A Personal Angst About Evaporative Emissions From Gasoline Fuel Tanks
Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2024 4:13 pm
I have a dilemma about buying a fuel tank. Should I:
As I understand it, the new federal standard for fuel tanks means:
The large difference in price between the two types of fuel tanks is surprising to me--even for fuel tanks of only 6-gallon capacity.
Q1: will the new, approved fuel tanks have better resistance to decay [of their plastic walls] due to exposure to ultraviolet light?
As a boater with a fuel tank, I should let my conscience be my guide.
And now I'm not so troubled by the oversized, custom, aluminum fuel tank in my Montauk.
FUEL MATS
In the old days of six-gallon tanks as a standard feature, Boston Whaler always used a rugged mat with lipped edges under the fuel tank, which would also contain small spills. In the even older days of metal six-gallon tanks, owners would cut out part of the lip of these mats for drainage, so the steel tank would not sit in saltwater or rainwater and rust.
I think a pad of some sort under heavy objects is always good, although I'd want to periodically take-up the mat to clean underneath it, and scrub out all the mold and crud that collects on the non-skid deck surface.
- buy a less expensive fuel tank [which I consider is not good for the environment], or
- buy [a more expensive fuel tank that I consider is] better for the environment [than the cheaper fuel tank].
As I understand it, the new federal standard for fuel tanks means:
- the approved tanks are built with with a polyethylene plastic that transmits less gasoline vapors into the environment--and the statistics about the number of gallons of [gasoline] fuel lost through vaporizing from closed plastic cans are scary;
- the approved tanks contain some device to help prevent over-filling, spilling, and evaporation of volatile organic compounds; and
- the approved tanks may contain a device to prevent pressure buildup which might produce leakage.
The large difference in price between the two types of fuel tanks is surprising to me--even for fuel tanks of only 6-gallon capacity.
Q1: will the new, approved fuel tanks have better resistance to decay [of their plastic walls] due to exposure to ultraviolet light?
As a boater with a fuel tank, I should let my conscience be my guide.
And now I'm not so troubled by the oversized, custom, aluminum fuel tank in my Montauk.
FUEL MATS
In the old days of six-gallon tanks as a standard feature, Boston Whaler always used a rugged mat with lipped edges under the fuel tank, which would also contain small spills. In the even older days of metal six-gallon tanks, owners would cut out part of the lip of these mats for drainage, so the steel tank would not sit in saltwater or rainwater and rust.
I think a pad of some sort under heavy objects is always good, although I'd want to periodically take-up the mat to clean underneath it, and scrub out all the mold and crud that collects on the non-skid deck surface.