Best Time to Buy a New Boat Gas Tank

With the average fishing boat on the water being around 28 years old, you may be fishing from a flowing time bond and not even know it. Your fuel systems always need extra attention. One of the common things that happen is it starts getting older from bilge or somewhere else on the bowl of gas and that should be your first clue. Another infrequent sign is when the motor is not running good, you’ve changed the plug, and you’ve turned up a professional who inspected it and you are still having issues like a lot of water in the gas. These are some good hints that tell you, it’s time to invest in new boat gas tanks.

How Old Is Your Gas Tank?

Most metal angler gas tanks come with a minimum life expectancy of around 10-15 years. Your tank’s age also depends on some crucial factors like the material of the tank if it’s steel or aluminum. Your fuel storage system might run longer than your competitor or a friend, but unless there is some external damage done to it, it will last at least 10 years. However, if you’re current tank is severely corroded and deteriorated; you may consider replacing it by contacting qualified marine tanks manufacturers.

On the other side, HDPE or plastic tanks have relatively longer durability. They do not corrode, offer flexibility and made to put harsh chemicals as well as gas and petroleum. Though they can last more than a decade, but, under extreme temperatures, HDPE can be catastrophic.

Do you see foam in the bilge area?

Another clue that you may need to purchase the latest angler gas tanks is when you start noticing pieces of foam in the bilge area. What happens is the gas breaks the foam down and pieces of it get saturated and separated from the other parts of the foam. This is definitely a dangerous sign and can clog drain underneath the tank unless you remove those foam particles.

Many times boat gas tanks are designed for specific boats. So you have to bring your old tank to a marine fabricator who can duplicate the old tank. An outdated tank (above 20 years) is something you can’t overlook as it is a major part of your boat.

The introduction of ethanol to gasoline has presented other problems especially in older boats that have a lot of resin and varnish built-up. Ethanol acts quite like a cleaner. Some of the resins can break down and get into your engine causing hazardous failure.