Water Eliminator ® ST-S31 / ST-B31
PN: ST-S31 Storage Tank Water Eliminator, Stainless Steel Container including installation hardware and initial cartridge. PN: ST-B31 Storage Tank Water Eliminator replacement cartridge.
Product Applications:
Removes water directly from above ground and in-ground fuel storage tanks.
Water Eliminator® Storage Tank Model – Part Number ST-S31 / ST-B31
Installation Instructions
The WATER ELIMINATOR installs in minutes using the hardware enclosed. Tools required are 1⁄4 electric drill, a 3/16-inch drill bit, a pair of pliers and a small crescent or open wrench. Drill a hole in the tank cap (where ever the eyebolt will not interfere with the correct operation of the cap) using the 3/16 drill bit.
Install the eyebolt with a plain nut next to the eye followed by a flat washer and a neoprene washer, in the hole drilled in the cap. The eye should be on the inside of the cap with the neoprene washer contacting the cap. Next install the other neoprene washer, a flat washer and the elastic stop nut. Tighten the elastic stop nut until the neoprene washers are compressed slightly.
NOTICE: There must always be a length of chain sufficient to permit the canister to lie flat on the bottom of the tank.
To install the inner cartridge (ST-B31), twist the cap clockwise and pull. The cap should come free of the canister. Slip the cartridge (ST-B31) into the canister, making sure that there are no folds or twists in the cartridge. Insert the cap in the open end of the canister while pressing lightly on the cap until the springs snap into the closed slots. Make sure that the springs are protruding from the three slots. If the spring does not protrude from the slot, remove the cap and adjust the spring by reforming it slightly outward.
The WATER ELIMINATOR® should be checked periodically and the inner cartridge should be replaced when full (replacement part #ST-B31 –Refill Package) On an initial installation in a tank that already may contain water the cartridge should be checked in 24 hours and replaced if full.
About the Product
Accept no substitutes; use the product OEMs distribute to their customers. ATTC developed the Water Eliminator in 1988 and was granted both US and Japanese Patents. ATTC is a pioneer in developing products that help the consumer keep their equipment running at peak performance.
The Problem
Water has been a problem for engine operators since the first engine was developed. Caused primarily by condensation in both vehicle and storage tanks and seepage from rain and ground water, the problem has persisted throughout the years. In the winter the problem is more obvious because of freeze-up and jelling. In the summer months the problem can be even more acute, but less obvious. The warm weather can spawn colonies of algae that plug filters causing loss of power. There is also a problem of damage to the fuel pump, injectors and the engine due to the presence of water. Though water is primarily recognized as a problem in diesel fuel, it also adversely affects the function of gasoline, fuel oil, mineral spirits, kerosene and hydraulic fluid. These conditions result in additional expenses for the equipment owner. Often these expenses are very significant, particularly if emergency road calls and down time are a result.
Freezing: Water collection at any low point in the system may freeze causing anything from loss of power to a complete shutdown of the fuel supply. Dispersed water can form ice crystals and increase the tendency for fuel to gel.
Injector Tip Wear: A single drop of water in a hot injector can flash to steam causing erosion and in some cases, exploding the injector tip.
Bacteria: The presence of water provides oxygen encouraging the formation of bacteria, which promotes the growth of algae that, can cause filter blockage, injector fouling and increased tank and fuel line corrosion.
Damaged Fuel Pumps and Injector Pumps: In a diesel engine fuel lubricates the close tolerance working parts in the pumps. Water displaces the fuel causing “flat spots” that prevent the fuel from lubricating these parts. This causes premature wear out.
Damaged Carburetors and Plugged Jets: If water is allowed to reach the carburetor it can cause serious problems. Water can prevent the fuel from properly combusting causing your engine run poorly and reducing its efficiency. If the water content is high enough the engine will not run. Water can also damage the fuel float. In cold weather water in the carburetor or fuel line can freeze bringing the engine to a stop and causing damage to the internal parts. Other water related issues include rust, corrosion and plugged jets.
Corrosion: Burning of fuel causes the formation of oxides of sulfur. These oxides combine with the steam formed from water to make sulfuric acid. Water in the tank can combine with soluble sulfur salts, to form corrosive liquids.
The Solution
The Water Eliminator was designed as a solution to remove water at the most logical place, in the fuel tank. Removing water at the source affords protection to the entire fuel system. Even the life of the fuel tank will be increased through the reducing of rust and corrosion. The Water Eliminator is simplicity in itself. It consists of a cylindrical cage-type cartridge that is lined with a nylon mesh filter. The cartridge is a container for a small measured amount of dry crystals. The crystal is chemically water specific, which means that it will accept only water molecules into its structure. In the presence of water it can expand to 500 times their bulk. The Water Eliminator can be used as a backup to a water separator or as the only water trap in the applications where an inline filter installation is not possible. The Water Eliminator is your first line of defense against water in the fuel. The Water Eliminator is easy to use; the operator just clips the lanyard to the fuel cap and lowers the unit to the bottom of the tank. The unit must lay flat on the bottom of the tank for best results. The Water Eliminator should be checked each time the equipment is fueled. In fuel cans or bulk storage tanks the Water Eliminator should be checked each time fuel is added. This visual inspection only takes seconds. To check the Water Eliminator hold upright by lanyard. The crystals will swell to fill the cage with encapsulated water. If the cartridge is not full, slowly lower it back into the tank and recheck the next time fuel is added. We recommend The Eliminator be replaced when it is over three-quarters full or every six months. American Transportation Technology maintains an active and stringent quality assurance program. All components are inspected and tested to assure conformation to all drawings and specifications. Each unit is lot sampled and inspected at every stage of manufacture. Each unit is inspected prior to packaging to insure the highest level of quality control prior to delivery to our customers. A leading automotive testing research laboratory tested The Water Eliminator and found that it has no affect on the chemical and physical properties of diesel fuel as defined in the applicable ASTM specifications.
