Bilges full of diesel!

Porthandbuoy

Porthandbuoy

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www.backbearing.com
The flexi pipe from my Yanmar 1GM10 lift pump to the secondary fine fuel filter has sprung a leak and dumped what looks like a gallon or two of diesel into Ladybird's bilges.
I plan to pump it out using the electric bilge pump, into containers of course, but how to clean the bilges of the last dregs?
Lashings of seawater and Fairy Liquid?
Would fresh water be better?
Anything better than plain washing-up liquid?
 
Cat litter will soak any leftovers up. Washing up liquid will shift it, but washing powder mixed with hot water makes less bubbles.
 
Any washing up liquid with warm H2O works wonders,a good soak normally lifts deisel onto surface of water where you can pump out the worse of it and if bit anal like m,get out the last dribbles out with a sponge. :)
Also leaves bilges smelling pleasantly unlike Jizer or Gunk which reeks for ages on your clothes and hands.
 
It's getting rid of the smell that's difficult. I've read the febreze or bilge are quite effective. I cleaned some up with Gunk but that smells as bad as diesel.
 
What I always keep on board is a pack of maternity pads. They are just the right shape for living under the engine. They are not expensive at all and do a good job.
So far the wife has never objected to buying them; at my age I don't think that I'd manage to do it myself.

p.s. For the last traces and the smell I use a kitchen degreaser spray followed by a fresh-water rinse; they are also available scented if you wish.
 
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PuffTheMagicDragon said:
What I always keep on board is a pack of maternity pads. They are just the right shape for living under the engine. They are not expensive at all and do a good job.
So far the wife has never objected to buying them; at my age I don't think that I'd manage to do it myself.

p.s. For the last traces and the smell I use a kitchen degreaser spray followed by a fresh-water rinse; they are also available scented if you wish.
Click to expand...

Proper oil absorbent pads are much better than Pampers or maternity pads as they will absorb only the oil and leave clean water behind, Pampers etc will absorb water and then their capacity to mop up oil will be much reduced.

I imagine the same will be true of cat litter although oil absorbent granules may be OK
 
The only way I could clean up my bilges after a fuel leak was to sand back to bare wood then repaint. I know GRP is different so probably not the right answer, but thourght I'd share my experence.
 
Thanks for all the tips. Wiping by hand is not really an option given the depth of the bilge; about 4' 6". I have an oil absorbent 'sausage' down there, but I reckon it will have been overwhelmed by the amount spilt.
I reckon a garden sprayer with a hot water/bilgex solution might work well.
 
I also used Bilgex with hot water, well scrubbed in, pumped/sponged out, worked well, but did have to replace the wooden floor stringers as could not get rid of the smell from the wood.
 
Porthandbuoy said:
The flexi pipe from my Yanmar 1GM10 lift pump to the secondary fine fuel filter has sprung a leak and dumped what looks like a gallon or two of diesel into Ladybird's bilges.
I plan to pump it out using the electric bilge pump, into containers of course, but how to clean the bilges of the last dregs?
Lashings of seawater and Fairy Liquid?

Anything better than plain washing-up liquid?Would fresh water be better?
Click to expand...

Join the club - it's happened to me many times in the past. Disposable diapers have provided the answer.
Pumping diesel into the sea is generally punishable by a fine as many tanker captains have found out.
Finish off the odour with Toilet Duck.
It's just happened to me though that was an overfull tank and a lively sea from Lesbos to Chios.
I got the demos to provide me with a 25 litre can and emptied the Pela extractor into that.
 
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Stuff like BilgeX is good at cleaning off diesel. Also plus 1 for nappies - excellent for soaking up diesel.. However once it's all clean and to get rid of that diesel smell... go to a pet store and buy "Simple solution" stain and odour remover - in a blue plastic bottle.

Have used it to get rid of the smell from around a leaking oil fired central heating boiler.. It does work!
 
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