| The Water in Fuel Problem:
1. What can happen
if I get water in my fuel?
2. How do I know I
have water in my fuel?
3. How can/did I get
water in my fuel?
4. Does the D-TX®
Fuel Safe stop the fuel bug?
The
D-TX® Fuel
Safe Solution
5. Why should I fit
the D-TX® Fuel Safe on my craft?
6. I have Racor filters
fitted. Do I still need the D-TX® Fuel Safe?
7. I have water traps.
Do I need a D-TX® Fuel Safe?
8. I have never had
any problems with water in fuel, why would I need a
D-TX® Fuel Safe
9. I have twin engines.
Do I need two units?
10. On my boat I
have a centrifugal polishing system. Why do I need a
D-TX® Fuel Safe?
11. I have managed
for ten years of boating without one. Why should I buy
one now?
12. My yacht has
sails and I can always use the wind instead of my engine?
Installation
13. Can I install
the D-TX® Fuel Safe myself?
14. Where should
I install the D-TX® Fuel Safe?
15. How long does
it take to install the D-TX® Fuel Safe?
16. Does the boat
need to come out of the water?
17. What size unit
do I need for my engine?
18. How long will
this unit last?
How It Works
19. Does the D-TX®
Fuel Safe restrict the fuel flow
20. How much water
will it detect?
21. Do I need filters?
22. What maintenance
does the D-TX® Fuel Safe require?
23. What do I do
when the alarm goes off?
24. I have a D-TX®
Fuel Safe fitted and it has never gone off. How do I
know there is no water in my fuel line?
25. Will the D-TX®
Fuel Safe alert me to water in my generator’s
fuel supply?
Purchasing the
D-TX® Fuel
Safe
26. Where can I
buy the D-TX® Fuel Safe
27. What do I get
when I purchase the D-TX® Fuel Safe?
28. What is the cost
of maintenance and parts after installation
29. How much does
the D-TX product range cost?
Answers
The Water in Fuel Problem:
1. What
can happen if I get water in my fuel?
From mild to extreme cases the
presence of water could cause some or all of the following:
filter saturation, engine stoppage, damage to distribution
pumps, injectors, con rods, cranks, heads, and engine
block. Generators are also vulnerable to water, and
consequently any systems they supply, e.g. water purifiers
and battery systems. Water in fuel will allow the growth
of microorganisms (the diesel bug) that in turn would
clog your filters, restrict fuel flow and affect your
engine and components as above. Any of these problems
can result in inconvenience, expense and down time and
at the extreme, risk to life and property.
TOP
2. How
do I know I have water in my fuel?
Your engine will misfire, perform
badly, and if unnoticed/ignored will stop completely.
Any damage could be slight or catastrophic. If you are
manually monitoring your fitted filters you may notice
water in your filter bowl.
TOP
3. How
can/did I get water in my fuel?
- Poor fuel supply (petrol
and diesel). This is becoming an increasing problem
as with market pressure for cheaper fuels, there are
less safeguards against water contamination.
- Condensation occurs by the
actions of fluctuating temperatures and environmental
conditions in air space between the fuel and the top
of the tank. If you keep your tank half full of fuel
you are more likely to get water due to condensation
than if you keep your tank full - it is false economy
to keep your tank empty during the winter period.
- Separation. All fuels contain
water, and due to chemical environments and lengths
of storage time separation may occur.
- Leaky deck fittings. Poorly
installed or maintained points and seals allow rain
or salt water to enter the main tanks. Sailing yachts
with engines are more susceptible to the ingress of
water because they often cruise with their fuel taps
and tank breathers on the waterline, which in rough
weather can take water on board.
- Human error: filling your
fuel filler with water.
- Emulsified fuel (this is
the combination of water being mixed with fuel), commonly
caused by rolling, yawing, or other erratic movement
of the vessel. This can stop an engine stone dead
because of the way the water enters the hot combustion
chamber, turning to steam, and causing hydraulic lock,
in some cases resulting in serious damage to the engine.
TOP
4. Does the
D-TX®
Fuel Safe stop the
fuel bug?
Identifying and eliminating water
in your fuel will reduce the opportunity for the diesel
bug to develop, which needs the presence of water to
grow successfully.
TOP
The D-TX®
Fuel Safe Safe Solution
5. Why should
I fit theD-TX®
Fuel Safe on my
craft?
To provide real-time, filter-less
monitoring and warning of water in fuel from the moment
you start your engine. Thus allowing you to resolve
the problem before resulting engine stoppage or engine
and component damage or the development of life endangering
situations. Some filters have an alarm system fitted.
