Found water today.

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Challenged

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My wife and I were flying home from KLCH (Lake Charles) this morning after visiting her family, and I took the cover off of my plane and paid for the avgas they added and checked the oil.

I was gathering up my headset and Android tablet to put in the front for the flight and then I told my wife hold up, I need to sump the tanks. I'm glad I did, because I completely filled up the GATS jar with water when I checked the fuel. This was the first time in my flying career that I've actually found water in my tanks; it pays to remain vigilant I guess. I also tend to get lazy about this since I hangar my plane at my home field.
 
Pre Flight ALWAYS pays for me. ~15 Minutes vs a potential disaster later. Easy tradeoff for me.

There's a long thread on the Red board about finds on a preflight.

Cheers
 
Glad you found it. Any idea where it all came from? Storm?

David
 
The other day I was out on the ramp, a guy shaking the tail of a Commander up and down. I asked "What on earth are you doing" he replied "Oh, I've been tied down over in Seattle and got water in my tanks because my fuel cap gaskets leak..... We're a 3-4 hour flight in a commander away from Seattle. I just shook my head and walked away.
 
bartmc said:
The other day I was out on the ramp, a guy shaking the tail of a Commander up and down. I asked "What on earth are you doing" he replied "Oh, I've been tied down over in Seattle and got water in my tanks because my fuel cap gaskets leak..... We're a 3-4 hour flight in a commander away from Seattle. I just shook my head and walked away.
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So, my bet is that he sumped them in Seattle, but didn't get it all out. With my Commander, if I get water in the tanks most of it will sump out the first time, but I sometimes get a few drops of water the second time. After the second sump, I don't get water.

He really needs to replace the gaskets, but I'd almost bet that the problem is not the main gaskets but the little o-rings around the Dzus fastener. The o-rings deteriorate & water leaks in. It collects between the cap and the anti-siphon flapper, then goes into the tank when pushes down on the flapper.

(Side issue from bad o-rings is that water can collect around the Dzus spring in the flapper and cause it to corrode/rust - if it weakens too much, it'll break and the gas cap can't be reattached. There are stainless springs available that eliminate the deterioration. It's a pain in the neck to replace the springs, but they last a long time with reasonable care & good o-rings around the fastener.)
 
I've gotten water before after 6 hours in the rain. Sumped twice then was good to go:yesnod:
 
bartmc said:
The other day I was out on the ramp, a guy shaking the tail of a Commander up and down. I asked "What on earth are you doing" he replied "Oh, I've been tied down over in Seattle and got water in my tanks because my fuel cap gaskets leak..... We're a 3-4 hour flight in a commander away from Seattle. I just shook my head and walked away.
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How would you propose getting the water out? :confused:
 
bartmc said:
I'm not sure but I would have figured it out before I left Seattle then crossed the cascades and the rockies with a tank full of water.
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You sure he had a tank full of water and that he wasn't just trying to get the last few drops out? BTW, it takes a LOT of water in the tank to get any as far as the gascolater.
 
wsuffa said:
You sure he had a tank full of water and that he wasn't just trying to get the last few drops out? BTW, it takes a LOT of water in the tank to get any as far as the gascolater.
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I'm not sure but the A&P who eventually got it all out wasn't impressed with the ADM utilized to bring it home.
 
bartmc said:
The other day I was out on the ramp, a guy shaking the tail of a Commander up and down. I asked "What on earth are you doing" he replied "Oh, I've been tied down over in Seattle and got water in my tanks because my fuel cap gaskets leak..... We're a 3-4 hour flight in a commander away from Seattle. I just shook my head and walked away.
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Which Commander? One of the old high-wing Larks or Darters? Gravity feed in those, and leaking fuel caps will do more than let the water in. They let the low pressure atop the wing to hold the fuel back, too.

Dan
 
bartmc said:
I'm not sure but I would have figured it out before I left Seattle then crossed the cascades and the rockies with a tank full of water.
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One of the best ways to remove water from fuel tanks is to shake the tail and the wings like the pilot was doing. Water is heavier than fuel and it will run to the sumps if the plane is shaken. Anything left over will be absorbed in flight and "burned ".

Fuel also can absorb about 1/2 teaspoon of water per gallon. Warm fuel absorbs more water, and when you go to altitude where it is cold the water can and will separate and be burned up or end up in the sump area or gasolator. Obviously, the less the better, but it is there. As gas is burned it produces about 1.2 gallons of water per one gallon burned.

Finding a little water in the bottom of your sump tube is nothing to worry about. :nono:
 
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I've only had water in my tanks once, and only after the flight. Condensed it out into the tanks after spending time in colder air aloft.

However I've pulled lots of water out of other planes over the years.
 
I've gotten water in my fuel tanks a few times. The FBO does a good job of sumping the fuel farm and fuel trucks daily, so it's a rare occurance.

All too often I see people take on fuel and fly off. I never understood that - it only takes a few seconds to sump.
 
CBeaulieu said:
I've gotten water in my fuel tanks a few times. The FBO does a good job of sumping the fuel farm and fuel trucks daily, so it's a rare occurance.

All too often I see people take on fuel and fly off. I never understood that - it only takes a few seconds to sump.
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I was buying a plane and pre flighting it. Dumped the tanks and came up full with black debris and rusty water. :eek:

Seems the owner dumped regularly up until 3 years ago and decided that wasting fuel was not a good thing. :dunno:

He pumped car gas out of a metal 55 gallon drum with a hand pump. The hoses were falling apart and the barrel was 1/2 full and rusty with water in the bottom about 3" deep.

Needless to say I did not fly that day.:no:

The owner had an A&P clean out the tanks and fuel system. Took two days, then I flew it 1500 miles.
 
Geico266 said:
I was buying a plane and pre flighting it. Dumped the tanks and came up full with black debris and rusty water. :eek:

Seems the owner dumped regularly up until 3 years ago and decided that wasting fuel was not a good thing. :dunno:

He pumped car gas out of a metal 55 gallon drum with a hand pump. The hoses were falling apart and the barrel was 1/2 full and rusty with water in the bottom about 3" deep.

Needless to say I did not fly that day.:no:

The owner had an A&P clean out the tanks and fuel system. Took two days, then I flew it 1500 miles.
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Ouch, imagine if you hadn't take a few minutes to sump the tanks!
 
Slightly OT:
What procedure would you guys use if you had to refuel in the rain? Is an umbrella enough, impractical or the rain not an issue?
 
Jaybird180 said:
Slightly OT:
What procedure would you guys use if you had to refuel in the rain? Is an umbrella enough, impractical or the rain not an issue?
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Why, you going to launch in it?

Coffee and an FBO magazine sounds like a good way to deal with it. Indoors. ;)
 
i doubt enough rain would get in the tank while filling to matter much, but either way i'd just sump the tanks after filling to make sure they are clean.
 
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