Test Results
- Cloud Point: No significant difference was noticed between the sample with or without The Water Eliminator.
- Pour Point: Same as Cloud Point.
- Ash: Same as Cloud Point.
- Carbon Residue: Same as Cloud Point.
- Sulfur: No change in sulfur level.
- Copper Corrosion: No corrosion in any samples tested.
- Nitrogen: Same for all samples.
- Existent Gum: Samples tested at high temperatures tend to have higher values but the level of increase is not significant.
- Infrared Spectra: Examination of the spectra of each sample does not reveal any organic contamination. There is no Water Eliminator residue present in the fuel at a significant concentration to be measured by the technique employed.
- Distillation: The variation between samples is well within the reproducibility of the test procedure.
Conclusions
The analytical date clearly indicates that the chemical and physical properties of the fuel are not altered by the presence of The Water Eliminator within the environmental parameters of the aging sequence. These conditions represent the average of the extremes that diesel fuel in truck fuel tank would experience. There is evidence that when used in the concentrations present in this test sequence, The Water Eliminator inhibits the growth of bacteria.
Specification and Design Details
Part Numbers WE1 • WE1CR • WE2R • WE1-3.5C-24 • WE12
The device is injection molded of nylon and cylindrical in form. The main body is a “cage” with several longitudinal and circumferential ribs, which surrounds a cylindrical filter screen. A cap is ultrasonically welded to the main body, contains a hole through which the lanyard is attached. The unit is then attached to the fuel cap with a safety clip.
The cartridge contains a small amount of dry solid crystal, which is water specific and swells to hold many times its bulk in water. There is also contained in the cartridge a 1/8-inch bar that is used as additional ballast.
TThe Water Eliminator WE1-3.5C is approximately 1.125 inches in width, 3.5 inches in length and includes (1) 24 inch lanyard with an attached snap-hook. The unit requires a minimum tank opening of 1.25” and must lay flat on the bottom of the tank to properly function. Applications include: boats with portable fuel tanks, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, ATVs, motorcycles, portable generators, gas / jerry cans, lawn and garden equipment and any other small power equipment where water contamination can be an issue.
The Water Eliminator WE1 • WE1CR • WE2R are the same product only in different packaging. The cartridge is approximately 1.25 inches in width, 7.5 inches in length and includes a 27 inch lanyard with an attached snap-hook. The WE2R includes two Water Eliminator cartridges and two lanyards. The unit requires a 1.3 inch or greater tank opening and must lay flat on the bottom of the tank to properly function. Applications include: military, marine, heavy-duty trucks, home heating oil tanks, generators, farm, AG and construction equipment, fuel storage containers and transfer tanks, and medium sized power equipment.
The Water Eliminator WE12 is approximately 1.75 inches in width 12.75 inches in length and includes (2) 39 inch lanyards with attached snap-hooks. This allows the unit to work in storage tanks that are up to 78 inches in depth. The unit requires a 1.85 inch or greater tank opening and must lay flat on the bottom of the tank to properly function. Applications include: military large farm, AG and construction equipment, heavy-duty trucks, mining equipment, larger standby and primary power generators, mid-sized above/ in-ground storage tanks, fuel transfer tank, commercial marine, oil field service equipment, heavy haul and other larger heavy equipment applications.
Materials
The Water Eliminator’s cage and screen are made of nylon. Nylon is tough, abrasion resistant and is inert to most organic chemicals, such as esters, keystones, alcohol and hydrocarbons. The water absorbing media is pH neutral and is chemically inert to hydrocarbons. The micro-mechanics is essentially mechanical, in that no chemical changes take place. No new compounds are formed; nothing is added or extracted from the fuel. Water is captured and held in a semisolid form, appearing as a translucent gel.
In essence, The Water Eliminator is a simple solution to an old problem. It removes water at the source, directly from your fuel tank
Water Eliminator Crystals
Water Eliminator crystals are water specific and will swell many times their weight in water. The crystals are water specific which means the will only absorb the water in your tank and will not adversely affect gasoline, diesel fuel, JP5 or hydraulic fluid.
You can see the dry crystal at the left in Figure (1). Figure (1) right shows partially hydrated crystal.
Figure (2) shows fully hydrated crystals.
Figure (3) left shows a single dry crystal and a fully hydrated crystal on the right.
Demo Crystal packages are available for our dealers and sales reps to help demonstrate how the Water Eliminator works when introduced to water.
Demo Crystal Package
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