Selecting the Right Boat Fuel Tank for your Boat

 

One would expect a fuel tank for a boat to last, but boat fuel tanks don’t last and fortunately a choice of replacement tanks and accessories are readily available. No matter what materials the fuel tank is manufactured with, the tank will eventually fail. This has to do with the harsh chemicals in the fuels as well as moisture within or on the outside of the tank.

 

An aluminum boat fuel tank can last a surprisingly long time, but they will develop pin holes because tanks tend to sweat, and the small droplets of water congregate in the bottom of the tank where eventually they will corrode through the tank.

 

A plastic boat fuel tank does not suffer from the safe effects as a tank constructed out of aluminum but the plastic itself will dry out, harden, and over time will crack. Boat fuel tanks are also fabricated from stainless steel, mild steel, and galvanized steel with all these types of tanks eventually succumbing to the same fate as an aluminum tank, from either electrolysis or corrosion.

 

Types of Boat Fuel Tanks

 

Replacement fuel tanks for boats are constructed from a wide choice of materials, with shapes that range from stock off the shelf designs to custom options, sizes that offer a broad range of volumes, as well as a selection of fitting and fitting locations.

 

A popular replacement for a boat fuel tank is a polyethylene plastic fuel tank from manufacturers such as Moeller® and Attwood®. Rigid plastic fuel tanks are available as portable fuel tanks or as a built in fuel tank. Rigid plastic tanks for permanent installation come in a low-profile boat fuel tank well suited for an underfloor boat fuel tank or plain box type fuel tanks often used as saddle tanks such as the 27 gallon or the 55 gallon permanent below deck fuel tanks.

 

An alternative to a built-in ridged plastic fuel tank are the bladder fuel tanks. A bladder tank has the advantage of being flexible, making it an attractive option for a fuel tank in a tight or awkward location.

 

A portable boat fuel tank for boats is commonly made of plastic with ones made of steel a rarity and are available in different fuel capacities. Replacement portable fuel tanks for boats do not come without their fair share of choices, such as the Attwood 8812LLPG2 fuel tank that requires additional accessories to complete the fuel system, whereas the Moeller fuel tank 05370100 comes as a kit that should include everything required to get the new fuel system up and going, .

 

Portable fuel tanks are not limited to small boats and make great pontoon boat fuel tanks especially for a boat that is kept on a small lake without fuel service.

 

Marine Fuel Tank Parts

 

Unfortunately, just like fuel tanks, fuel hoses, fuel tank vents, and hose clamps, they do not last. One should check these regularly and replace then without fail when showing any signs of deterioration. Accessories for a fuel system are specially manufactured for fuel systems and should not be substituted with something that could work such as a vehicle fuel tank sending unit. These will not function correctly as a boat fuel tank sending unit although they appear similar. Therefore, it is prudent to purchase any fuel related parts from a reputable marine chandlery such as Go2marine.