Are glass bowls on prefilters really a safety concern?

C

CraigB

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Brighton, UK
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Just thinking about adding a prefilter to my 20hp diesel engine and read the warning about the use of glass bowls on vessels on inland waterways. Is there really a safety concern with these? I've seen plenty of people recommend them on sailing boats. It seems sensible to be able to visually inspect the contents of the separator without taking it apart.
 
It's pretty thick glass, and I can't see how it could ever get broken in the average yacht engine room. If you were worried about it you could carry a spare.

I can;t see it as much of a safety issue really. Being able to see any water is a plus safety point I would have thought - certainly has been on our boat when we got a bit of water in the fuel.
 
If you're worried I suppose you could make a cover for it with a suitable sized cylindrical container (baked bean tin, maybe) and line it with a bit of foam so it's a push fit onto the glass bowl. This should absorb any knocks and be simple to slip off to view.
 
If you need a cert then I think the BSS man might say something if it does not have Pyrex etched on the glass on it, I understand glass etching kits are available from craft shops.
 
Hundreds of thousands of British cars were fitted with glass bowls, certainly including the Triumph Herald, Vitesse, Spitfire etc.
They did not catch fire because of glass bowls
 
I have see through bowl filters which are BSS approved.
RACOR - the bowl is fiited with a metal shield rather like a small pudding bowl. Comes complete with ISO number for BSS appro.
Supplied by ASAP
 
I had one break on me. It had a small chip on the rim and when I nipped the securing bolt up the last bit after changing the filter, the glass cracked and diesel everywhere. I replaced it with another glass one, but now check for damage when changing filters. Get one from Lucas, they are a standard part and will be a lot cheaper than from a marine engineer.
 
Actually more glass bowls get broken when been tightened than at any other time.
BTW The aluminium bowls are easy enough to brake too, the centre screw spigot breaks off, and they can crack along their curve.
 
I think there's more chance of a pipe splitting or even an old tank or plastic tank splitting then a glass bowl cracking.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Just more nanny- state H&S twaddle.

[/ QUOTE ]My sentiments exactly
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My understanding is they break when there is a fire and then feed the fire with diesel, making it a lot lot worse especialy if your at sea. Thats why they dont like plastic feed pipes either.

I work on a construction site and we have just lost 4 diesel compressors, because one went on fire the feed pipe melted,the fire was then fed from a 1000 gallon tank and spread to the other three. The tank had a cut off valve but had not been checked for several years and had siezed. Luckily this was on land and nobody was injured.
 
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