Peggy, For the past few seasons I have lost some diesel fuel when changing filters at the beginning of the season. Last year I finally got smart and installed a new spin on filter and at the same time put in a valve to stop the fuel flow when I change filters...wonderful. Well, the smell is still there and I've tried detergents, bilge cleaners and not had much luck...any suggestions.
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What exactly have you done?
Have you just dumped in bilge cleaners, detergents etc and hoped for the best? Or have you actually CLEANED the bilge--really scrubbed it with a good detergent and then rinsed it out very thoroughly with fresh water? I suspect the answer to the first question is yes, and the answer to the second is no... If so, I'm not surprised it hasn't worked...you wouldn't be very successful in getting a diesel smell out of your clothes if you just put 'em in sink with a little water and detergent and left 'em there till the sink drained either...or if you skipped the rinse cyle in the clothes washer.
Have you just dumped in bilge cleaners, detergents etc and hoped for the best? Or have you actually CLEANED the bilge--really scrubbed it with a good detergent and then rinsed it out very thoroughly with fresh water? I suspect the answer to the first question is yes, and the answer to the second is no... If so, I'm not surprised it hasn't worked...you wouldn't be very successful in getting a diesel smell out of your clothes if you just put 'em in sink with a little water and detergent and left 'em there till the sink drained either...or if you skipped the rinse cyle in the clothes washer.
clean the bilge
You're right. I have scrubbed the bilge such as it is on this boat, but the spilled fuel has lain in the area beneath the engine which is just high enough to slide an absorbent mat in. There is not much room to get in there and scrub anything unless I remove the engine. The stuff finds its way to the small bilge above the keel through limber holes that I can't see. Besides, I thought that as an american citizen, all I really HAD to do was dump something in there, and the smell would go away... yeah, right. I guess I'll scrub what I can and get on with my life.
You're right. I have scrubbed the bilge such as it is on this boat, but the spilled fuel has lain in the area beneath the engine which is just high enough to slide an absorbent mat in. There is not much room to get in there and scrub anything unless I remove the engine. The stuff finds its way to the small bilge above the keel through limber holes that I can't see. Besides, I thought that as an american citizen, all I really HAD to do was dump something in there, and the smell would go away... yeah, right. I guess I'll scrub what I can and get on with my life.
There is a way, Tom...
A pressure washer (which would be a good investment if you have inaccessible areas in your bilge...a 1200psi is only about $200 at Home Depot). The solution to your problem is to get enough bilge cleaner into the "polluted" area to emulsify the diesel, followed by enough clean fresh water to rinse it all out of there. Where there's an odor source, there's always a way to get rid of it....just takes a little determination and creative thought.
A pressure washer (which would be a good investment if you have inaccessible areas in your bilge...a 1200psi is only about $200 at Home Depot). The solution to your problem is to get enough bilge cleaner into the "polluted" area to emulsify the diesel, followed by enough clean fresh water to rinse it all out of there. Where there's an odor source, there's always a way to get rid of it....just takes a little determination and creative thought.
Thanks,Peggy
I'm not familiar with power washers, but if bilge cleaner can be mixed into the spray, I could do that. I hope rental is reasonable as I really don't want to buy one.
I'm not familiar with power washers, but if bilge cleaner can be mixed into the spray, I could do that. I hope rental is reasonable as I really don't want to buy one.
Mixing with the spray isn't the best way to do it.
And neither is renting a pressure washer. 1000-1500 psi pressure washer are really just power washers...nobody rents 'em. Commercial pressure washers for rent are 10x as powerful, and unless you know what you're doing, can cause damage. Besides...the last time I rented one to pressure wash my deck at home it cost me (in Atlanta) about $45 for half a day. For $200 you can own a 1200 psi that will do an amazing number of jobs, not only on the boat, but around the house...it's incredible when it comes to cleaning alloy wheels No matter what kind of pressure/power washer you use, I discovered when I had to clean at least 5 years of YUCK out of my bilge when I bought my boat that you don't want to use the siphon on the power washer to dispense bilge cleaner...it dilutes it so much that you might as well not be using any bilge cleaner. After going through 3 gallons of (what was then) our own bilge cleaner B.C., I finally figured out that the most effective way to use it was to put in in a pump-up garden spray bottle and lay it down full strength...wait about half a beer ...and THEN attack with the power washer to rinse it out. Half an hour later I finally had a clean bilge.
