What to do with fuel after testing

[Hobiehawker]

I am becoming recurrent in general aviation after being away for about twenty years and want your opinions on the proper disposal of the fuel used after checking the sumps.

Back in the day when you checked the fuel with the tester it was a no no to put that fuel back in the tanks. After testing that fuel it was considered contaminated. I thought it to be an FAR and can't find that anywhere. My flight instructor said that the EPA got bent on the practice on dumping it on the ground (possibly understandable) and now the practice is to put it back into the tanks. I know there is a testing device that strains the fuel but none of the aircraft at the FBO has this tester in their aircraft. So after a partial drain of the sumps, they put that same unfiltered fuel back in the tanks.

I am curious on your thoughts on this practice and what you might be doing with this fuel.

Thanks for replies.

 

[TheInsider]

I am becoming recurrent in general aviation after being away for about twenty years and want your opinions on the proper disposal of the fuel used after checking the sumps.

Back in the day when you checked the fuel with the tester it was a no no to put that fuel back in the tanks. After testing that fuel it was considered contaminated. I thought it to be an FAR and can't find that anywhere. My flight instructor said that the EPA got bent on the practice on dumping it on the ground (possibly understandable) and now the practice is to put it back into the tanks. I know there is a testing device that strains the fuel but none of the aircraft at the FBO has this tester in their aircraft. So after a partial drain of the sumps, they put that same unfiltered fuel back in the tanks.

I am curious on your thoughts on this practice and what you might be doing with this fuel.

Thanks for replies.

More and more airports (EPA) require you to safely dispose of the fuel. Personally, I see nothing wrong with pouring the fuel back into the tanks. If it looks clean, have the correct color and smells "good" pour it back. I know of several large flight school operators teaching students to pour it back in if it meets the criteria for uncontaminated fuel.

 

[kf4amu]

Pour it back if it looks ok. Or just throw it on the ground if you don't believe the EPA.

 

[Sy-bill]

After fuel is drained from the aircraft, it is considered contaminated until going through an approved process. This was either written at one time, or maybe always an unwritten, reasoned practice.

Since the EPA has taken a strong issue with the process of dumping the fuel on the ramp, the FAA now overlooks the process of dumping the fuel tested back into the tanks.

When I flight instructed 25 years ago, the FAA strongly frowned upon the process of putting any amount of what would be defined as contaminated fuel into the fuel tanks. For the most part we all dumped it on the ground. The sump is there in part to get rid of any sentiment in the tanks of which some is not readily apparent.

Although the environmentalists would have issue, the safest choice would be to not put the fuel back in the tanks. But to each their own.

 

[Lynxman]

Get yourself a GATS jar and pour it back in.

 

[Dash Power]

This is your typical old school vs new school opinion on this topic. Being old school I can see the reasoning behind the concern for putting the tested fuel back into the system. Back in my day the FAA would have probably grounded the airplane if that occurred. There has been more thought put into this subject mainly because of environmental concerns. The FAA seems to now accept the practice of putting the fuel back in the tank. At least if they did not accept that practice they certainly would have let us know about that.

My personal opinion? Unless you use the GATS Jar, don't put it back in the tank. It is plainly assumed to be contaminated coming from the sump. The GATS Jar is a good product.

 

[Helmsalee]

Even a non tree huger like me can understand that throwing fuel on the ramp is bad. If you cannot bring yourself to put it back into the plane, save it and put it in your car. If you have one of those gas powered plane movers put it there. Lawnmower maybe.
Just my $.02,
Lew

 

[brokeflyer]

throw it on your neighbors lawn.

 

[Sy-bill]

save it and put it in your car.
Lew

Yeah, right. Because people will always make that trip back to the parking lot to put a couple grams of gas in their car.

 

[acaTerry]

Get yourself a GATS jar and pour it back in.

I only have one problem with the GATS jar. If you read the instructions carefully, you'll notice it says that the jar / filter is ONLY usable if it is "primed" with fuel. So let's say that you do the priming with the fuel sump, but water comes out. You just rendered your filter useless. I like the old clear tube testers with the screwdriver bit at the end. And they're not so bulky. Insofar as the sample goes...I just follow the local procedure. Personally I have no problem with throwing it out on the ramp, but it should be thrown hard so it does not leave any puddles and soften the ramp (more of a problem on black tar ramps than concrete). Hell, I used to use it to wash oil off my hands when I was a lineman. And it never gave me cancer....