Topping off TKS without making a mess

[mfdutra]

I topped off my TKS tank today and jeez, what a mess. The thing was venting for more than 15 minutes. When I realized it was venting so bad, I put the bottle there and it collected quite a bit of TKS back. I certainly overfilled it, but it's really not obvious while you're filling the tank. The fluid keeps going down.

Did anyone learn any trick yet?

In general, filling any fluid in this airplane is so frustrating. All 4 fuel tanks vent a lot, TKS is the same and you need to be a contortionist to add oil to the engines. All these things in the Cirrus were just no drama.

I guess I'll have to measure how much TKS I'm adding from now on, and not rely on any "it is full" indication.

[NDCDA62]

The best I can recommend is to look at the level indicated on the MFD i.e. 31 litres then add ONLY 5 litres of TKS to reach the MAXIMUM of 36 litres.

I use a measured 2 litre jug and a small funnel to fill the TKS tank.

This works for me without spillage.

[Boatguy]

My RH wing fuel vent spills every time I add fuel. The other three are fine. I'm told fixing the leaking vent requires removing the tank, which requires removing the wing. Warranty work at the first annual...

I use a long spout with an on/off valve attached to the oil bottle to add oil. I hold the end in the engine, and the spout is long enough to enable me to lift the bottle up/down to let it "breath" as needed to empty the bottle.

https://www.mypilotstore.com/mypilotstore/sep/11235

[MarkO]

For the TKS I use a household watering can and find it works a treat - no spillage. As Nigel said - just put in the amount the gauge is calling for and you shouldn't have a problem.
For the engine oils, I remove the cowls - It only needs to be done every 20 hours of flight or so and is quite easy. Provides a great opportunity to give the engine a thorough visual inspection.
The only time my fuel tanks vent is when I try to squeeze a bit more in - it's better to stop just below the filler lip.

[janders]

I put a TKS bottle at the top of a ladder and use a "Plastic Siphon Pump for Transferring Kerosene and Other Liquids" to move it laterally from the tank to the TKS port. I know my bottle holds 5 gal and if I'm expecting to transfer 3 gal i estimate the position on the bottle. There is a little latency on turning off the siphon, so i also keep a empty bucket under the tks vent.

[NDCDA62]

The best I can recommend is to look at the level indicated on the MFD i.e. 31 litres then add ONLY 5 litres of TKS to reach the MAXIMUM of 36 litres.

I use a measured 2 litre jug and a small funnel to fill the TKS tank.

This works for me without spillage.