TiggerToo
Well-Known Member
Someone manged to start filling my fresh water tank with diesel (probably about 1 Lt went in). Does anyone have any idea how to decontaminate the tank and the piping?
Diesel in water
- Thread starter TiggerToo
- Start date
savageseadog
Well-Known Member
Steam cleaning I guess
bobgosling
Well-Known Member
Pipes should be OK(ish) as diesel floats on top of water doesn't it ?
longjohnsilver
Well-Known Member
I believe that Piers, a poster on here had the same problem a few years back. Maybe worth sending him a pm asking for advice.
chas
Well-Known Member
Have you a drain plug at the bottom of your tank? If so, drain out all the water and you should be all right. After all, there is normally some water in the bottom of your tank. That is, as long as you have not tried to satrt the engine while the water was in the tank. if you did, you will have to purge all your fuel lines.
Malish
Well-Known Member
Never had the problem but I would probably use one of those little pumps which attached to a hand drill to draw the diesel out via the filler (run a pipe down so that it only just enters the liquid phase and discharge to a vessel to monitor liquid composition). I would avoid at all costs trying to extract it via the taps as this will simply crud up the whole system. Once all 'available' diesel extracted I would slowly fill the tank to full with water and repeat the extraction process, fully emptying the tank (two or threee times, letting it sit full for a few hours for later fills).
Roach1948
Well-Known Member
I think he is refering to diesel in the Fresh water tank.
Nightmare. Same thing happend to us in the Carribbean - tank had to be removed in the end and steamed with loads of detergent and rineses. There was still a taste of diesel after that, but I suspect it got into all the hoses too - so whatever you do refrain from using water in the meantime, if not your plumbing will need to be replaced to really get rid of the taste!
Nightmare. Same thing happend to us in the Carribbean - tank had to be removed in the end and steamed with loads of detergent and rineses. There was still a taste of diesel after that, but I suspect it got into all the hoses too - so whatever you do refrain from using water in the meantime, if not your plumbing will need to be replaced to really get rid of the taste!
chas
Well-Known Member
You are absolutely right. Silly of me.
michael_w
Well-Known Member
Replace the tank and the filler pipework. You'll never get the taste of diesel out.
Also, don't let your brother-in-law refuel. He is best kept away from battery switches too.
Also, don't let your brother-in-law refuel. He is best kept away from battery switches too.
G
Guest
Guest
Chas .... this is a water tank ...
I think you may have confused it .... this is NOT water in a diesel tank ... it is the other way round ...
/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
I think you may have confused it .... this is NOT water in a diesel tank ... it is the other way round ...
/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
G
Guest
Guest
Not easy to solve ....
When you drain down - you will coat the inside of the tank with the diesel. This will need serious cleaning to remove.
As others have said - do not in any way let any content via the piping / taps etc. - this will increase the problem even further.
I would be inclined to siphon all diesel content out carefully ... then adding serious amounts of dispersant to the tank - such as Washing Up liquid. Stirring that mix if possible to try and get the last remains and tanks sides clean and diesel broken up. Siphon this lot out.
Once all out - disconnect all piping ... the filler piping - probably best to replace as well as serious cleaning of the filler fitting on deck.
Blank of the tanks bottom fittings. Then a high pressure washer with detergent accessory .... give the tank a real good blasting ... if you can get a lance with the adjustable angle nozzle - excellent ... (you can see them sometimes for sliding under cars ....). Empty out and repeat.
Final is to give it a real hard harsh steam clean ... which will need removal of tank to shore to get it really effective.
You'll probably find that all piping is best replaced ...
The probelm you will then have is tainted water .... and no matter how many times you refill that tank - YOU will imagine diesel taste .... whether actually there or not !!
Simplest solution though ... replace the lot ! OUCH !!
When you drain down - you will coat the inside of the tank with the diesel. This will need serious cleaning to remove.
As others have said - do not in any way let any content via the piping / taps etc. - this will increase the problem even further.
I would be inclined to siphon all diesel content out carefully ... then adding serious amounts of dispersant to the tank - such as Washing Up liquid. Stirring that mix if possible to try and get the last remains and tanks sides clean and diesel broken up. Siphon this lot out.
Once all out - disconnect all piping ... the filler piping - probably best to replace as well as serious cleaning of the filler fitting on deck.
Blank of the tanks bottom fittings. Then a high pressure washer with detergent accessory .... give the tank a real good blasting ... if you can get a lance with the adjustable angle nozzle - excellent ... (you can see them sometimes for sliding under cars ....). Empty out and repeat.
Final is to give it a real hard harsh steam clean ... which will need removal of tank to shore to get it really effective.
You'll probably find that all piping is best replaced ...
The probelm you will then have is tainted water .... and no matter how many times you refill that tank - YOU will imagine diesel taste .... whether actually there or not !!
Simplest solution though ... replace the lot ! OUCH !!
ruvane
Well-Known Member
If the diesel floats, surely the best start is to immediately overfill the tank with water/detergent mix and so force the diesel out the top?
