To fill or not to fill the tank for winter storage…that is the question? We are often asked by our customers if it is best to leave fuel tanks empty during the fall and winter. We found a great article on the BoatUS Magazine website that states, “The recommendation to leave a tank mostly empty is bad advice; it could significantly increase the amount of water that gets into the tank. When enough water enters through the vent, the ethanol will separate (“phase separate”) from the gasoline. Leaving a tank mostly empty does three things to increase the chances of phase separation:

It increases the volume of open space in the tank (its “lung capacity”) so it can “breathe in” damaging moist air. An almost-empty tank leaves more space on tank walls for condensation to form. Leaving less gasoline in the tank means there will be less ethanol to absorb the condensation.”

Click here to read the entire article and learn more about how ethanol is affecting your boat engine.