tigers2007 Posted June 19, 2019 Report Share Posted June 19, 2019 I took on 22 gallons this morning and when I sampled it I smell ammonia. DEF contamination? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaylw314 Posted June 19, 2019 Report Share Posted June 19, 2019 Somebody or something peed in the tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBDiagMan Posted June 19, 2019 Report Share Posted June 19, 2019 Gunpowder? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
takair Posted June 19, 2019 Report Share Posted June 19, 2019 1 hour ago, tigers2007 said: I took on 22 gallons this morning and when I sampled it I smell ammonia. DEF contamination? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Good discussion on Beech Talk ref. DEF contamination in Jet A ref recent near accident. Don’t know what it smells like, but it contains water and may settle to the sump. Have you reported to the FBO so they can test? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinneMooney Posted June 19, 2019 Report Share Posted June 19, 2019 DEF is a solution of urea and water. It does have an ammonia odor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaylw314 Posted June 19, 2019 Report Share Posted June 19, 2019 14 minutes ago, MinneMooney said: DEF is a solution of urea and water. It does have an ammonia odor. urea is odorless and pretty stable. If bacteria get to it and break it down, though, that will produce ammonia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinneMooney Posted June 19, 2019 Report Share Posted June 19, 2019 9 minutes ago, jaylw314 said: urea is odorless and pretty stable. If bacteria get to it and break it down, though, that will produce ammonia. Urea solid, yes, but a solution does have an ammonia odor, just take a look at any DEF msds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaylw314 Posted June 20, 2019 Report Share Posted June 20, 2019 (edited) 15 minutes ago, MinneMooney said: Urea solid, yes, but a solution does have an ammonia odor, just take a look at any DEF msds. Well, okay, bacteria that produce the enzyme that breaks down urea are pretty ubiquitous, but pure urea itself in solution starts out odorless. As the solution gets older and older, it will smell more and more of ammonia as bacteria break it down more. If it started with a lot of bacteria, it will break down faster. Stinky goodness! Edited June 20, 2019 by jaylw314 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
takair Posted June 20, 2019 Report Share Posted June 20, 2019 The danger with DEF, as I learned from BT, is that the urea comes out of solution and clogs the fuel filter...at least that’s what happens in Jet fuel. It is also apparently quite corrosive and requires purging of the fuel system. It is a serious problem if introduced to a fuel system. Hopefully this is not the case and there is some other explanation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DXB Posted June 20, 2019 Report Share Posted June 20, 2019 https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2019/may/22/new-def-fuel-contamination-incidents-reported Yikes certainly worth investigating. How would DEF make it into a 100LL tank at an FBO? If it did, shouldn't it be much more soluble in the water than in the gas and thus get mostly drained off when the tank gets sumped? If crystalizes in gas, then shouldn't the settling crystals be apparent when sumping also? No clue... not a chemist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigers2007 Posted June 20, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2019 Well I took a fuel sample to the FBO to sniff test at a different airport and they definitely said it was like an ammonia smell. When I took a sample to staff at my home airport and where I got the fuel, three different staff members said it smelled fine. It did seem to lose the strong pungent ammonia-like smell. It stinks terribly in my fuel tank though. The official word right now from the FBO is that it is normal. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.