Recreational boat owners who install a FloScan
Fuel Computer report that it quickly becomes the most
important instrument aboard and the one they depend
upon more than any other. A fuel computer tells them
so much about their boat's operation that they
wouldn't otherwise know. Best of all, it keeps them
totally informed about their fuel situation from
minute to minute. It's little wonder that
FloScan owners feel almost to a person that
fuel computers should be standard equipment on every
boat.
A FloScan Fuel
Computer Performs Many Critically Important Functions
Super-Accurate Tank Gauge. How many
times have you hesitated to try new fishing grounds or
to stay out longer because you couldn't trust your
fuel tank gauges? Everyone agrees that marine fuel
tank gauges are often next to useless - especially in
rough seas when you may need them the most. To
compensate for their inaccuracy many skippers carry
extra fuel to be on the safe side. This costs money,
and it adds extra weight (50 gallons of fuel weighs
over 300 pounds) which in turn reduces fuel efficiency
and often adversely affects the way the boat handles.
Many first time FloScan buyers are
looking primarily for an accurate tank gauge. They are
not disappointed. With a FloScan Fuel
Computer it is not uncommon to return to the fuel dock
and find that the amount needed to fill the tanks is
within a gallon or two of what the fuel totalizer says
the boat has used. Dock attendants are often amazed
when the skipper already knows the exact amount it
will take to fill the tanks.
Now that you know for sure exactly how much fuel you
have you can plan your next move without fearing that
you may run out. This often allows you to take that
extra fishing run, or to make it home from the islands
without refueling at that expensive refueling dock.
You'll enjoy boating more because the fear
factor has disappeared.
If you split fuel costs with your fishing buddies a
fuel computer can also save you time at the end of the
day. You won't have to line up at the fuel dock to
full up just to find out how much fuel you've used.
You can read it directly off the totalizer!
Big fuel saver. A FloScan
Fuel Computer will save you 10-20% of your fuel bill.
It's one of the few products for your boat that pays
for itself, and quickly too. If you're a serious
boater or fisherman, a FloScan Fuel Computer will
likely pay out in less than a year.
A
FloScan Fuel Computer helps you save
fuel in several different ways. First, it lets you
choose the optimum speed for maximum fuel efficiency.
Knowing your fuel flow rate and boat speed you can
calculate your miles-per-gallon (MPG) and select the
speed which results in the lowest fuel consumption for
present conditions. This alone will usually cut your
fuel bill by 10-15%. (The latest addition to our
product line, the Series 9000, automatically
calculates MPG by interfacing with your GPS or Loran
to obtain boat speed).
Speed is very important but many other factors affect
fuel usage. Boat trim, propeller, engine condition,
and hull condition all are important. With a fuel
computer you can see the effect of a change in trim
tab angle or a shift in the load. The same applies to
the art of selecting the best propeller type, size and
pitch; fuel computers make it possible to measure the
effect of prop changes on engine/drive train
efficiency. It's not difficult to pick up at least
another 5% in fuel savings with these adjustments.
The importance of engine condition on maintaining top
fuel efficiency in marine engines is sometimes
overlooked; this is especially true for gasoline
engines. Marine engines operate under continuous high
loads for a much higher proportion of the time than
engines in cars. At these high loads, engine equipment
deficiencies can chew up a lot of extra fuel until
they are discovered and remedied. Something as simple
as a faulty spark plug can increase fuel consumption
by 20% and yet be very difficult to spot; a fuel
computer picks up such an increase immediately,
calling for an engine check to determine the cause.
Monitors engine and drive train condition.
Anything that degrades engine or drive train/prop or
overall boat performance also shows up immediately in
fuel flow rates. FloScan Fuel Computers help spot
problems before they become emergencies that could
either leave you dead in the water or cost a lot of
money.
Something as common as a nicked prop will increase
fuel consumption by as much as 20%. If you notice a
sudden increase in fuel flow rate, especially on one
engine in a twin engine boat, one of the first things
to inspect is the prop on the offending engine. Or, as
discussed above, a fouled spark plug could be the
problem. Whatever the problem turns out to be, a
FloScan Fuel Computer is a valuable tool to first
identify and then solve it.
A FloScan Fuel Computer can even save your
life. Engine fuel leaks that could have been
disastrous have been discovered by alert skippers who
noticed that the flow rate suddenly increased without
any reason and then discovered gas pouring into the
bilge! Without a fuel computer, they would not have
known of this life threatening situation.
On diesel engines, a fuel computer which measures both
the forward and return flows can spot a clogged return
fuel line which, if left uncorrected, could lead to
expensive engine repairs. Without a fuel computer, you
wouldn't know until the damage was already done.
Bottom fouling is another thing that increases fuel
usage. It can creep up on you, especially in tropical
waters. With a fuel computer you can tell when it's
time to clean the hull
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