different circumstances that require slightly different filters.

By the way, the filtering capacity of a particular device has nothing to do with the number of gallons of fuel. It's the amount of stuff that the filter collects, dirtier fuel will make the filter clog way before the 10,000 gallons passes through it. This tank is new and the fuel was delivered by a reputable fuel dealer, so any filter should be able to last longer than one located on a 35 year old steel tank that has been sitting outside collecting weather for all that time.  

Just some old fart ramblings.

leonz

You are not old Ed,

I mounted my 500FG filter outside when I received it as the drop in filters that we used inside would plug up and I had no issues with fuel flow or filtration after that.

PARKER HANNIFIN RACOR rates their FG filters in gallons and aways has. The RACOR 500FG has the ability to spin and filter out the heavy dirt and ALL the water and heavier dirt greater in size than 10 micron sieve size or the next lower micron sieve size rating for the 2 micron filter.

The RACOR 500FG fuel filter has been in use for over 43 years worldwide.