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treating water
- Thread starter james
- Start date
James - when you say treat your fresh water tank, what do you want to treat it for?
Is your well water contaminated and if so with what. Just because it is well water does not mean the water is bad. I have spring water that is so pure and free of contaminants I even use it for my batteries.
Is your well water contaminated and if so with what. Just because it is well water does not mean the water is bad. I have spring water that is so pure and free of contaminants I even use it for my batteries.
I don't like to think of what grows in the tank when the boat is not in use....so I pump the tank dry before I put it away and add a cup of clorox...then when I get it out for use...I flush it at least once and refill the tank with fresh water... I also don't drink the water from the tank..
When I first bought the boat I noticed that the inspection tube had some nasty looking growth in it after sitting awhile ....so I decided to flush and clean with each outing.....it is safe water now and if I had to I could drink it without getting sick....
I also made a little cap that goes over the top of the inspection tube so airborne junk can not get into the tube...it still vents well...but is covered with the cap....just glued to the top of the tube.
Joel
SEA3PO
When I first bought the boat I noticed that the inspection tube had some nasty looking growth in it after sitting awhile ....so I decided to flush and clean with each outing.....it is safe water now and if I had to I could drink it without getting sick....
I also made a little cap that goes over the top of the inspection tube so airborne junk can not get into the tube...it still vents well...but is covered with the cap....just glued to the top of the tube.
Joel
SEA3PO
James,
I treat my tank once a season in the spring. I use the same procedure I have used for many years in my RV. For 20 gallon tank I use 1/4 cup Clorox and completely fill the tank. Let soak for 30 minutes to an hour. Drain, refill, drain, and fill for use. I am always filling with treated municipal water which has some residual chlorine and feel the tank is safe for the rest of the season. The water will always have a slight chlorine taste but is completely safe to drink. If your boat has the manual foot pump, an easy way to drain the tank is get a 10 foot length of plastic tubing with a 3/8 inch inside diameter. Slip it over the faucet and run the other end out the window. Pump the hose full of water with the foot pump and it will siphon the tank almost empty. Fairly slow going but effective. As far as your well water, if it is safe to drink it should be ok in your tank. It may not remain safe as long a city water but it should last a good while. There are products available to add to the tank that claim to keep it safe for months. I have never used them so don't know how they would taste.
I treat my tank once a season in the spring. I use the same procedure I have used for many years in my RV. For 20 gallon tank I use 1/4 cup Clorox and completely fill the tank. Let soak for 30 minutes to an hour. Drain, refill, drain, and fill for use. I am always filling with treated municipal water which has some residual chlorine and feel the tank is safe for the rest of the season. The water will always have a slight chlorine taste but is completely safe to drink. If your boat has the manual foot pump, an easy way to drain the tank is get a 10 foot length of plastic tubing with a 3/8 inch inside diameter. Slip it over the faucet and run the other end out the window. Pump the hose full of water with the foot pump and it will siphon the tank almost empty. Fairly slow going but effective. As far as your well water, if it is safe to drink it should be ok in your tank. It may not remain safe as long a city water but it should last a good while. There are products available to add to the tank that claim to keep it safe for months. I have never used them so don't know how they would taste.
A product called "sweetwater" works good in the plastic tanks. As long as I always filled my tanks from a municipal source I never worried about them. I would purify when I bought a new/used boat and might not ever do it again. Depended on where the water was coming from and where I was. Some out of the way places in BC are a little suspect, like those shingles coming out the side of the rocks in Pacific Rim National Park.
thanks for all the replys...
my main concern is that since I use well water and has not been treated, that after a week or two (keep in mind I am in florida) , the water may begin to allow the growth of some un friendlys.
I am under the assumption that maybe adding a bit of clorine to the water would prevent any problems.
My question is maybe how much?
would like to keep it clean, but don't want to rot anything by over doing it.
Thanks
James
my main concern is that since I use well water and has not been treated, that after a week or two (keep in mind I am in florida) , the water may begin to allow the growth of some un friendlys.
I am under the assumption that maybe adding a bit of clorine to the water would prevent any problems.
My question is maybe how much?
would like to keep it clean, but don't want to rot anything by over doing it.
Thanks
James
AstoriaDave
New member
Your concern is legitimate. As to amount, it depends on how much particulate matter is there. If it is gin clear with no turbidity, a few drops of Clorox per gallon is enough. Add more if it is turbid.james":2awlcmjn said:my main concern is that since I use well water and has not been treated, that after a week or two (keep in mind I am in florida) , the water may begin to allow the growth of some un friendlys.
The polyethylene will not be affected by the bleach, but any non-neoprene seals or O-rings might. One product available at backpacking stores (basically ascorbic acid) will neutralize the chlorine odor after the disinfection period is over. You might want to use it, glass by glass, if the chlorine odor is pretty nasty. I would not neutralize all the chlorine in the tank, though -- leave some in there for over-summer protection.
The standard civil defense/well water treatment schedule is" to use regular bleach or "Chlorox":
2 drops of Regular Clorox Bleach per quart of water
8 drops of Regular Clorox Bleach per gallon of water
1/2 teaspoon Regular Clorox Bleach per five gallons of water
You can take it from there. This is about what we have used for years when long distance cruising.
We do shock tanks every 6 months, and run the chlorox into the hoses. Let stand for two hours and then rinse.
