Diesel in the water tank...

[Wiggo]

...oh dear. Boat out on charter and someone put an unknown quantity of diesel in the water tank. The man on the fuel pontoon said chuck in some washing-up liquid and run the taps, so they did.

So on Saturday, I pumped out 400+ litres of water from the plastic tank, along with a large quantity of emulsified grot, and a good 10-12 litres of neat red diesel that was still floating on the top.

On advice, the tank was then filled with dishwasher detergent, meths (about 1.5 litres, as this will help draw the diesel smell out of the plastic, apparently) and water, and left over night.

On Sunday, the water pump was replaced (the rubber diaphragm valves had all shrunk because of the diesel), and several more tanks full pumped through. Now sitting there with a load of water purifier stuff waiting for some magic tank cleaner to arrive.

I will let you know how this one goes, but any suggestions welcome...

 

[sarabande]

those clever people at www.oiltechnics.com might have something biological to remove all hydrocarbons.

It is going to be a long and repeated process, though, I fear.

 

[jfm]

Contact Piers du Pre of Play D'Eau. He did this several years ago (on his princess, not on his fleming) and Berthon (super boat fixer Dave Street) supplied a magic chemical that removed the diesel taste/smell very quickly and effectively

Bad luck, and I hope it is all ok soon

 

[Trundlebug]

A friend of ours did the very same thing as you a couple of years ago.

He was lucky in being able to access the water tank via a large inspection hatch on top. Several of us joined in to help him as it was quite hard work, but effective.

After draining / bucketing out he added a whole box of washing powder. We fetched as much hot water from the toilet block as we could (several 25L containers in several trolleys going up and down the pontoon on a regular basis) and added the hot water to it. He swashed it all round and gave it a good old wash, then he bucketed it out again and we carried all the contaminated water away again in containers.

Then we repeated it with just hot water to rinse, and try to evaporate as much HC's off as possible. He wiped all round again inside the tank.

Finally he refilled it with cold water and it's been fine ever since.

 

[Nick_H]

The man on the fuel pontoon needs a boot up the arse, as he's made your job a lot harder by telling them to run dieselly water though the pipes. I used loads of bilge cleaner in the tank (swished about for two hours crossing Lyme Bay), then rinse through loads of times with fresh water, then fill with 1 part white vinegar to 6 parts water, leave overnight, then rinse through again. I only put a tiny amount of diesel in the water tank, and even after the above I could still taste the diesel, but it was v faint.

 

[Solitaire]

...oh dear. Boat out on charter and someone put an unknown quantity of diesel in the water tank. The man on the fuel pontoon said chuck in some washing-up liquid and run the taps, so they did.

So on Saturday, I pumped out 400+ litres of water from the plastic tank, along with a large quantity of emulsified grot, and a good 10-12 litres of neat red diesel that was still floating on the top.

On advice, the tank was then filled with dishwasher detergent, meths (about 1.5 litres, as this will help draw the diesel smell out of the plastic, apparently) and water, and left over night.

On Sunday, the water pump was replaced (the rubber diaphragm valves had all shrunk because of the diesel), and several more tanks full pumped through. Now sitting there with a load of water purifier stuff waiting for some magic tank cleaner to arrive.

I will let you know how this one goes, but any suggestions welcome...

I have it on good authority that the product I directed you to on Saturday worked - but the meths is an essential element.

 

[hlb]

Pity the bloke said run the water through the taps. If they had jus put a hose pipe in the tank, the diesel would have mostly popped out. Leaving just the top bit of tank to deal with.

Water in the diesel tank is much easier to deal with.

Debs says, will your insurance not sort it out??

 

[SolentPhill]

You have my sympathy I stupidly topped up my oil last week on one of my lorries, I put 2 litre in before I realised I was putting it in the windscreen washer bottle, which sits about a foot below the oil filler.

I had to take it off and several kettles of water, fairy, and more hot water before it finally went.

 

[[2068]]

You have my sympathy I stupidly topped up my oil last week on one of my lorries, I put 2 litre in before I realised I was putting it in the windscreen washer bottle, which sits about a foot below the oil filler.

I had to take it off and several kettles of water, fairy, and more hot water before it finally went.

