whirlwind

I've seen some excellent fuel test paste, blueish in colour, being used to test Avgas for water. Can anyone advise where I can find such stuff?
Cheers,
Dave

Mariner9

The best water paste is "Kolor Kut", which changes from orange to bright red in the presence of water.

Kolor Kut have also introduced a new version which is excellent for Mogas use - will also detect water contamination and phase separation in Mogas containing Ethanol (not that we should fly with the stuff in theory)

Google Kolor Kut for stockists. (Dont buy too much coz 1 tube should last longer than most aircraft if used properly)

bose-x

Not being funny, but what is wrong with the mark 1 eyeball? It is free and you carry it with you at all times.

If you cant see water in the test pot then you are either blind or there is none. If blind then perhaps flying in the first place is a foolhardy venture.

Finding a problem for a solution comes to mind.....

Mariner9

Whirls doesn't specify his intention for the paste Bosey, it might be for a use with bowser or tank not suitably equipped for drawing a bottom sample for instance.

If there was no requirement for water paste it wouldn't have been invented

GWYN

I seem to remember from the distant past that a water detecting paste test was a legal requirement for the first flight of the day in certain parts of the antipodes. Mk1 Eyball etc., simply not trusted. Have to confess that I never saw it used though! Laws are for.............................

Lasiorhinus

Eyeballing it wont work for diesel-type fuels, including AVTUR. Water can remain in solution, and the use of a paste or powder is required under the rules.

AVGAS on the other hand, will not dissolve water, so if you can't see it with your eyes, there's nothing there.

whirlwind

Thanks for the replies....

My eyeballs don't often deceive me, and I've always used the jamjar method up to now.

I recently worked for a company that insisted on using test paste with Avgas - they are a very respectable company too. Given that their premises and setup are immaculate, I don't really think they need to use the paste, but I'm flying a different machine now - a 1941 aircraft with an equally old tank kept in a dark and dingy hangar. The fuel is stored on site in an ancient underground tank, and delivered by a 1930s hand crank pump (it's a great setup, honest). But I want the extra confidence provided by the test paste. OK, so I could walk outside and hold the jar up to the light, but I'd like to inject a bit more professionalism into the setup. A test jar kept with date of test etc., I'm sure you know the score. I guess that a tube of paste isn't going to break the bank compared to flying vintage machinery...

So dammit, I'm going to spend the money!

t1ggermoth

Not true. If there are contaminants in Avgas that absorb water (such as alcohols) then the water absorbed in the alcohol will not be visible.