Fuel venting

[diesel]

Long story short this tank used to sit under the motor I've since moved it under the floor does it need to be vented?

Edited November 10, 2013 by diesel

[Testlab]

Are you going to put the floor over that?

If so you have created a floating bomb. That tank has a vented tank cap so it is going to breath fumes under the floor with every temperature change and every refill so even without the floor over it it's damn dangerous.

Under floor or other tanks designed for use in sealed semi-sealed compartments must be vented overboard - which means to an outside surface of the hull below the gunwales that is never covered.

If your insurance company knew of that modification then kiss goodbye any coverage.

[Testlab]

I can't modify my post above so I'll add some extra comments here.

Fuel tanks for building in can't have detachable couplings, the fuel line has to be plumbed in. The tank itself has to fully sealed and the vent and tank filler pipes must be plumbed in. The filler pipe has to be located higher than the vent and located not to drain into the boat from any spillage.

[diesel]

Thx test lab,Floor and carpet over top , would it be different if it was plastic cause I see plenty of boats that have fuel tanks in the same spot with no breather , would I be better off putting it back in its originall position , will have kids on board and don't want to be floating around on a bomb any advice would be good

[Scratchie]

Ok diesel, I think that's great advice from testlab.

To clean that back area up, maybe a trimming like on the back of my boat?

Cheers scratchie!!!

[Flickn Mad]

Plastic or metal doesn't matter. Fuel will expand and contract regardless, sucking in moisture particularly in an under floor situation when it cools and venting flammable/explosive fumes when it heats up. Testlab is all over it.

The tank would be better off back at the motor.

For mine, if I had that sot of space under my floor I would be putting in another purpose built tank as Testlab described as a back up or fitting a kill tank.

I believe it was in southern queensland recently where boat owner and worker were seriously burnt by a fire/explosion when working on a fuell tank. Small chance of something going wrong but if it does people will get hurt.