Gasoline in fresh water tank

[rsg33]

Is there a product or procedure to sterilize Pex water lines in a coach that has been subjected to gas in the water system? The water tank will be replaced, but replacing all the lines will be a monster job. Water heater is an Atwood with an alum tank. Pump will also be replaced.
Any tricks?

[All_I_could_aff]

Many years ago I stopped for a diesel in my work truck, asked the attendant to fill it diesel, and ran inside for a coffee. Upon my return he told me $7.50 and I looked at him strange because I knew my truck was almost empty. That was when I noticed the fresh wet diesel drips on the utility body directly under the hydraulic oil fill cap!
I promptly return to my shop where we flush the hydraulic system twice, but I have a feeling that was the reason many of the piston seals went bad on the truck a short time later.

[RJsfishin]

I can't believe that anyone would replace anything just because gasoline was in it, when plain ole soap and water will cut it 100%.
Oh, I forgot,..... ya gotta be an educated fanatical expert on the subject before making a common sense statement here !

[classic_31]

Probably like it was said .It was a mistake and put in the wrong hole.could happen to any of us.my brother pumped a few gallons of gas in the rod holder on a charter boat.things do happen.

[bucky]

OK, you posted it so we need to know how this happened. If it happened once it can happen again.
Looking at your sig shows you to be a very experience RVer, so the culprit wasn't you. Tell us about it.

[Ralph_Cramden]

Finally after all these years a new procedure to disinfect the water system lol. That'll do it..............


Get a large bag of baking soda. Flush the system a few times with fresh water then mix up a load of baking soda and water in a bucket without being stingy with the soda, dump that in the tank, fill with more water and flush that through all the lines and let it sit a few hours. Then flush it all again.

You're done.

They way things go on these boards the fear mongers will eventually have you ripping the entire system out and replacing it or possibly totaling the entire rig.

[westend]

You need some soap through the water supply system. About the only thing that would be affected would be the impeller in the water pump. Those are available as replacements.

In my days on tankers moving petrochemicals, gas stock, and various oils, our line was "that can't hide from intensified Tide". We used boxes of the stuff to get product off of where we didn't want it. I wouldn't recommend powdered laundry soap for cleaning a water supply in an RV but the principle is the same. Soap will remove the gasoline from your PEX lines.

[wnjj]

rk911 wrote:

Isaac-1 wrote:
I have to ask, how did gasoline get in the water system?

X2. has that been solved?

I'm going to assume that someone unscrewed the cap and starting filling gasoline without realizing that wasn't the gas tank filler but it really isn't what the OP was asking.

If the gas only ran through the tubing and didn't sit in it I'd guess it'll be fine after sufficient flushing but I'm no health & safety expert either.

[DrewE]

I'm assuming gas means gasoline here, and not some gaseous compound.

According to what I found with a quick googling, gasoline doesn't particularly attack/affect PEX tubing. If it were mine, I would perhaps try rinsing thoroughly with water, then letting water with dish (or dishwasher) detergent sit in it or preferably circulate through it for a time, and then thorough rinsing again. I'm not suggesting this is a foolproof, hospital-grade procedure; just that offhand it's an approach I likely would take.

[rk911]

Isaac-1 wrote:
I have to ask, how did gasoline get in the water system?

X2. has that been solved?

[Isaac-1]

I have to ask, how did gasoline get in the water system?