My aircraft has the water drain valves (factory mod 33), and a Profurl
filter under each seat - between each tank outlet and the fuel tank
selector - and a mini gascolator between the fuel tank selector and the
electric pump.
I have once found water when testing the fuel drains - in France, this
summer - but I have never found water in either the Profurls or the mini
gascolator. My policy is that, if water shows up through the tank drains,
you should go on draining fuel through that outlet until there is no water
in the sample.
I agree with Nigel's comments below about the mini gascolator screen.
David
G-BZAM - UK 265
----- Original Message -----
From: "Nigel Charles" <72016.3721@compuserve.com>
Subject: Re: Fuel system questions
> Message text written by Fred Fillinger
> >I tested it thoroughly in all attitudes. The tank drains will remove
> water, in level attitude, to below where the fuel outlets will pick it
> up. This means that water can be detected from tank drain samples
> before finding any in the gascolator. Unfortunately there can still be
> a residual amt of water, which in nose low attitude, will travel to a
> gascolator and once it fills, it goes to the engine.
>
> If only a gascolator is installed, and any water is drained from it,
> seems to me that the aircraft is then grounded until all water in the
> tank is removed, which will not be easy!<
>
> The Andair gascolator has a screen which allows fuel to pass through it
but
> not water. Although water normally settles out below the fuel, during
> taxying and in flight it will get shaken up so that a proportion of any
> water in the tank will find its way to the gascolator where it will be
> seperated out. Regular water drain checks at the gascolator before flight
> should show if water is building up in the system. Even in the damp
> environment of the UK, in one year's operation I have not yet found a
> single drop of water whilst doing these checks. I think this is helped by
> two things. One - the tank is not metal minimizing condensation. Two - I
> normally keep the tank full between flights reducing the amount of
> moisture laden air allowed into the tank. Whilst I don't want to put off
> builders from careful fuel system design I would point out that I have yet
> to hear of any engine stoppages due to water with the Europa and there are
> some Europas that have achieved many hundreds of hours.
>
> Nigel Charles
>
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