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Author Topic:   Plastic above-deck tank safety

rsgwynn1 posted 07-17-2002 06:06 PM ET (US)
I'm currently removing a 29 gal. aluminum auxiliary tank the previous owner installed in the bottom of the cuddy of my Revenge. It may have a leak, and it blocks access to the drain sump, plus I want a cuddy that's more than a crawl space. I'm probably going to buy a similar sized Tempo to take along on long offshore ventures. This will have the advantage of being removable when I'm fishing inshore.
Question: are there any precautions to take with an on-deck tank? Does it need to be grounded in some manner? The idea of taking a 28 gal. tank out, setting it on the ground to fill it, and then lifting it back in the boat isn't very appealing at my age. I've heard a couple of mentions of static electricity as a fire hazard. I had two Tempo 6 gal. plastic tanks on my 1974 Bass Boat and never had and particular worries or problems.
ShrimpBurrito posted 07-17-2002 07:36 PM ET (US)
Check this: http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/002227.html
There was also a fairly comprehensive thread recently on the static charges of on-deck plastic tanks, but I can't find it. I seem to recall it was under an unrelated subject heading. In any event, I think everyone's experiences were that through years of un-grounded use, no one has won the Darwin awards.
Maybe someone else remembers the name of the thread.
Jerry Townsend posted 07-17-2002 08:53 PM ET (US)
A couple of considerations: One - remember that plastic will not block static electricity - only metal works there. Therefore, the static electricity issue is still there with a plastic tank. There is no way !!! that I could do that - as 28 gallons of gasoline will weigh around 180 pounds or so. Another item in my mind regarding safety and plastic tanks is that the plastic tanks are unbaffled - therefore, the sloshing fuel can exert significant loads on all sides of a plastic tank. Given enough sloshing load flexing of the tank walls, eventually something will fail. ---- Jerry/Idaho
Dick posted 07-17-2002 09:16 PM ET (US)
I have 3 years on the Tempo 28 gallon tank in my Montauk and no problems. I fill it in the boat as well.
The only static problem with plastic tanks that I have heard of is if you slide them around on a plastic truck bed liner.
triblet posted 07-18-2002 12:15 AM ET (US)
Fill it in the boat. I have a 24 gallon
Pate in my Montauk, and I used to slide it
back a couple inches to fill it (till I
figured out how to wiggle the nozzle in),
and it was serious work. And I'm 6'5', 200
pounds, and reasonably fit. I wouldn't even
consider dragging in and out of the boat.

Chuck
rsgwynn1 posted 07-18-2002 10:38 AM ET (US)
Seems there was some info about grounding in the papers that came with my earlier Tempo tanks. Anyone purchased one recently?

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Author	Topic: Plastic above-deck tank safety
rsgwynn1	posted 07-17-2002 06:06 PM ET (US) I'm currently removing a 29 gal. aluminum auxiliary tank the previous owner installed in the bottom of the cuddy of my Revenge. It may have a leak, and it blocks access to the drain sump, plus I want a cuddy that's more than a crawl space. I'm probably going to buy a similar sized Tempo to take along on long offshore ventures. This will have the advantage of being removable when I'm fishing inshore. Question: are there any precautions to take with an on-deck tank? Does it need to be grounded in some manner? The idea of taking a 28 gal. tank out, setting it on the ground to fill it, and then lifting it back in the boat isn't very appealing at my age. I've heard a couple of mentions of static electricity as a fire hazard. I had two Tempo 6 gal. plastic tanks on my 1974 Bass Boat and never had and particular worries or problems.
ShrimpBurrito	posted 07-17-2002 07:36 PM ET (US) Check this: http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/002227.html There was also a fairly comprehensive thread recently on the static charges of on-deck plastic tanks, but I can't find it. I seem to recall it was under an unrelated subject heading. In any event, I think everyone's experiences were that through years of un-grounded use, no one has won the Darwin awards. Maybe someone else remembers the name of the thread.
Jerry Townsend	posted 07-17-2002 08:53 PM ET (US) A couple of considerations: One - remember that plastic will not block static electricity - only metal works there. Therefore, the static electricity issue is still there with a plastic tank. There is no way !!! that I could do that - as 28 gallons of gasoline will weigh around 180 pounds or so. Another item in my mind regarding safety and plastic tanks is that the plastic tanks are unbaffled - therefore, the sloshing fuel can exert significant loads on all sides of a plastic tank. Given enough sloshing load flexing of the tank walls, eventually something will fail. ---- Jerry/Idaho
Dick	posted 07-17-2002 09:16 PM ET (US) I have 3 years on the Tempo 28 gallon tank in my Montauk and no problems. I fill it in the boat as well. The only static problem with plastic tanks that I have heard of is if you slide them around on a plastic truck bed liner.
triblet	posted 07-18-2002 12:15 AM ET (US) Fill it in the boat. I have a 24 gallon Pate in my Montauk, and I used to slide it back a couple inches to fill it (till I figured out how to wiggle the nozzle in), and it was serious work. And I'm 6'5', 200 pounds, and reasonably fit. I wouldn't even consider dragging in and out of the boat. Chuck
rsgwynn1	posted 07-18-2002 10:38 AM ET (US) Seems there was some info about grounding in the papers that came with my earlier Tempo tanks. Anyone purchased one recently?