However, although they tend to identify residual amounts
of water, in the case of major water influx from various
causes the filters can become saturated resulting in
the water passing directly over the top and directly
into engine systems, thus rendering your filter alarm/s
redundant. Few filters offer instantaneous dedicated
dash warning diagnosis. The D-TX®
Fuel Safe provides additional dash-warning plates
for fly bridges, engine rooms, etc.
TOP
6. I have Racor
filters fitted. Do I still need the D-TX® Fuel Safe?
The best time to know you have
water in your fuel is as early as possible. The D-TX®
Fuel Safe monitors the fuel immediately after
the fuel exits the fuel tank/s giving the earliest possible
warning. We recommend filter systems, however their
maintenance requirements would not be best realised
or addressed if the helmsman is for example crossing
the busiest shipping lanes in the world, such as the
English Channel. Once water enters the filter systems,
the filters saturate and need replacing. Because the
filtering systems are often not immediately visible
the situation can go unnoticed, resulting in particles
and water flowing on through to the engine, causing
damage along the way to pumps, injectors, and the engine
itself – very costly!
Statistics show few boat owners are
sufficiently vigilant with their filter systems. The
D-TX®
Fuel Safe dash warning plate offers real-time,
filter-less monitoring and warning.
TOP
7. I have water
traps. Do I need a D-TX® Fuel Safe?
Yes, high volume fuel flows common
in most modern engines could render water traps and
sensors ineffective. One charter company with eleven
65’-85’ cruiser yachts fell prey to this.
The resulting engine repair costs alone were £6,000.
Add to that the loss of two weeks charter in high season
and the real cost is even more substantive.
TOP
8. I have never
had any problems with water in fuel, why would I need
a D-TX®
Fuel Safe?
Fuel quality is becoming increasingly
unreliable; the inherent nature of fuel and marine conditions
and the prolific number of breakdowns due to water in
fuel is reason enough to give yourself peace of mind
at a very cost effective one-off price. Reliance on
water separators and fuel conditioners alone is inadequate.
For example, engines with raw watercooling systems have
fuel exposed to contamination later in the fuel train.
Sailing yachts invariably need to use their engines
in rough or emergency conditions - not a good time to
realise you have contaminated fuel. Statistically these
type of vessels are more prone to engine failure due
to water in fuel, compounded by the irregular utilization
of motive power and lengthy periods between refueling.
TOP
9. I
have twin engines. Do I need two units? We recommend
one unit per engine.
All combustion engines are vulnerable
to water in fuel. Each engine should be monitored by
a D-TX®
Fuel Safe unit.
TOP
10.
On my boat I have a centrifugal polishing system. Why
do I need a D-TX®
Fuel Safe?
In the case of one super yacht
we recently supplied to, the fuel had passed through
its polishing system into day holding tanks, through
the filters and into the engine. The excess fuel cooled
the fuel components then circulated round a seawater
cooling system and back to the day holding tanks. If
the seawater cooler ever breached for any reason it
would fill the day holding tanks with salt water that
would travel back into the engines. This was the fuel
passage the engineers needed to monitor to avoid serious
damage or destruction to engines worth hundreds of thousands
of pounds, not to mention downtime and significant inconvenience.
TOP
11.
I have managed for ten years of boating without one.
Why should I buy one now?
Since the earliest use of engines
people have ‘managed’ with what’s
available, now they can be made aware there is a problem
and resolve it before it even needs a filter change.
Filters are then left to do what they were designed
to do – stop debris and micro-particles. Although
engines come with their own filter systems, in practice
they only offer a degree of protection; detection and
protection is at its most effective when carried out
as close to the fuel tank as possible.
TOP
12.
My yacht has sails and I can always use the wind instead
of my engine.
Yacht owners can appreciate the
unpredictable nature of the weather and the importance
of engine back up as well as systems supplied with liquid
fuel that may also be susceptible to water contamination
e.g. generators, heaters, cookers. Yachting situations
are likely to aggravate water in fuel conditions due
to extreme angles of sailing; the D-TX®
Fuel Safe will also detect emulsified fuel.
TOP
Installation
13.
Can I install the D-TX®
Fuel Safe myself?
Simple, easy to follow installation
instructions, written by a user for the user, are provided.
An average mechanically minded person with a basic tool
kit can install this product. Alternatively, so can
any reputable marine engineer. The fuel line needs to
be cut and the unit inserted as near to the fuel tank
as possible. It must be fixed to a bulkhead, stringer
or bracket. The dash plate can be mounted where require:
On or near the dash or helm position, engine room, engineer’s
station or fly-bridge etc and then wired up to the D-TX®
Fuel Safe unit.
