de ice wing tanks

[Dan Mahalak]

Hi guys. Frozen sump on wing tank. My "bush pilot" teacher tells me simple rubbing alcohol will free it right up.

What do you use to free your sumps when they are frozen? Flying today was ABSOLUTELY fantastic here in Seward Alaska.

[Robert Lees]

Re: de ice wing tanks

If they're frozen, where's the water coming from? Poor fuel supplies, leaky cap or condensation?

[Dan Mahalak]

Re: de ice wing tanks

I keep the tanks toppd off, so condensation should not be a problem.so I assume its a leaky cap.

but I still need to know how to free up the sumps chemically?

[Howard Wilson]

Re: de ice wing tanks

Warm hangar, drain h2o. Pitot style cover on vent w/ big 'remove before flight' flag. If no warm hangar, set up safe heat situation to melt ice. Heating pad, light bulb, preheater with long duct and thermometer stuck in end of duct nearest sump? Don't know about alcohol, some may be hydroscopic and suck up the h2o, but where does it go? I know it drys me out;-( Howard

[Mark Julicher]

Re: de ice wing tanks

If you are close enough to electrical outlet, use a blow dryer aimed at the sump then drain the water.

Otherwise, HEET and similar products are just alchohol which mixes with the water and lets it pass through. Unfortunately, alchohol can do terrible things to certain gaskets and will eat your float needle if you still have (horrors) a neoprene tipped needle.

I guess as an alternative, you just drink enough of the imbibing sort of alchohol and then you just don't care about the stuck sump anymore.