What kind of water separator really works?

[SiteSolutions]

I've been using a Goldenrod 596-5 Water-Block Fuel Filter on my transfer tank / pump rig for a couple years now. It does a great job at keeping water out of the fuel I pump into my loader. The problem is, the service life of the filter is unpredictable and sometimes very short, especially in cooler months. The way the filter works, it traps water internally, and once it has trapped all the water it can hold, it restricts flow, so my 15 gpm pump is only a drizzle at the end of the hose. Takes 20-30 minutes or more to put 25 gal in my loader. :dizzy:

If this happens once every couple months, it's not a problem. But, the brand new filter I put on last night started choking off after only 5 gallons of fuel had been run through it. Once a day is no good.

So, everybody else I see driving down the road seems to be using the clear plastic separator with a filter element in it and a drain on the bottom of the bowl. Do they work? I can see how this would get me past having to replace a $18 filter all the time, but will it keep any water out of the fuel I'm pumping out? I use the factory filters on my T-190 and they seem to work the same way as the Goldenrod Water-Block, that is, once they get water logged, they choke off the fuel to the machine. They're almost as expensive as the transfer filters ($15?) and a bigger mess to change out.

So what solutions are y'all using, and how well do they work?

[Mr. Rain]

Problem is that fuel quality is getting worse, plus the whole bio factor and the problems it causes. Fact is, if you're plugging filters, it means they're doing their job and keeping that crap and water out of your expensive modern fuel systems. If you go with a cheaper/coarser fuel system or one w/o the water absorption component, that stuff goes through your injectors. Harsh reality of higher pressure fuel systems and sh!tty fuel is you'll go through more tank filters and will need to keep one in the toolbox, no matter what style.

[Scag48]

When I had a transfer tank, I had the clear bowl type like you're talking about. It had a filter element but also a water seperator below it, much like the fuel/water filter in my dad's 216. Seems to me that's the best route, water seperator drains out the bottom and the filter element you can change as needed.

[YellowDogSVC]

I use the goldenrod screw on filter inside the plastic bowl with bottom drain. I get LONG service life. I keep an eye on the plastic outer bowl and if I see water settle at the bottom, I drain it from petcock. I would make sure all your connections on tank are tight, too, to keep as much condensation out of the tank as possible.

[Gravel Rat]

It might be time to find a new fuel supplier. I would have a filter with a sediment bowl that you can drain off. Racor is the biggest supplier around here.

The worst is getting a bad case of bugs in your fuel and if you have water your going to get bugs.

I would probably drain your slip tank dry then get some clean diesel fuel slosh it around then tilt the tank up so its on the fill bung. Take a shop vac and suck out the crap. You might want to repeat the diesel sloshing and vac it out again.

[SiteSolutions]

I use the goldenrod screw on filter inside the plastic bowl with bottom drain. I get LONG service life. I keep an eye on the plastic outer bowl and if I see water settle at the bottom, I drain it from petcock. I would make sure all your connections on tank are tight, too, to keep as much condensation out of the tank as possible.

You run Bobcats; do you use the Bobcat fuel filters? Do you drain them on occasion? Ever have any issues with water in your fuel in the loader?

It's one of those things where I don't want to just get a bowl/drain separator just because everybody seems to have one; I want to know that it will do a good job.

I'm thinking of buying the bowl type and adding it inline between the pump and the screw-on Water-Block filter. If the thing really works, I shouldn't have to change out the Water-Block for a year or more. If not, then I at least save myself the aggravation of getting another load of watery fuel in my loader, and I can just take it back off and try to find a way to buy the Water-Blocks by the dozen.