Diesel Fuel Filters Replacement Frequency

[Midnightsun]

How often to you guys replace your fuel filters? Diesels have primary and secondary filters on them as opposed to gas with one lonely filter/water separator. I have been replacing the primaries on both engines and generator every end of season (Racor cartridge) however this year I am questioning if this is simply an overkill/waste. Draining any water from the primary units is will be done every season however is a filter change really required? I am guessing I went through about 1,500L (400g) of fuel this season which is probably my seasonal average.

I should mention the secondary filter was the original when I purchased the boat with 1000hrs on the engines. They do have electronic water sensing built into them which will alert me if there is any water in them which has never occurred. I have been replacing those every other year since I got the boat, overkill?

[km1125]

It's all a factor of how clean the entire fuel supply is where you're getting fuel from. Having vacuum/pressure gauges before and after them is the only real good way to know (other than good visual inspections). You might normally be able to run one or two THOUSAND hours but then one bad batch of fuel might clog the filter in hours.

The best longevity would be running a pair in parallel and only switching over when the gauges start indicating restriction. Then you get the absolute longest life out of the filter, whether that's measured in hours, tens of hours, hundreds of hours, or thousands of hours. It also gives you a very quick method of overcoming a clogged filter situation and get back running in seconds rather than hours.

[bud37]

I agree, the gauges are a definitive deciding factor most times if you keep track of the differential readings with new filters at idle and a higher rpm vs time. Write it on a hanging tag or the filters.

Of course that will require quality gauges with the appropriate scales for your engines.

Now that said, good gauges and redundant filter system may buy a lot of filters..... ....then again, it may save you a lot on filters over time......

[Viper]

Certainly keep an eye on gauges if applicable but the OEM recommendation is every 200 hours or at least once a year which ever comes first.
Hans, when was the last time you checked your compressor oil level?

[Midnightsun]

No compressor on these only a turbo.

[Viper]

I asked because it's often ignored. You've probably posted it in another thread but can you post a serial number? Give me both and I'll check a couple of things.

[Midnightsun]

Thanks Viper however I do not have access for a couple of days

[Midnightsun]

Viper, here are the numbers you asked for. Around 1400 hrs on them.

D6-370I-B HS 2006011117.

D6-370I-B HS 2006011246

[Midnightsun]

Source of the post Certainly keep an eye on gauges if applicable but the OEM recommendation is every 200 hours or at least once a year which ever comes first.
Hans, when was the last time you checked your compressor oil level?

I believe the recommendation on the primary is 30 micron however I have been using 10 micron without issue as they always seem to be clean. I do not have gauges on my Racor setup. Here is the filter I use. https://www.dieselfiltersonline.com/par ... tm-or.html

I always carry spare fuel filters on board in case as I was almost stranded on a previous boat due to contamination.