My water tank has lots of little white flecks in it. I've drained, sailed (to agitate the water), and refilled the tank (with a tablespoon of bleach added) about a dozen times. Once I added 3 cups of bleach to a full tank and sailed 20 miles with it that way. While most of the flakes are smaller now, they're still present in every glass of water.
Three questions:
1. Are these likely algae or plastic (i.e. is the tank coming apart)?
2. Is there a way to clean the tank without removing it (and I'm assuming adding additional cleaning ports, since it's impossible to reach the back of the tank from the main port).
3. Is this likely a solvable problem, or should I plan to filter any water coming from the tank? If so, any filter suggestions?
Thanks!
Jeremiah
Water Tank Cleaning
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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wikakaru
- Posts: 837
- Joined: Jan 13th, '18, 16:19
- Location: 1980 Typhoon #1697 "Dory"; 1981 CD22 #41 "Arietta"
Re: Water Tank Cleaning
Sorry, I can only respond to #3. If you use this tank for drinking water, then you should absolutely filter it. Even on a brand new boat with a "clean" tank, the tank won't stay that way for long. Boat water tanks are typically filled via dockside hoses that sit in nice warm sunny environments that are highly conducive to growing algae and bacteria. As soon as you put the first hose into your tank it is effectively "dirty". Even treatment with chlorine will only go so far.
Both boats that I cruised and lived aboard had Seagull IV filters and, though pricey, they served us every day for 14 years of living aboard. The filter housing and brackets are stainless steel and hold up well in a marine environment. We set our systems up so that only what came out of a little dedicated spigot was filtered; all the regular faucets were unfiltered. We used filtered water for drinking, cooking, brushing our teeth, and making ice, while the unfiltered water was for washing dishes, showering, and basically everything else.
If the cost of the Seagull system gives you sticker shock, check out "under sink filtration systems" at your big-box home improvement store. Check the specs of the various filter systems you are considering against the Seagull as a comparison. Most of the home systems use plastic housings, and you will probably have to fiddle around a bit to rig up a way to connect it to a marine plumbing system, but you will save some money compared to the Seagull.
Tip: Make sure your pressure water system is up to the task of pushing water through the filter. An accumulator tank to even out the pressure is a good idea, and you need a good pump with high enough flow and pressure to push water through the filter. Expect the flow out of any water filter on a boat to be somewhat anemic.
An alternative to filtration is to buy bottled water and use it only for drinking while using the tanks for non-drinking purposes. I personally don't like that solution--dealing with waste on a boat is already hard enough, and water bottles just mean more waste. However, we always kept some bottled water on hand as an emergency supply.
Smooth sailing,
Jim
Both boats that I cruised and lived aboard had Seagull IV filters and, though pricey, they served us every day for 14 years of living aboard. The filter housing and brackets are stainless steel and hold up well in a marine environment. We set our systems up so that only what came out of a little dedicated spigot was filtered; all the regular faucets were unfiltered. We used filtered water for drinking, cooking, brushing our teeth, and making ice, while the unfiltered water was for washing dishes, showering, and basically everything else.
If the cost of the Seagull system gives you sticker shock, check out "under sink filtration systems" at your big-box home improvement store. Check the specs of the various filter systems you are considering against the Seagull as a comparison. Most of the home systems use plastic housings, and you will probably have to fiddle around a bit to rig up a way to connect it to a marine plumbing system, but you will save some money compared to the Seagull.
Tip: Make sure your pressure water system is up to the task of pushing water through the filter. An accumulator tank to even out the pressure is a good idea, and you need a good pump with high enough flow and pressure to push water through the filter. Expect the flow out of any water filter on a boat to be somewhat anemic.
An alternative to filtration is to buy bottled water and use it only for drinking while using the tanks for non-drinking purposes. I personally don't like that solution--dealing with waste on a boat is already hard enough, and water bottles just mean more waste. However, we always kept some bottled water on hand as an emergency supply.
Smooth sailing,
Jim
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JD-MDR
- Posts: 877
- Joined: Feb 8th, '17, 14:23
- Location: s/v "Leoma" 1977 CD 30K #46 San Francisco CA
Re: Water Tank Cleaning
I clean my tanks by first draining and vacuuming out all the water. The hard to reach areas I wrap a rag around a stick and reach in with that.. I have been buying one gal. jugs of purified water from the store they cost about a dollar the first time. I can refill them at a vending machine at the marina for 35 cents. I use a dedicated hose and a filter to fill my tanks and add a little chlorine maybe about a teaspoon for each 10 gal tank.
WDM3579
MMSI 368198510
MMSI 368198510
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fritz3000g
- Posts: 178
- Joined: Dec 8th, '20, 09:50
- Location: 1982 CD 25D
Re: Water Tank Cleaning
Interesting. I hadn't really thought about the water coming into my tank. That makes sense. I do have a small inline water filter that I can try, and replacing with a larger pump isn't hard.
I think I will pull my water tank this winter and add a cleaning port for the other side. Even if I use a downstream filter, I still want to be able to clean it.
Thanks!
I think I will pull my water tank this winter and add a cleaning port for the other side. Even if I use a downstream filter, I still want to be able to clean it.
Thanks!
Re: Water Tank Cleaning
While I can't comment on the source of the flecks, I can give a tip to cleaning the tank.
The inspection port on the top of the tank is big enough to fit your hand into but not much more. This makes cleaning the tank problematic. However, you can fit a trigger garden spray nozzle in and blast away to your hearts content and cover the corners. Suck out the residue, and repeat until most all the debris is removed. This saves the effort of having to agitate the tank between wash cycles.
Also, another comment. A few years after I first purchased my boat, the galley pump got clogged with plastic flecks, which turned out to be resident in the tank, presumably from it's manufacture or installation. They were the same colour and consistency as the HDPE tank material. Once I got them cleaned out, they never returned so I assume they were laying in the bottom for 20 odd years before I stirred them up enough to clog my pump.
-Steve
The inspection port on the top of the tank is big enough to fit your hand into but not much more. This makes cleaning the tank problematic. However, you can fit a trigger garden spray nozzle in and blast away to your hearts content and cover the corners. Suck out the residue, and repeat until most all the debris is removed. This saves the effort of having to agitate the tank between wash cycles.
Also, another comment. A few years after I first purchased my boat, the galley pump got clogged with plastic flecks, which turned out to be resident in the tank, presumably from it's manufacture or installation. They were the same colour and consistency as the HDPE tank material. Once I got them cleaned out, they never returned so I assume they were laying in the bottom for 20 odd years before I stirred them up enough to clog my pump.
-Steve