Better than putting windscreen washer fluid down the oil filler!

 

[SolentPhill]

Better than putting windscreen washer fluid down the oil filler!

True

 

[Piers]

Contact Piers du Pre of Play D'Eau. He did this several years ago (on his princess, not on his fleming) and Berthon (super boat fixer Dave Street) supplied a magic chemical that removed the diesel taste/smell very quickly and effectively

Yes, I put quote a few lires of diesel into my water tanks some years ago. All measures such as detergent, more detergent, and even more detergent, failed to remove the smell or the thin diesel film on water drawn from the tank.

So, talking with Dave Street (Berthon, Lymington) he simply said, 'Leave it to me, and all will be fine within a week.'

Well, it was. 100%. Everythig was perfect. But I never could find out what he'd used.

Piers

 

[mjf]

Blimey Wiggo what a disaster - hope the dish washer stuff and Meths works.

I heard thi shappened to a new V52 earlier this summer - the two fillers are side by side on the Stbd side deck and it was a new tank and £1k.

 

[Bandit]

Tank Replacement

I know someone who did this in an f37.

Luckily he did not run the water pump.

Sourced a new tank from Sealine, removed the old and fitted the new , it will come out of the lazarette locker. The new tank was not expensive but a bit of a fiddle.

Possibly replace water lines to sink and bathroom taps to be on safe side.

 

[Wiggo]

Sourced a new tank from Sealine, removed the old and fitted the new , it will come out of the lazarette locker. The new tank was not expensive but a bit of a fiddle.

Possibly replace water lines to sink and bathroom taps to be on safe side.

If only! The pipes are all buried under the engines/floor/internal mouldings and there are T's and elbows you just can't get to. If it comes to replacing the pipework, it'd be easier to scuttle her and claim the insurance... ;-)

 

[Piers]

You need to find out what Berthon did. They cleared everything completely of any remnant of diesel without replacing anything on my V39.

Dave Street told me the RNLI fill their water tanks with diesel frequently, so they have considerable experience in cleaning them! (Berthon builds lifeboats)

Piers

 

[Wiggo]

Thanks, Piers. Dave Luetchford put me on to some magic cleaning gunk that's supposed to do the job: it should arrive tomorrow and if it works, I'll let everyone know what it is...

 

[scubaman]

My brother did this two years ago and we used Yachticon http://www.yachticon.de/Water-tank-...ut-Of-Drinking-Water-Tanks-10-Litres::88.html

Many fill-ups and drainings later the foam disappeared and there was only a very slight odour (not of diesel) left, which too disappeared after a season.

A lot of hassle as you'd expect but the end result was good and I went back to brushing my teeth with tap water again

 

[z1ppy]

Hi Wiggo

any update on this? i find myself in a very similar position now! David is going to put me onto the same magic cleaner but interested to hear if it worked for you?

went down today to try and get the water system working on the new boat. i should have thought but you know what its like with hindsight!

the tank was showing quarter full and the pump was running with nothing coming through. filled the tank up as though maybe an airlock and needing some pressure to clear.

as the tank filled, out of the breather red diesel!!! after i restarted my heart and checked i hadnt committed the ultimate faux pas all becomes clear!!!

ho humm. the joys of boating!

 

[SpottyDog5]

Hi Wiggo

any update on this? i find myself in a very similar position now! David is going to put me onto the same magic cleaner but interested to hear if it worked for you?

went down today to try and get the water system working on the new boat. i should have thought but you know what its like with hindsight!

the tank was showing quarter full and the pump was running with nothing coming through. filled the tank up as though maybe an airlock and needing some pressure to clear.

as the tank filled, out of the breather red diesel!!! after i restarted my heart and checked i hadnt committed the ultimate faux pas all becomes clear!!!

ho humm. the joys of boating!

Zippy, how is this for an idea?
Pump out the water, fill with diesel, and re plumb and use it as a reserve diesel tank (you might just need it) always eat/drink ablute ashore.
Problem solved ?
Shout me tomorrow if you need an extra pair of hands...

 

[z1ppy]

like your thinking but the prospect of flushing the toilet with diesel doesn't appeal!