BoatU.S. - December 2011

It’s interesting to note that in areas of the Midwest that have been dealing with E10 for over a decade, topping off tanks is common practice. (As an alternative, completely emptying the tank would eliminate any chance of phase separation.)

If phase separation occurs, the highly corrosive ethanol/water mixture will settle to the bottom of the tank and remain there even after fresh fuel is added in the spring. The only way to remedy the problem would then be to drain the tank and add fresh gasoline. The best way to avoid phase separation over the winter (aside from emptying the tank) is to leave the tank 95-percent full (which allows for expansion) so that there’s less moist air in the tank, less space for condensation to collect, and more gasoline to absorb whatever moisture does accumulate.

MYTH #2: E10 ATTRACTS WATER,
SO IT’S IMPORTANT TO INSTALL A
WATER SEPARATOR TO PREVENT
THE WATER, REACHING THE ENGINE.
Mercury Marine, which recently hosted a
webinar on ethanol myths, noted, there is
no active transfer mechanism for ethanol
molecules to reach out and “grab” water
molecules out of the air. Under normal
storage conditions, even in a vented fuel
tank, it just does not happen at a level or
rate that is relevant.” Ethanol is hydrophilic,
however, which means it holds water. With
regular gasoline (E0) as well as E10, the
primary cause of water collecting in tanks is
condensation on tank walls. But unlike E0,
which can absorb almost no moisture, E10
can hold up to half of one percent of water
by volume, and the water molecules will
dissolve in the fuel. The “solubilized” water
will bypass the water separator and burn
harmlessly through the engine. Only if phase
separation were to occur would a water sepa-
rator do its job, but by then the fuel itself
would be the problem. The phase-separated
water/ethanol mixture would settle on the
bottom of the tank near the fuel pickup
and would quickly stall out or even damage
your engine. And because ethanol is used
to boost octane, the remaining (low-octane)
gasoline at the top of the tank would also
have the potential to damage your engine.

MYTH #3: CERTAIN ADDITIVES CAN PREVENT PHASE SEPARATION. Both Gibbs and Simnick said that the additives that eliminate water may work incrementally to protect against phase separation, but Simnick stressed that no additives will stand up to a good slug of water. Gibbs added that the best way to prevent phase separation in E10 is to “keep it dry, keep it dry, keep it dry.” That means keeping the

Nature kept this woolly mammoth on ice for 10,000 years. Harness this very same bone-chilling power of ice with an Engel DeepBlue Performance Cooler. You can count on 8-10 days of ice retention, thanks to a full 2" of insulation, rugged roto- molded walls and an airtight freezer lid that keeps the cold in and the heat out. HARNESS THE POWER OF ICE

Proven superior in independent testing, the Engel DeepBlue is the cooler to choose when your adventure is on the line. Find out for yourself. Visit engel-usa.com for test results, product specs or to request our catalog.