Put diesel in water tank by accident!! doooohhh!

[stevensuf]

I was distracted and put a liter of diesel in the water tank before i realised, does anyone have any good ideas of how to remove the diesel taste, have flushed with dish washing liquid, but its still there?

Thanks

Steven

[ssanzone]

citrus biodegradable cleaners / degreaser.

you may not be successful...

plastic of stainless tank?

-steve

[Snore]

Good news!!! U ain't the first. I recall a previous thread on this, do a search of old threads.

Better news I think the solution involves vodka

Cheers

Bill

[glenn.225]

Unless you can get access to the inside of the tank/hoses to physically scrub it I don't know if you'll ever get taste/smell out. Maybe some alcohol (the drinkable type), may act as a solvent to clean it and few dozen rinses.

Good luck

As a mechanic I drank a bit over the years and the taste doesn't improve.

[Cotemar]

Empty tank all the way
Open top inpection port and power wash with just a little dawn soap.
keep at it for a good hour and get every corner.
Rinse
Put in a few gallons and taste
Rinse
Empty
Put in a few gallons and taste
Do this over and over until the water is tasty

[scoobert]

when ducks take an oil bath, they use dawn....
at least that's what the commercials say.

[donradcliffe]

Detergent for automatic dishwashers works better than regular dish soap. Follow up repeated treatments/flushes with a gallon of vodka.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Detergent for automatic dishwashers works better than regular dish soap. Follow up repeated treatments/flushes with a gallon of vodka.

+1

It will also sanitize it. The powdered kind anyway - Walmart Great Value.

Good luck

[CarlF]

TKO Orange was once recommended - I think on this board - for just this situation. I got a bottle and, while I've never had to clean a water tank, it's a really great cleaner for oily substances.

Made from orange peel and non-toxic. Kills smell as well as cleans.

HOME

[bstreep]

With the above note on automatic dishwashing soap, instead, I'd try TSP (Trisodium Phosphate). This is what USED to be in dishwasher soap. Some genius thought it was bad for the environment, so they came up with "phosphate free" products that are loaded up with chemicals, that doesn't work very well at all, for 5X the price. (I'm a molecular biologist by education - I know my stuff - in this case, the cure really is way worse than the disease).

Anyway, you should be able to buy TSP at HD or Lowes. It's a very good degreaser, and leaves little taste or residue. Don't go hog wild, a little goes a long way.

[DRS]

I had diesel in the bilge and rinsed it out with white vinegar after the soaps and it got rid of the smell. May work for taste as well.

[mcarling]

Originally Posted by DRS

I had diesel in the bilge and rinsed it out with white vinegar after the soaps and it got rid of the smell. May work for taste as well.

That is logical. Salt, sweet, sour, and bitter are the only true tastes. Everything else is actually smell that seems like taste, while we are eating or drinking it.

I would go with bstreep's suggestion of trisodium phosphate.

[sestina]

Try Oil Technics they have a secret formula for just this problem.

[Astral Blue]

I realize I'm chiming in somewhat late in the game, but I'd like to share some insight:

1. If your tank is made of polypropylene, you will need to replace the tank. Polypropylene will absorb the smell and will not let go of it. If you come across a chemical that works, you will be the first...because it doesn't exist. If you have a stainless steel tank, you're in luck. Use any degreaser with dispersant properties, rinse the tank several times, use soap to wash the degreaser residue, rinse again, and you will hopefully have a clean tank.

2. If you have not run the Diesel laden water through your plumbing fixtures, you have saved yourself a lot of money and labor -- as having done so would require you to replace the water lines, fixture, and pump (if you have a pressurized system).

Best of luck! While it is a mistake, consider it an opportunity to revisit the procedures you use for refueling. Perhaps use a clearly labeled deckfill cap for both tanks and make sure the Diesel tank requires a deck key. My boat's configuration makes it impossible for such an error to occur -- as I have installed a completely different filling system for fresh water not only to make it easier but to make it impossible to confuse it with the fuel filling port.

[daddle]

Guessing here ... Chlorine destroys oils. Oxidizes them into water soluble compounds. And is compatible with drinking water. Might make it strong. Like a few ounces per gallon. Let it sit a week. Slosh it daily. Keep the tank sealed.

Might send the water to a lab after rinsing.