2 drops of Regular Clorox Bleach per quart of water
8 drops of Regular Clorox Bleach per gallon of water
1/2 teaspoon Regular Clorox Bleach per five gallons of water
You can take it from there. This is about what we have used for years when long distance cruising.
We do shock tanks every 6 months, and run the chlorox into the hoses. Let stand for two hours and then rinse.
We have been sanitizing our RV tanks for many years with a small amount of Clorox (a couple teaspoons for 110 gallons). If there is a residual bleach smell, when you flush the tank, add a small amount of baking soda. Even with this treatment, we do not drink water from the tank... bottled water for drinking, teeth brushing, and cooking. And while on the subject, be sure to use a hose made for drinking water (usually white, available in RV stores); the green garden hoses will leave a nasty plastic smell/taste in your water tank.
Best wishes,
Jim B.
Best wishes,
Jim B.
I hate to be the person to burst you bubbles, but bottled water is not necessarily cleaner or purer than tap water.
Some times water labeled as bottle water is tap water from a public water system.
Sometimes bottle water has more contaminates than tap water from public water systems.
Bottled water is regulated just like the public water systems and do not have more stringent requirements than public water systems for purity or health. The only differences are how it is labeled or advertised.
Bottled water can have and sometime does have chlorine, fluoride, arsenic or other impurities a public water system has in it and still be called Spring Water, Healthy Water, Pure Water or whatever they want to call it, as long as certain conditions exist which has nothing to do with health or purity. In fact some municipal water systems have more stringent health standards than the standards for bottle water.
Most public water systems are safe and will have no adverse effects on the drinker, just like bottle water but both have their exceptions.
The difference is bottle water will more often use deceptive advertising in promoting their product.
Of course there are exceptions to both cases.
Some times water labeled as bottle water is tap water from a public water system.
Sometimes bottle water has more contaminates than tap water from public water systems.
Bottled water is regulated just like the public water systems and do not have more stringent requirements than public water systems for purity or health. The only differences are how it is labeled or advertised.
Bottled water can have and sometime does have chlorine, fluoride, arsenic or other impurities a public water system has in it and still be called Spring Water, Healthy Water, Pure Water or whatever they want to call it, as long as certain conditions exist which has nothing to do with health or purity. In fact some municipal water systems have more stringent health standards than the standards for bottle water.
Most public water systems are safe and will have no adverse effects on the drinker, just like bottle water but both have their exceptions.
The difference is bottle water will more often use deceptive advertising in promoting their product.
Of course there are exceptions to both cases.
journey on
New member
Actually, Dave, you're more correct than you know. While tap water is regelated at the state level, the bottled water people got it superseded by a federal level of control which eliminated state control. The federal level is not as stringent as state levels (at least in Calif.) Amazing what money can buy.
We use a five gallon can for our drinking water, but we do fill it from the tap. Tastes better than from the boat tank. We did the clorox treatment in the main tank, and that's probably why we use the 5 gal. can.
Boris
We use a five gallon can for our drinking water, but we do fill it from the tap. Tastes better than from the boat tank. We did the clorox treatment in the main tank, and that's probably why we use the 5 gal. can.
Boris
oldgrowth":14ph3g92 said:I hate to be the person to burst you bubbles.
Another myth, IMHO, is that anything other than the white potable water certified hose will impart a bad taste to water. It does happen, but only when the hose is used as the semi-permanent always-on water source for an RV or a boat equipped for shore water service. Something RV'ers do quite often in RV parks, but us C-Dory owners just fill the tank 'till the vent sputters and store the hose again.
How many of us have turned on the water in the summer, let the water run enough to cool and rinse out the hose, then taken a refreshing drink? Too quick and ya get the plastic taste, but once rinsed, it's pretty darn good.
Don
Pat Anderson
New member
OK, I assume you drink your tap water at home, correct? If not, all bets are off. To santize the water tank, you do not need anywhere near the quantities of bleach some have mentioned. One tablespoon of generic supermarket unscented bleach in 20 gallons will sanitize the tank with a few hours of contact time. A quarter cup is OK, if you are really worried, but that will just make it harder to rinse the chlorine smell out! Then you need to drain the tank, refill with water, drain, and refill again. If you are still getting whiff of chlorine, drain and refill once more. To deodorize the tank, especially when it has that new plastic taste/odor, first sanitize and then the best deodorizing agent is generic supermarket baking soda, which will also neutralize any remaining chlorine. It took us a number of run-throughs of sanitizing / deodorizing the water tank on Daydream but now there is no perceptible taste or odor and it is fine for drinking water. While we are going out regularly, we do not drain the tank, but we drain it if the boat will be sitting for any length of time, and we drain it if freezing weather is upon us. We boat year round, but if the boat were laid up for the winter, obviously you would want to sanitize in the spring.
The answer to your question is absolutely. I bottle it and take it with me for drinking, coffee or any type of consumption. My tap water is not from a public water system. It is from a spring near the top of a hill above my house. I piped it into my house and use it for all my household needs.OK, I assume you drink your tap water at home, correct? If not, all bets are off.
You can let the water sit for a year in a closed container and there will be no sediment settling out, no change in color and no change in taste. I even use this water for my batteries. My neighbors go up to the spring and bottle the overflow from my holding tank for drinking water.
I will in an emergency, drink bottled water just like public tap water but do not like either.