I need HELP!!!: Bizarre petroleum smell in water

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Bizarre petroleum smell in water

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Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: I need HELP!!!
Forum Discription: Perplexed/need help with a problem - ask here
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13786
Printed Date: 18 Jul 2025 at 5:15am
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Topic: Bizarre petroleum smell in water

Posted By: Cliffhanger
Subject: Bizarre petroleum smell in water
Date Posted: 16 Jul 2020 at 10:08pm

This is so weird it’s hard to wrap my head around. We put 10–12 gallons of house water in the fresh water fill up and didn’t notice anything at the time. First time using water at the sink we were overwhelmed by a strong diesel odor. To mitigate we put about 4-6 ounces of dish soap in the tank and ran down the road to shake contents, then dumped the tank and drained the lines. We think someone sabotaged our tank. Can’t think of anything else. Suggestions?

Replies:

Posted By: Olddawgsrule
Date Posted: 17 Jul 2020 at 6:38am

New or older? They're supposed to be made of LDPE and when breaking down can leave an aroma. Haven't heard of a diesel smell though..

I know, strange question.. Your TV use diesel? Someone borrow the TT that uses a diesel. I heard sillier things happen..

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2017 Tacoma
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Posted By: Phil from Maine
Date Posted: 27 Jul 2020 at 2:03pm

Sabotage, IMO. No other way there would be a diesel smell in your water unless your house water comes from a contaminated well.

Are you sure that the smell is diesel? Could there be biological contamination in your FWT?

Posted By: Cliffhanger
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2020 at 2:22pm

It was some kind of petroleum product. Soap and flushing of the fresh water tank cleared the problem. We'll be bringing our own drinking water in the future though...

Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2020 at 4:19pm

Was there any sort of greenish tint to the water? If so, then the issue was not petroleum, but algae. We had a problem with that last year. I finally got it cleared up with a stronger sanitizing bleach solution than I would normally have used, followed by some baking soda to cut the bleach odor.

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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
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Posted By: Cliffhanger
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2020 at 5:54pm

Thanks, if the problem shows up again I'll try that.

Posted By: Shane
Date Posted: 22 Aug 2020 at 1:26pm

I use 1/2 cup of bleach and then fill my FWT and let it sit then give it a good flush to clean it out.

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ENGINE 55,TRUCK 44,BATALLION 12

Posted By: podwerkz
Date Posted: 22 Aug 2020 at 3:43pm

Maybe the water fill hose that you used, had been used in the past to transfer diesel?

Otherwise...I got nuttin.

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