by WillyPete » 13 Jul 2010 07:00
I imagine something like that would work just fine. I had originally considered using a pump like what you mention but thought about how might the gaskets and seals , etc. in that type pump be affected. That's why I choose to use a 12v pump from a vehicle, it's designed for that kind of use and, batteries and small solar panels are very portable versus a generator to power a higher voltage pump system.
At one point I had to replace the fuel pump in the tank of one of my old vehicles and I also was concerned about what may happen if something in the tank sparks, would i suddenly have a conflagration in my face.
The design on my particular fuel pump was such that the electrical connections were covered with small rubber boots over each terminal and the terminals themselves were screw terminals with locknut fasteners to prevent them loosening and potentially sparking. And I realized that the design was such that the pump connections are completely submerged in the fuel for the majority of the time so that any remote possibility of oxygen being in the tank cannot be near the connections should a spark actually happen. Plus, the fact that gasoline and diesel vapors are heavier than air and that the fuel liquid evaporates to fill its container, there is little harm in using any electrical pump to remove the fuel from its tank as air will b e pushed out of the container. With my pump system for PAW fuel gathering I would also wrap the terminal end of the pump with a fair thickness of rubber tape and maybe silicone sealant to completely seal off the electrical connections and as totally as I can prevent that conflagration.
I imagine something like that would work just fine. I had originally considered using a pump like what you mention but thought about how might the gaskets and seals , etc. in that type pump be affected. That's why I choose to use a 12v pump from a vehicle, it's designed for that kind of use and, batteries and small solar panels are very portable versus a generator to power a higher voltage pump system.
At one point I had to replace the fuel pump in the tank of one of my old vehicles and I also was concerned about what may happen if something in the tank sparks, would i suddenly have a conflagration in my face.
The design on my particular fuel pump was such that the electrical connections were covered with small rubber boots over each terminal and the terminals themselves were screw terminals with locknut fasteners to prevent them loosening and potentially sparking. And I realized that the design was such that the pump connections are completely submerged in the fuel for the majority of the time so that any remote possibility of oxygen being in the tank cannot be near the connections should a spark actually happen. Plus, the fact that gasoline and diesel vapors are heavier than air and that the fuel liquid evaporates to fill its container, there is little harm in using any electrical pump to remove the fuel from its tank as air will b e pushed out of the container. With my pump system for PAW fuel gathering I would also wrap the terminal end of the pump with a fair thickness of rubber tape and maybe silicone sealant to completely seal off the electrical connections and as totally as I can prevent that conflagration.