This will mean that only the sides of the tank from the level at present and up will be in contact with diesel. Emptying the tank first will coat the entire inside of the tank and make it far more difficult.
My next move would be to throttle the fool that did this in the first place! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
This will mean that only the sides of the tank from the level at present and up will be in contact with diesel. Emptying the tank first will coat the entire inside of the tank and make it far more difficult.
My next move would be to throttle the fool that did this in the first place! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
Ruffles
Well-Known Member
Just a thought.
If the tank is quite full (of water) you might me better off inserting a hose to the bottom of the tank and adding more water. In theory the diesel will be ejected as the tank overflows. This would minimise contact with the tank and pipework.
If the tank is quite full (of water) you might me better off inserting a hose to the bottom of the tank and adding more water. In theory the diesel will be ejected as the tank overflows. This would minimise contact with the tank and pipework.
savageseadog
Well-Known Member
I think the Marina/Port Control/Enviroment agency would have something to say about having diesel flooding everywhere. Diesel will more than likely remain trapped somewhere anyhow.
Rivers & creeks
Well-Known Member
If it's a flexible tank then bin it - you will never get rid of the taste. If a fixed tank then the same may still apply but if you can't get it out then follow the advice about filling up the tank with water to remove the oil and then using vast quantities of eco friendly detergent.
G
Guest
Guest
Re: Diesel in water - depends on how much level in there
Overfilling / emptying - all depends on volume of water / diesel in there vs total volume of tank.
Anyway - its acedemic as overfilling will coat the tank ... second when you empty to clean - the sides will get runs down them anyway ... so effectively most of tank will suffer.
Overfilling / emptying - all depends on volume of water / diesel in there vs total volume of tank.
Anyway - its acedemic as overfilling will coat the tank ... second when you empty to clean - the sides will get runs down them anyway ... so effectively most of tank will suffer.
Becky
Well-Known Member
I think the only way is to fit new tank; worth a clain om your insurance.
Had a leaking tank in my previous boat and I had to scrub out and repaint the bilges, ditch the carpet and replace the floor boards completely to get rid of the smell. It has the most awful ability to linger on. Some clothing and towels got contaminated amd had to be thrown away as ( couldn't get rid of the smell even after loads of washes.
So in the water tanks it could be even worse; I think you will always be able to taste it. Being radical will be the cheapest in the long run.
Had a leaking tank in my previous boat and I had to scrub out and repaint the bilges, ditch the carpet and replace the floor boards completely to get rid of the smell. It has the most awful ability to linger on. Some clothing and towels got contaminated amd had to be thrown away as ( couldn't get rid of the smell even after loads of washes.
So in the water tanks it could be even worse; I think you will always be able to taste it. Being radical will be the cheapest in the long run.
Roach1948
Well-Known Member
If you don't have insurance, and have custom rigid stainless tank, then maybe this idea may save you a few bob.
Connect a small cheap flexible water tank in order to do a taste test to see how much of the system is affected. I would also change filler cap and filling hose at this stage.
Then, if the water tastes OK, and assuming that the tank is rigid stainless, I would take tank home and add a huge inspection hatch if you dont have one. I would then manually scrub tank in the garden or over bathtub (if in a flat) and rinse several times. The taste will go eventually go away on stainless. Plastic tanks - forget it!
PS. The reason I had this problem before is that a Jeanneau 2003 water tank split trans Atlantic and when welded in St Lucia. Welders tested for leaks with diesel thinking tank was not for water. We never knew until re-fitted.
Connect a small cheap flexible water tank in order to do a taste test to see how much of the system is affected. I would also change filler cap and filling hose at this stage.
Then, if the water tastes OK, and assuming that the tank is rigid stainless, I would take tank home and add a huge inspection hatch if you dont have one. I would then manually scrub tank in the garden or over bathtub (if in a flat) and rinse several times. The taste will go eventually go away on stainless. Plastic tanks - forget it!
PS. The reason I had this problem before is that a Jeanneau 2003 water tank split trans Atlantic and when welded in St Lucia. Welders tested for leaks with diesel thinking tank was not for water. We never knew until re-fitted.
longjohnsilver
Well-Known Member
It's only 1 litre of diesel! Not gallons of the stuff.
Amazed at all who say drain the tank, thereby coating all the pipes with diesel as well as ell the tank.
The obvious first step is to overfill the tank with water to get rid of the diesel which floats on water. After that some serious cleaning/flushing is required.
Amazed at all who say drain the tank, thereby coating all the pipes with diesel as well as ell the tank.
The obvious first step is to overfill the tank with water to get rid of the diesel which floats on water. After that some serious cleaning/flushing is required.
G
Guest
Guest
Maybe read all posts ?? Not all say drain down as you imply ... in fact I go out of my way to advise removal of piping ... second later post comments on ref. to level of contents in tank vs total volume .....
Overfilling can be as bad as draining down ... and that is why I advocate siphoning off first ... to reduce the quantity of diesel on top.
Alright .... ??
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Overfilling can be as bad as draining down ... and that is why I advocate siphoning off first ... to reduce the quantity of diesel on top.
Alright .... ??
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
