Fuel bug advice

[Powersalt]

Ok here goes. I took delivery of a new Princess mobo 5 months ago and on its sea trial the engines cut down to tickover revs which was on investigation found to be the pre filters with the diesel bug. At this time I had not put any fuel in. Princess put new filter in and suggested I get some diesel bug treatment. I put some in but on looking at the pre filters recently I noteits still there. It gets worse for me as I am told by the volvo engineer that I will never get ride of this bug and will always have to treat the fuel. The only alternative is to clean the tanksThis is after 10 years mobo ing without a bug ever.

So my point is!! what is reasonable to expect the boat manufacturer to do? should I push for more and is it true its a defect for life now?? Should this be my problem??

I appreciate all sage forumites views and advice please

 

[tinkicker0]

Get one of the fuel polishing companies in. They'll sieve the lumpy bits out and dose your tanks so's it won't return for a good while, depending on the quality of fuel you upload.

Costs about 250 smackers IIRC.

Can't hurt.

 

[dmmbruce]

It must be the manufacturers responsibility. They delivered a boat that was not fit for purpose.

I would draft a firm but polite letter asking them what they are going to do about it. Don't leave it any longer or you may be considered to have accepted the situation.

I would also run the letter past your lawyer. But DON'T let him draft it and make it aggressive/legalistic and thereby make the manufacturer stroppy.

Good luck!

 

[Silent Lady]

So they expected you to FIX IT

Hi

I think I would have left the boat where it was .. How can they suggest YOU get some bug treatment .. I am a raggie but do sympathise with your problem .. I only use diesel from the supermarket and everything runs fine .. Bit different with the quantities you consume ..

Anyway .. I think I would be on the phone and ask them what they propose to do about it .. If you don't get anywhere with a very polite phone call then I would send a letter giving them a time limit to reply .. If you still hear nothing get a company in to clean it all out .. Get a report and send them the bill .. If they don't pay then small claims court ..

You will be surprised how quick you get your cheque after the court papers turn up on the mat .. It can all be done online and doesn't cost a fortune ..

Saga magazine reader .....

Good luck

Ps don't forget to add something for the inconvenience .......

 

[Bilgediver]

It must be the manufacturers responsibility. They delivered a boat that was not fit for purpose.

I would draft a firm but polite letter asking them what they are going to do about it. Don't leave it any longer or you may be considered to have accepted the situation.

I would also run the letter past your lawyer. But DON'T let him draft it and make it aggressive/legalistic and thereby make the manufacturer stroppy.

Good luck!

If this problem was discovered during sea trials then no doubt Princess were aware of the problem. It seems odd that they thought that just dosing would cure a problem where the filters were blocking on the first voyage.

The bug takes time to multiply and to get the problem you describe so early in the life of the boat suggests the boat was fuelled with very buggy fuel. Possibly the fuel had a higher water content than usual also and this wouldn t help as the bugs grow in the water oil interface in the tank.

I agree that you should write to Princess reminding them of the problem identified during sea trials and advising them how serious the problem has been found to be and that the only way to fix this problem is to polish the fuel and correctly dose the system. Usually when trying to eradicate bugs we use a higher concentration of biocide than normal and this might be difficult to achieve if your tanks hold a considerable amount of fuel. I would suggest you indicate that you expect the builders to pick up all these costs including transferring fuel to barrels for effective dosing of the system.

In order to reduce the chances of this recurring you should endeavour to remove all water that collects in the fuel tanks using the drain cocks. If none are fitted then this should also be bought to the builders attention.

Unfortunately boat builders do not seem to recognise the importance of removing water from fuel tanks and seem to rely on separator filters which are really to far down the line as by the time the water gets to these it has done its damage in providing the in tank breeding ground for the bugs.

Wish you the best of luck but feel the boat builder should definitely recognise their obligations in your case as well as question their source of the fuel in case this situation happens again.

