Plastic fuel tank odor

[dhagen]

This is in relation to the plastic fuel tank on my 2001. There are no leaks that I can tell. However, the whole boat smells of raw diesel. If I put my nose up to the plastic tank, I smell diesel. Can the tank be permeated with diesel? Is there a way to somehow seal it without replacing the whole tank? Thanks, I know this doesn't have to do with a head, but thought you might have an idea.
Dan

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

I'm glad to help with diesel odor too...

It possible, but not likely, that your tank has permeated...'cuz not all polyethylene is the same...water and waste tanks are made of linear PE, but only cross-linked PE can be used for fuel holding....petroleum will saturate linear PE. So if your tank is the original factory tank, it hasn't permeated...but if a PO replaced it with the wrong type of PE, it could have.

But let's not jump to any conclusions yet. It's far more likely there was a diesel spill that wasn't completely cleaned up and that the odor you're smelling on the tank is from another source and has attached itself to the outside of it.

So first, clean the bilges--really CLEAN 'em, with plenty of detergent and water, followed by thoroughly flushing ALL the dirty water out (a power washer really comes in handy for bilge cleaning!)...and also make sure to wash off the tank too. Then mop up all remaining water and leave all hatches open for 24 hours to let your bilges dry out. Get a gallon of product called PureAyre (http://www.pureayre.com)...it's the only thing I've found that will not only eliminate organic odors, but even diesel and smoke. Put it in a garden pump spray jug and spray every surface, nook and cranny in your bilges and engine room...in fact, the whole boat, including your cushions if they stink. Once you've done all that, if the diesel odor returns the source will be easy to locate, 'cuz odors always start at their source and spread, and are always strongest at the source.

It's a lot of work, but the best way I know to solve your problem.

 

[Stu Jackson]

C34 Fuel Tanks

Peggie,

Just for your info, the C34s are among the very few boats that have fuel tanks that are not way down deep in the boats. They are located at the foot of the aft cabin, with the bottom of the fuel tanks pretty much a bit higher than the boat's waterline. They are behind a teak panel at the foot of the cabin (sleeping athwartship, head to starboard feet to port). I would expect that Dan would comment on "bilge" cleaning as being unnecessary, because I doubt if any fuel has reached his bilge. The rest of the cleaning ideas have great merit.

For pictures of a plastic tank removal and the location of the tank in the aft cabin, see: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4085.15.html

 

[dhagen]

Stu is correct. The tank is not near the bilge. It is on a shelf at the foot of the aft cabin under the port cockpit locker. I have tried to clean it, but can really only access the front without removing the whole tank, which I really don't want to have to do. If I put my nose up to the tank, I can smell the diesel. It seems to be coming through the plastic.

Peggie,

Just for your info, the C34s are among the very few boats that have fuel tanks that are not way down deep in the boats. They are located at the foot of the aft cabin, with the bottom of the fuel tanks pretty much a bit higher than the boat's waterline. They are behind a teak panel at the foot of the cabin (sleeping athwartship, head to starboard feet to port). I would expect that Dan would comment on "bilge" cleaning as being unnecessary, because I doubt if any fuel has reached his bilge. The rest of the cleaning ideas have great merit.

For pictures of a plastic tank removal and the location of the tank in the aft cabin, see: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4085.15.html