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MEP 802A Aux fuel tank option

Guyfang

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Absolutely correct. And they all work, more or less that way.

I may be wrong, but I didn't think the Aux fuel pump, as it pertains to -002a/-003a, actually "runs constantly". I believed that its "powered up all the time" but its only activated to pump fuel when it loses pressure (loses prime) due to the float switch in day tank being activated which triggers opening Aux input valve attached to Aux pump. When solenoid is activated it opens the input side of Aux Pump Solenoid allowing fuel to flow through and then the Aux fuel pump needs to maintain its prime & pressure and is activated as long as the Aux input valve is open. Even if it were to pump a stroke-or-two now & then when not called into actual pumping mode that's probably beneficial for the pump to keep pump internals from sticking.
 

Daybreak

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I have a 803 with 2 275 gallon home heating oil tanks feeding it...they have the drain at the bottom so I hooked to that with a shut off and filter then steel line to the genset...works great.
Howdy,
For those which have not had a lot of experience with Diesel.

Diesel is a fuel oil. (Off-Road, Home Heating Oil, Un-Taxed Diesel fuel has a RED dye) standard Taxed Diesel is a greenish tinge.
Your preferred choice is 100% Diesel.

Water sinks to the bottom. Fuel pickups in tanks should always be up off the bottom. Never attach a fuel connection to a bottom drain location. The drain is there for bleeding off water. A spin-on fuel/water separator has a drain on the bottom for this very reason.

Water, condensation, moisture are all problems for diesel, and engines.

Fuel storage containers breath. Many members here have either made, or purchased a desiccant filter type breather.
1st choice 100% Diesel
2nd choice Biodiesel is the worse for collecting moisture. Just like crappy 10% ethanol gasoline.
Fuel treatments. Different for where you live. Cold weather. Hot weather.
 

WWRD99

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Howdy,
For those which have not had a lot of experience with Diesel.

Diesel is a fuel oil. (Off-Road, Home Heating Oil, Un-Taxed Diesel fuel has a RED dye) standard Taxed Diesel is a greenish tinge.
Your preferred choice is 100% Diesel.

Water sinks to the bottom. Fuel pickups in tanks should always be up off the bottom. Never attach a fuel connection to a bottom drain location. The drain is there for bleeding off water. A spin-on fuel/water separator has a drain on the bottom for this very reason.

Water, condensation, moisture are all problems for diesel, and engines.

Fuel storage containers breath. Many members here have either made, or purchased a desiccant filter type breather.
1st choice 100% Diesel
2nd choice Biodiesel is the worse for collecting moisture. Just like crappy 10% ethanol gasoline.
Fuel treatments. Different for where you live. Cold weather. Hot weather.
Please don't take this wrong as I highly respect all the info you give on here but I disagree with not having the pickup off the bottom of the tank. The reason is with my one tank that had the pick up from the top to about 8 inches from the bottom filled up with water and junk over time then froze completely and I had no heat on 1 jan 2 years ago when it was 0 degrees out...so I torched the outside to break the pipe out of the ice and raised it up....it didn't have a drain installed and cost about 300 to get the tank cleaned out...I did the bottom feed with a tilt towards the feed so anything in there comes out and gets filtered and the tank stays clean...I can deal with water in the genset filter or my Burnham furnace it spits out the water, a frozen crud filled bottom tank is not fun and easy to avoid...I go through 500 gallons of oil a year easy so having 3 tanks feed the heat makes sense price wise and storage, it doesn't sit long. So I guess that would be the biggest difference from me as I go through it and it doesn't sit much.
 

MrShawn305

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Please don't take this wrong as I highly respect all the info you give on here but I disagree with not having the pickup off the bottom of the tank. The reason is with my one tank that had the pick up from the top to about 8 inches from the bottom filled up with water and junk over time then froze completely and I had no heat on 1 jan 2 years ago when it was 0 degrees out...so I torched the outside to break the pipe out of the ice and raised it up....it didn't have a drain installed and cost about 300 to get the tank cleaned out...I did the bottom feed with a tilt towards the feed so anything in there comes out and gets filtered and the tank stays clean...I can deal with water in the genset filter or my Burnham furnace it spits out the water, a frozen crud filled bottom tank is not fun and easy to avoid...I go through 500 gallons of oil a year easy so having 3 tanks feed the heat makes sense price wise and storage, it doesn't sit long. So I guess that would be the biggest difference from me as I go through it and it doesn't sit much.
I can see that if you have a decent fuel/water separator and go through alot of fuel. I guess that's one of the things that requires a "YMMV" disclaimer.
 

Guyfang

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Pros and cons.

Gen sets do not feed from the bottom, but have a way to drain fuel tanks from the bottom, to remove water and crud. Keep the tank clean, you don't have that problem. Feeding from the bottom has advantages, the extra fuel filtering means having to keep more watch on the filtering system. Personal choise. I would not do it unless I had no other options.
 

Daybreak

2 Star Admiral
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Location
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Please don't take this wrong as I highly respect all the info you give on here but I disagree with not having the pickup off the bottom of the tank. The reason is with my one tank that had the pick up from the top to about 8 inches from the bottom filled up with water and junk over time then froze completely and I had no heat on 1 jan 2 years ago when it was 0 degrees out...so I torched the outside to break the pipe out of the ice and raised it up....it didn't have a drain installed and cost about 300 to get the tank cleaned out...I did the bottom feed with a tilt towards the feed so anything in there comes out and gets filtered and the tank stays clean...I can deal with water in the genset filter or my Burnham furnace it spits out the water, a frozen crud filled bottom tank is not fun and easy to avoid...I go through 500 gallons of oil a year easy so having 3 tanks feed the heat makes sense price wise and storage, it doesn't sit long. So I guess that would be the biggest difference from me as I go through it and it doesn't sit much.
Howdy,

Proper usage, inspection, and testing a tank so you do not have problems. Condensation water is a problem. A free standing tank has numerous access ports. As having a WATER drain at the bottom for draining off water. The same reason the water/fuel filter has a drain at the bottom for draining off water.

Home heating oil tanks, or diesel tanks.

Preventative maintenance would be water detecting paste on a dip stick before freezing weather. Drain off the water at the bottom of the tank, as to not have icebergs in your tank, and not pumped into any diesel motor.

Say your tank is 1/4 full. The temp swings back and forth. You get 1/4 cup of water condensation. Sinks right to the bottom, and straight to your filter, fuel tank, engine. Not good.
 
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