Water / Ice in fuel
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Over Mache Grande?
Posts: 563
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Water / Ice in fuel
Given the current weather conditions, am I right in assuming that the best way of preventing ice forming in the tanks is to keep the tanks topped off when the aircraft is on the ground?
Have heard numerous stories of people checking for water, not finding any as it's frozen inside the tank, then defrosts during flight and causes engine stoppage. I'm planning a flight early one morning this week and want to make sure there is no chance of that happening.
Also, what other preventative measures do people take with the weather currently being Siberian? (The plane is obviously not hangered)
DW
Have heard numerous stories of people checking for water, not finding any as it's frozen inside the tank, then defrosts during flight and causes engine stoppage. I'm planning a flight early one morning this week and want to make sure there is no chance of that happening.
Also, what other preventative measures do people take with the weather currently being Siberian? (The plane is obviously not hangered)
DW
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: UK.
Posts: 262
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The joys of winter flying and an aircraft parked outside. I don't scrape off frost, if it's that bad I fly another day. If covered in frost and sunny, that's a different matter, turn into sun, brick under nosewheel, it soon melts. Don't see that you can do much about the water in fuel bit, other than be aware if it's an aircraft that often has water in the fuel when preflighting like the one I used to fly, it could be frozen. The one I'm flying at the moment I have never drained water from it's 13 drainplugs, but that doesn't mean it will always be that way. I suppose the only sure way is not to fly in these conditions, but that's a bit drastic.
Spicy Meatball
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Liverpool UK
Age: 41
Posts: 1,115
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This sounds daft, but when I do the pre-flight checks, I give the wings a 'waggle' - not only to check the undercarriage structure etc, but it also means that any water that may have settled in the tank, is more likely to sink to the bottom, so that when you drain fuel for the check, the water will come out. I fly a Tommy, so this will differ on type.
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 189
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
keeping the tanks topped up reduces the amount of air within them.
This in turn, reduces the amount of water vapour that could condense out.
So a full tank is better than an empty one.
(Although I have not had problems with aircraft, I did suffer water contamination in the diesel of a tractor that I left with 1/4 full tanks over one winter !)
This in turn, reduces the amount of water vapour that could condense out.
So a full tank is better than an empty one.
(Although I have not had problems with aircraft, I did suffer water contamination in the diesel of a tractor that I left with 1/4 full tanks over one winter !)
Given the current weather conditions, am I right in assuming that the best way of preventing ice forming in the tanks is to keep the tanks topped off when the aircraft is on the ground?
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Over Mache Grande?
Posts: 563
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Mazzy,
Not daft - I also do that. I fly a 172, and have never drained more than a couple of drops of water out. It's just at the club the other day someone was speculating on the reason for an engine failure in a recent accident, and suggested that if you did have water in the tanks, and it froze over night, you could drain the tanks, set off happy in the knoweldge you've got all the water out of the system, and then run into trouble as the ice melts...
I'll check the filler cap seals as suggested, and keep the tanks topped off each night.
DW
Not daft - I also do that. I fly a 172, and have never drained more than a couple of drops of water out. It's just at the club the other day someone was speculating on the reason for an engine failure in a recent accident, and suggested that if you did have water in the tanks, and it froze over night, you could drain the tanks, set off happy in the knoweldge you've got all the water out of the system, and then run into trouble as the ice melts...
I'll check the filler cap seals as suggested, and keep the tanks topped off each night.
DW
Do a Hover - it avoids G
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Chichester West Sussex UK
Age: 91
Posts: 2,206
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A couple of thoughts
Before doing anything else how about trying to measure the temperature of the lower skin of the fuel tanks to try and get a worst case estimate of the fuel temp inside?
How about rocking the wings as violently as possible (as suggested) to try and mix the cold bottom layers with the warmer upper layers then 'dipping' its mixed temperature? If the fuel temp is (say) less than 3deg you might decide to have a cup of coffee.
Before doing anything else how about trying to measure the temperature of the lower skin of the fuel tanks to try and get a worst case estimate of the fuel temp inside?
How about rocking the wings as violently as possible (as suggested) to try and mix the cold bottom layers with the warmer upper layers then 'dipping' its mixed temperature? If the fuel temp is (say) less than 3deg you might decide to have a cup of coffee.
Do a Hover - it avoids G
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Chichester West Sussex UK
Age: 91
Posts: 2,206
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I also like Fuji's idea of warming up the drain area. Not sure about the source of heat though. Gloves, very hot water and a sponge might help.
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Oop North, UK
Posts: 3,076
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If it is water that has settled in the fuel it should be at the bottom (in the drains) anyway and if it has frozen you will probably then find you cannot get anything out of the drains (if you waggle the wings you are as likely to distribute any water through the fuel as get it to go in the drains) - if this happens you need to worry - otherwise you are probably OK.
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Adelaide
Age: 44
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I agree, if there is water in the tanks it will finds its way to the bottom quicker than it can freeze anywhere else. Thus when it actually gets cold enough to freeze it will be on the bottom of the tank blocking the outlet to the drain points. Still with that in mind you should still perform an extensive fuel pre-flight with the suggestions put forward (rocking wings etc). Remember its better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air, then in the air wishing you were on the ground 
Happy Flying
Happy Flying
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Ireland
Age: 44
Posts: 338
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Does any GA aircraft use fuel heaters, apart from turboprops? Might be an easy fix... or maybe not! Perhaps a steel rod/tube at the bottom of the tank connected to the exhaust? Then again that would only work when the engine is running... maybe connect it to the battery?
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: E Anglia
Posts: 1,102
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Many years ago my Dad had a little paraffin burner which he left under the engine of his car overnight.
It was about 12 inches across and pretty flat, with a fine mesh grill over the top a la Davy miners lamp.
Held enough paraffin for 2 overnight burns IIRC.
Dunno if they still exist: maybe if not they could be re-invented: certainly would provide risk free warming of the fuel cock.
Safe flying
It was about 12 inches across and pretty flat, with a fine mesh grill over the top a la Davy miners lamp.
Held enough paraffin for 2 overnight burns IIRC.
Dunno if they still exist: maybe if not they could be re-invented: certainly would provide risk free warming of the fuel cock.
Safe flying