 

[hlb]

I think Princess should sort the problem How ever it is not a problem for life. iVE HAD TO SORT IT A FEW TIMES. Bloody computer. Add Soltron. Drive the boat hard, for a dundred miles?? Fill up and add Soltron again. Maybe changing filters again. I've not had problem for about five years, but a few does before..

 

[hlb]

In fairness', Princess do indead include a drain plug, which can b e addapted to be a cross over valve. A drain plug, or water separator.

 

[oldsaltoz]

Sorry to hear you have the fuel bug in you new pride and joy.

As others have said, it's not your problem and the seller is responsible for the contamination.

The only advice I can provide is that you document everything after the first phone conversation.

Ask them for an e-mail address and retain copies. Confirm the receipt of every item sent to you.

Go softly softly to start with and if it fails, give em both barrels. The small claims court will sort them out.

 

[Ianj68]

I had a similar problem 10 months after taking delivery of my boat. After returning to the dealer to resolve some warranty issues they added some infected diesel to the tanks for the return trip. They took complete responsibility arranged for the fuel to be cleaned, tank and lines to be scrubbed and gave me several sets of filters just in case. I would suggest it's a dealer problem.

 

[Major Catastrophe]

I deal in consumer affairs all the time - even took on Tesco yesterday and won a small victory for me and another bloke.

This is not your problem. The boat was delivered not fit for purpose and it is up to Princess to deal with it. End of.

You must however, demand a permanent solution, not just a bottle of Soltron and a handful of filters.

 

[Powersalt]

I deal in consumer affairs all the time - even took on Tesco yesterday and won a small victory for me and another bloke.

This is not your problem. The boat was delivered not fit for purpose and it is up to Princess to deal with it. End of.

You must however, demand a permanent solution, not just a bottle of Soltron and a handful of filters.

Why is not soltron a permanent solution if applied properly??
What constitutes a permament solution that would meet my needs?

 

[Ianj68]

I would suggest that they fund having the fuel removed and treated and a thorough clean of the tank and lines etc. You might want to ask for SeaStart cover too.

That worked for me.

 

[LittleShip]

Why is not soltron a permanent solution if applied properly??
What constitutes a permament solution that would meet my needs?

Soltron is a method of killing the bug and hopefully preventing it occurring again, your filters are what remove the particulates that are left and, apparently they are doing that.

There is no permanent solution to the bug, you could pick up contaminated fuel next time you fill up. Trawlers have a day tank, which means they clean fuel and put it in a separate tank, that way they know that the fuel is clean.

Water is the main problem with diesel fuel and the bug grows on the interface of the water and diesel layers. The best way is to make sure that you always have clean fuel delivered and that you never get any water in your tanks. The latter is impossible as your tanks will condensate at certain times of the year.

I have just fitted a polishing system to my boat as I found some sediment when I pulled fuel from the bottom of my tanks. The answer to this problem is ....

1. Fuel additive every time you fill up
2. A polishing system to remove water from the tanks and from the fuel.
3. Remove water from the bottom of the tanks after filling up.

As I only have one engine I have always been anal about my fuel, but as you have found out it dosen't matter how many engines you have if the bug gets in, your filters can clog in a very short period if you get it bad.

This is a picture of the system I have fitted on my boat, it seems to do the job well and can be run whilst at the dock. That said it will work better when on the move as the tanks get a good stirring and this will help to loosen the sediment off the bottom of the tank.

Hydn has stated that your tanks have a drain at the bottom, this could be utilised to fit a polishing system.

If you want further information send me a PM and we can make arrangements to talk.

 

[whisper]

For Soltron you could substitute Marine 16 or Grotomar 71. Both came out better in an MBM test a year or so ago.
We used to use Soltron but still ended up with "The Bug".

 

[Major Catastrophe]

Soltron is a method of killing the bug and hopefully preventing it occurring again, your filters are what remove the particulates that are left and, apparently they are doing that.

