Sedimenter or Filter

[Little Dorrit]

I have a Bukh DV24 which has a CAV primary sedimenter plus a secondary filter. The stainless tank appears to not be contaminated indeed the sedimenter showed no signs of any debris or water. Is it best practice to replace this with a primary filter in place of the sedimenter? For a small cost of about £30 this seems sensible or would you simply leave the sedimenter as the primary?

 

[pvb]

Is the boat new to you? If not, and if you haven't had fuel problems historically, I'd think you could leave it as it is (and obviously carry spare engine fuel filters).

 

[Little Dorrit]

Never had any issues, but the sedimenter does not have a clear bowl so if I did fill up with contaminated fuel I would not know. I guess the real question I should have asked is how reliable is fuel quality?

 

[pvb]

Never had any issues, but the sedimenter does not have a clear bowl so if I did fill up with contaminated fuel I would not know. I guess the real question I should have asked is how reliable is fuel quality?

Fuel quality varies according to location. Your details say Portsmouth and the Philippines; it's possible that fuel in the former might be more reliable than fuel in the latter.

 

[differentroads]

I have a Bukh DV24 which has a CAV primary sedimenter plus a secondary filter. The stainless tank appears to not be contaminated indeed the sedimenter showed no signs of any debris or water. Is it best practice to replace this with a primary filter in place of the sedimenter? For a small cost of about £30 this seems sensible or would you simply leave the sedimenter as the primary?

I put a lot of thought into this for my boat a few years ago. The engine mounted filter on my Yanmar is a bugger to get to in the comfort of a marina never mind when being thrown about at sea. So I fitted two CAV filters between it and the tank plumbed in parallel, as it were, with switch over valves so if one gets clogged I switch to the other. Used that capability three times in eight years in situations difficult enough to send up a prayer for which ever PBO angel suggested it.

I'd thought about adding a sedimenter too but I've not had lumpy stuff in my fuel to drive the need, just dust and water which would get past the sedimenter, wouldnt it?

 

[lw395]

Never had any issues, but the sedimenter does not have a clear bowl so if I did fill up with contaminated fuel I would not know. I guess the real question I should have asked is how reliable is fuel quality?

Never bought bad fuel in Portsmouth, but I am happy to have a CAV combined filter/aglomerator to remove any possible water etc. The filters for this are much cheaper than Yanmar so it's easy to carry plenty of spares and cheap enough to change them as a precaution. And you can get them in any port.