Sumping Fuel Question

Murdoughnut

Murdoughnut

Well sized member
I need to lose 10 gallons of avgas from my 172 - FBO charges as much to take it out as they do to put it in.

Here's a hypothetical - even though it would take some time, could I sump the fuel out and empty it into a fuel bucket? I have a high capacity sump cup - just wondered if anyone had done this, or if this was safe to do.
 
Murdoughnut said:
I need to lose 10 gallons of avgas from my 172 - FBO charges as much to take it out as they do to put it in.

Here's a hypothetical - even though it would take some time, could I sump the fuel out and empty it into a fuel bucket? I have a high capacity sump cup - just wondered if anyone had done this, or if this was safe to do.
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What for? To meet a weight restriction?

The fuel (in my mind) is bad once it's out of the tank, so why not use it instead of wasting it? Go spend an hour doing landings and you'll have burned those 10 gallons off.
 
jtrain609 said:
What for? To meet a weight restriction?

The fuel (in my mind) is bad once it's out of the tank, so why not use it instead of wasting it? Go spend an hour doing landings and you'll have burned those 10 gallons off.
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Well I'm already over my monthly flying budget so I was trying to minimize my time in the air - but I may have to I suppose. Would the fuel become contaminated if I transferred it from the sump to a plastic fuel bucket?
 
It's my opinion that it is, and that's the opinion of every air carrier I've worked for...which is only two.

Somebody else will chime in here and say it's just fine, they defuel all the time, yada yada. Personally? It's contaminated, don't put it back in.
 
If it goes anywhere but directly from fuel truck/pump to tank or back the other way, it's usually considered contaminated. You could always use it in your lawn mower.

I would just siphon it out with a tube and a bucket. Take it to a repair shop and ask them to get rid of it for you....most places will use it in airport tugs and such, contaminated or not.
 
Murdoughnut said:
Would the fuel become contaminated if I transferred it from the sump to a plastic fuel bucket?
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Not if the bucket is clean and you keep it covered. The fuel has already been transferred among numerous tanks before it gets put in your plane, and this is just one more transfer. Mechanics do it all the time.
 
tgrayson said:
Not if the bucket is clean and you keep it covered. The fuel has already been transferred among numerous tanks before it gets put in your plane, and this is just one more transfer. Mechanics do it all the time.
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But when the fuel is transferred from tank to tank, it is ALWAYS run through a filter, otherwise it's "contaminated."

I've defueled a plane through sumps before. Not fun. It's really up to you as far as using the fuel again. Personally, I would probably use it but run it through several funnels that have a very fine filter on them before hand.
 
Thanks for the heads up guys - turns out that I won't have to - just went over to check out the plane and discovered that the tanks weren't filled after the last flight.

But after what you guys said, I wouldn't have done it anyways - I had no perspective on it, glad you guys knocked some into me :)
 
N519AT said:
But when the fuel is transferred from tank to tank, it is ALWAYS run through a filter, otherwise it's "contaminated."
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You're arbitrarily defining "contaminated" as any fuel that hasn't been run through a filter. A more reasonable definition of "contaminated" is fuel that contains foreign substances. Fuel going into a clean bucket that remains clean will not be contaminated.
 
darrenf said:
I know how you have been beating the high cost of fuel. :buck:
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Tsk, tsk. Did it ever occur to you that I could be removing fuel from my own plane and giving it away anonymously to those people who are struggling to pay for their own fuel costs?

Oh, what a cynical age we live in.;)
 
tgrayson said:
Tsk, tsk. Did it ever occur to you that I could be removing fuel from my own plane and giving it away anonymously to those people who are struggling to pay for their own fuel costs?

Oh, what a cynical age we live in.;)
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Wanna send some fuel my way?
 
You can get a siphon hose for pretty cheap. You just shake the hose a lot, and keep the bucket below the fuel source and it drains fast.
 
tgrayson said:
You're arbitrarily defining "contaminated" as any fuel that hasn't been run through a filter. A more reasonable definition of "contaminated" is fuel that contains foreign substances. Fuel going into a clean bucket that remains clean will not be contaminated.
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Coming from a Line Service point of view (and NATA if that matters), any fuel that doesn't pass through a filter before entering it's next holding tank is considered contaminated.

Now...you are correct with the clean bucket, but I am just saying as far as an official standpoint from an FBO. It's a liability issue more than anything.
 
jtrain609 said:
It's my opinion that it is, and that's the opinion of every air carrier I've worked for...which is only two.
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we (one of your two carriers) could defuel and reuse the gas as long as it was put into an empty truck and was put back into one of our own airplanes.
 
Orly? Well I'm not really into your form of logic or reasoning! :)

I'll make sure to file that one away for when I get recalled in 3 years :)

You keep your seat? I'm too lazy to go look at the list.
 
Murdoughnut said:
I need to lose 10 gallons of avgas from my 172 - FBO charges as much to take it out as they do to put it in.

Here's a hypothetical - even though it would take some time, could I sump the fuel out and empty it into a fuel bucket? I have a high capacity sump cup - just wondered if anyone had done this, or if this was safe to do.
Click to expand...

Just remember, you can never have too much fuel, fuel is weightless, and the only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire. :sarcasm:
 
I know the problem was solved but:

Did you order that much fuel and just screw up the pre-flight estimate (it happens) or did they over-fuel you (it happens more often)?

If it's the latter, I say it's their mistake so their expense not yours.

-mini
 
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