There is no permanent solution to the bug, you could pick up contaminated fuel next time you fill up. Trawlers have a day tank, which means they clean fuel and put it in a separate tank, that way they know that the fuel is clean.

Water is the main problem with diesel fuel and the bug grows on the interface of the water and diesel layers. The best way is to make sure that you always have clean fuel delivered and that you never get any water in your tanks. The latter is impossible as your tanks will condensate at certain times of the year.

I have just fitted a polishing system to my boat as I found some sediment when I pulled fuel from the bottom of my tanks. The answer to this problem is ....

1. Fuel additive every time you fill up
2. A polishing system to remove water from the tanks and from the fuel.
3. Remove water from the bottom of the tanks after filling up.

As I only have one engine I have always been anal about my fuel, but as you have found out it dosen't matter how many engines you have if the bug gets in, your filters can clog in a very short period if you get it bad.

This is a picture of the system I have fitted on my boat, it seems to do the job well and can be run whilst at the dock. That said it will work better when on the move as the tanks get a good stirring and this will help to loosen the sediment off the bottom of the tank.

Hydn has stated that your tanks have a drain at the bottom, this could be utilised to fit a polishing system.

If you want further information send me a PM and we can make arrangements to talk.

Wot he said.

But first you need to address the problem with Princess. They may have delivered a boat already infected and they should clean the tank.

 

[Bilgediver]

Why is not soltron a permanent solution if applied properly??
What constitutes a permament solution that would meet my needs?

The essence is in your very words. If he has a big big boat with full tanks then a bottle is totally wasted hence my reference earlier to reducing the volume in the tanks. It is always best to physically clean the tanks when empty to get rid of the critters. If you have ever seen inside a polluted tank you will know why.

In severe cases of bugs the last thing you want to do is hit them hard and then ask the filters to deal with the resulting crud. Not only does it block filters repeatedly till all gone but it is highly acidic and can severely damage fuel injection systems.

Just ask Powerskipper for a graphic account

Yes some of these biocides on their own are fine for some levels of contamination however it is wise to remember to switch between products from time to time as the bugs develop a resistance to each one over time.

The easiest way to stay bug free is GET RID OF THE WATER IN THE TANK and not leave it there and rely on all sorts of devices to trap it on the way to the engine. If Princess fit drain plugs that is good however it can be a bit unnerving removing a plug and then trying to replace it on a partially full tank A decent valve instead would be better.

 

[sarabande]

I think it's a bit of a myth that the diesel bug only lives where water and diesel interface. If water is dispersed in the fuel, then the bug lives throughout the liquid contents of the tanks, and some bugs even live in plain diesel.

The by-products of bacterial action in water and diesel float up or down according to their density. If there is a clear demarcation line between water and fuel, you have floating bugs in the water, and sinking bugs in the diesel - which then become easily visible in the separation zone. It's a horrible thought having that much water in a tank, anyway !



BTW, LS, apart from the coils in the copper pipe in your lovely clean installation, what have you done to minimise effects of vibration hardening please ?

 

[burgundyben]

Soltron is a method of killing the bug and hopefully preventing it occurring again, your filters are what remove the particulates that are left and, apparently they are doing that.

I thought the Soltron USP was that its a enzyme that digests the bug and hence no debris is left to clog the filters?

Other types are boicides that kill the bug and the dead ones clog filters.

 

[z1ppy]

i may be missing something here but Princess have delivered and handed over a boat with the bug and suggested you sort it out??

as others have said, would be talking politely but firmly with them to get them to sort it out.

i know, only from reading other peoples comments on here that Princess, particularly the guys at Swanwick, have been very helpful with other new deliveries and there has been nothing but praise. Hurricane and Jimmy the Builder both had boats commissioned from them and i recall thinking, i wish the people we bought from had been that good!!

 

[omega2]

bug

Is this a brand new boat, if so fire it back at them, and demand new installation from tank to engines. This a diabolical liberty they are taking, no amount of soltron will get rid of the bug. The only way is get rid of the tanks.