And neither is renting a pressure washer. 1000-1500 psi pressure washer are really just power washers...nobody rents 'em. Commercial pressure washers for rent are 10x as powerful, and unless you know what you're doing, can cause damage. Besides...the last time I rented one to pressure wash my deck at home it cost me (in Atlanta) about $45 for half a day. For $200 you can own a 1200 psi that will do an amazing number of jobs, not only on the boat, but around the house...it's incredible when it comes to cleaning alloy wheels
No matter what kind of pressure/power washer you use, I discovered when I had to clean at least 5 years of YUCK out of my bilge when I bought my boat that you don't want to use the siphon on the power washer to dispense bilge cleaner...it dilutes it so much that you might as well not be using any bilge cleaner. After going through 3 gallons of (what was then) our own bilge cleaner B.C., I finally figured out that the most effective way to use it was to put in in a pump-up garden spray bottle and lay it down full strength...wait about half a beer ...and THEN attack with the power washer to rinse it out. Half an hour later I finally had a clean bilge.Bilge cleaner
Peggy, Thanks again for your suggestions. I want to share something from the most recent West Marine anniversary sale catalog. On the last page they advertise West Marine Bilge Cleaner with the following blurb "Effective, biodegradable, NO SCRUBBING (my caps). Just pour it in and let it work." Sometimes it's tough to sort out the propaganda from the real value of these products. Thanks for reminding us that most of the time it is WORK that brings us the results we expect... not a magic bullet. Tom
Peggy, Thanks again for your suggestions. I want to share something from the most recent West Marine anniversary sale catalog. On the last page they advertise West Marine Bilge Cleaner with the following blurb "Effective, biodegradable, NO SCRUBBING (my caps). Just pour it in and let it work." Sometimes it's tough to sort out the propaganda from the real value of these products. Thanks for reminding us that most of the time it is WORK that brings us the results we expect... not a magic bullet. Tom
Work IS inescapable..but...
For some reason, too many people translate "no scrubbing needed" to mean "just pour it in and forget it." It never occurs to 'em that even if the bilge cleaner works without any effort, the dirty bilge water still has be flushed out with a thorough clean water rinse. Yet they'd never think of skipping the rinse cycle in the dishwasher or the clothes washer...so what makes 'em think a bilge is any different??? Btw...the online store right here sells what I consider to be the best detergent bilge cleaner on the market (and Practical Sailor agrees with me). It's called B.C. It not only emulsifies grease and oil better than anything else, but it also is the best heavy duty cleaning product I've ever seen. Ok...it used to be our own product (which is the reason why it is so good--I had to use it...and I'm VERY picky!!)...but now it belongs to Raritan, so now I can recommend it whole-heartedly without being accused of trying to sell anything...In fact, I like it so much I continue to buy it from them!
For some reason, too many people translate "no scrubbing needed" to mean "just pour it in and forget it." It never occurs to 'em that even if the bilge cleaner works without any effort, the dirty bilge water still has be flushed out with a thorough clean water rinse. Yet they'd never think of skipping the rinse cycle in the dishwasher or the clothes washer...so what makes 'em think a bilge is any different??? Btw...the online store right here sells what I consider to be the best detergent bilge cleaner on the market (and Practical Sailor agrees with me). It's called B.C. It not only emulsifies grease and oil better than anything else, but it also is the best heavy duty cleaning product I've ever seen. Ok...it used to be our own product (which is the reason why it is so good--I had to use it...and I'm VERY picky!!)...but now it belongs to Raritan, so now I can recommend it whole-heartedly without being accused of trying to sell anything...In fact, I like it so much I continue to buy it from them!
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