TOP
14.
Where should I install the D-TX®
Fuel Safe?
Fitment is recommended as close
to the fuel supply as possible. Mount to a bulkhead,
strut or stay with the fuel flow in either direction
of the unit. In more complicated systems the installation
remains the same; we are happy to advise on any individual
requirements.
TOP
15.
How long does it take to install the D-TX®
Fuel Safe?
With average skills, allow a
day. A qualified marine engineer should achieve this
in less time.
TOP
16.
Does the boat need to come out of the water?
No, this is not necessary for
fitment. During installation only the fuel line needs
to be cut and the unit inserted as near to the fuel
tank as possible
TOP
17.
What size unit do I need for my engine?
All size engines are catered
for from outboards to super yachts. Unit size depends
on your fuel supply lines. If you are unsure what size
your vessels feed is, measure it or contact us. The
standard unit is for fuel supplies up to 10mm, (3/8’’)
fuel feed. The unit measures L=160mm x W=50mm x D100mm.
For smaller or larger sizes see our product range or
contact us for bespoke units.
TOP
18.
How long will this unit last?
Designed and built to a very
high standard it will last the lifetime of the vessel.
Maintenance is limited to regular draining to remove
any debris. No spare or replacement parts are required
as the unit is a filter-less fuel monitoring and warning
system.
TOP
How It Works
19.
Does the D-TX®
Fuel Safe restrict
the fuel flow?
The fuel flow remains constant
and unrestricted.
TOP
20.
How much water will it detect?
Traditionally sensors are calibrated
in parts per million in detection but this means very
little to most people. To try to get a better and clearer
understanding, a 1.5mm droplet of water will trigger
the D-TX®
Fuel Safe alarm. The quantities that are detected
by theD-TX®
Fuel Safe are calculated to give the optimal
detection of the minutest amount present in order to
prevent any parts or engine damage.
TOP
21.
Do I need filters?
Filters are recommended for debris
removal; standard engine fuel filters should sift this
from the fuel. The ingress of water will mean the maintenance
filter may need replacing. The D-TX®
Fuel Safe is a filter-less water in fuel monitoring
and warning system. It requires no maintenance parts.
Detection and warning at this early point in the fuel
line allows water contamination to be resolved before
the filters have been contaminated. Statistics show
most sea going vessels carry on average one spare filter,
which may not be enough for even a single episode of
water contamination.
TOP
22.
What maintenance does the D-TX®
Fuel Safe require?
Once a year the unit will require
draining to clear any accumulated debris. An easy to
use drain plug allows this to be carried out.
TOP
23.
What do I do when the alarm goes off?
The advantage of the D-TX®
Fuel Safe is the dash warning alarm, if this
should sound, indicating water is in your fuel turn
off the engine in question (if it is safe) and drain
water from the unit via the incorporated drain plug.
On re-start your Fuel Safe Dash Warning unit will initialize
to show it is armed then go silent if all water has
been cleared. If the problem persists, investigate the
fuel supply for a major water influx (eg the tank has
been filled with fresh water or you have just filled
up with fuel and got a contaminated batch etc).
TOP
24.
I have aD-TX®
Fuel Safe fitted
and it has never gone off. How do I know there is no
water in my fuel line?
If the dash warning initiates
at start-up then goes out, no water is present. Open
the drain plug to relieve any debris. Do this once a
year, unless diesel fungus is prolific.
TOP
25.
Will the D-TX®
Fuel Safe alert
me to water in my generator’s fuel supply?
Yes, a unit between the supply
and engine will allow you to monitor this real-time
and alert you when water is detected. Many yacht owners
overlook the importance of this piece of equipment.
It may be the power supply to water makers, navigation
systems and battery charging units.
TOP
Purchasing the D-TX®
Fuel Safe
26.
Where can I buy the D-TX®
Fuel Safe?
Simply call us on +64
9 412 2639 or click
here to go to the contact us page.
TOP
27.
What do I get when I purchase the D-TX®
Fuel Safe?
The standard D-TX®
Fuel Safe comes with all the components necessary
for complete installation. This includes a single station
dash warning plate, with additional dash plates available
if required, wiring and connectors.
TOP
28.
What is the cost of maintenance and parts after installation?
Zero, there are no parts to maintain,
replace or renew and maintenance is a very straightforward
and quick draining procedure.
TOP
29.
How much does the D-TX product range cost?
Whether you are an owner, decision
maker or in the trade please contact
us and we will discuss your specific needs.
TOP
|
