Marine fuel treatment: Things to consider
Many of us have suffered through the worst winter in memory, with record snow storms and all-around cold and misery equally shared by all. Except...
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Ten years into the ethanol era for fuel in the United States, we’re finding that more and more marinas are selling ethanol gas for marine use. This gas is a maximum of 10% ethanol content because boat engine manufacturers like Mercury still recommend against using E15.
This trend is something we’ve recognized since around 2016, when reports came out about E0 gas being “pushed out” of the marina market in various states like South Carolina. And this trend has concerned a lot of boaters. Estimates of the amount of ethanol-free gasoline sold across the United States projected the figure to go from 8 billion gallons in 2014 to only 200 million gallons a few years later.
Ethanol blend gasoline still doesn’t play well in water-rich environments. If you’ve been around the Bell blog for any length of time, you’ve read the discussion about how water induces phase separation and destruction of fuel quality in ethanol blends. That same danger in marine environments is obvious.
What about fuel-water separators? These standard-issue items for boats can’t do anything about the dissolved water that forms in ethanol-blend gasoline.
The main remedy for boat fuel health is to use a fuel treatment that addresses ethanol problems. In deciding between the myriad of choices out there (how are you supposed to pick the best one when they all look the same?), look for one that can control water in gasoline without using alcohol, while providing injector detergency and protection for boat fuel system parts from destructive ethanol solvency.
Keeping on top of this problem is worth your while as a boat owner. Repair estimates for ethanol damage typically run around $1,000 per time. And lest ethanol advocates try to downplay this issue, if you talk to those in the boating industry itself, it’s pretty clear they recognize the upswing in damage from ethanol. In 2015, 73% of respondents indicated they had seen engine damage to boats caused by ethanol. A year later, that figure was 87%. These respondents came from the boat repair industry, so they tend to pay attention to these things.
You may be interested in these related posts:
- Boat Safety Tips and Recommendations from the U.S Coast Guard
- Florida Boater Solves Water Problems with Ethanol Defense
- Fuel stabilizer for boats: Why do I need one?
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