Is it true that hydrogen peroxide may be used instead of chlorox for water treatment? If so, what ratio and what strength of peroxide?
Gwynpennon@aol.com
Hydrogen peroxide as water treatment
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Dave
Re: Hydrogen peroxide as water treatment
I haven't heard that, but having a medical background I wouldn't use it. Hydrogen peroxide actually has no germ killing properties to it and it is actually not recomended to clean wounds anymore because it actually kills good tissue. I would still use the chlorox.
Dave
CD25 R&R
Gloucester, MA
ddsailor25@ureach.com
Dave
CD25 R&R
Gloucester, MA
David Jacobs wrote: Is it true that hydrogen peroxide may be used instead of chlorox for water treatment? If so, what ratio and what strength of peroxide?
ddsailor25@ureach.com
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Bristol Bronze
Re: Hydrogen peroxide as water treatment
Dear Dave,David Jacobs wrote: Is it true that hydrogen peroxide may be used instead of chlorox for water treatment? If so, what ratio and what strength of peroxide?
Do not use hydrogen peroxide to kill bacteria in your water tanks. It won't work. As a Navy Hospital Corpsman one of the many schools that the Navy sent me to was Water Sanitation School.
At one time hydrogen peroxide was thought to kill certain types of bacteria by adding oxygen to the wound. (Many bacteria are anaerobic and can't live in oxygen.)
The Navy specification for chlorine in a water tank is .2 parts per million free residual chlorine. The chlorine is used up as it kills the bacteria. The Navy requires that there be residual chlorine present one hour after the chlorine has been added and the water in the tank agitated. Newer methods of water sanitation now use bromine or flourine. The principal is the same, just better taste.
If your tanks haven't been chlorinated in a while they should be cleaned and then chlorinated to a level of 5.0 parts per million. This solution should be allowed to stand for a hour, the tank drained, flushed, and then refilled and chlorinated to .2 parts per million.
Most swimming pool stores can sell you a chlorine color comparitor. By adding a chemical (o-toldine dihydrochloride) to a sample of your water the water will turn green. The color can be then matched to a comparitor to see the parts per million level of chlorine.
Roger W.
Bristol Bronze
401-625-5224
info@bristolbronze.com
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Hobbster
Re: Hydrogen peroxide as water treatment
Roger:
Most pool test kits test for TOTAL CHLORINE and not FREE CHLORINE. Your PPM (parts per million) figures are correct. The 5PPM should be run through ALL of the water lines including the hot water heater. TOTAL CHLORINE is very easy to check for. FREE CHLORINE is easy but cost more. All drinking water systems test for FREE CHLORINE. Ask your city to please come out and check the chlorine residule in the water at your marina. Check it at the end of the line or the longest dock. You may find that you are getting 0.2PPM from the city. The city should check this for free if you ask.
Good luck
Glen
glen@hobbymarine.com
Most pool test kits test for TOTAL CHLORINE and not FREE CHLORINE. Your PPM (parts per million) figures are correct. The 5PPM should be run through ALL of the water lines including the hot water heater. TOTAL CHLORINE is very easy to check for. FREE CHLORINE is easy but cost more. All drinking water systems test for FREE CHLORINE. Ask your city to please come out and check the chlorine residule in the water at your marina. Check it at the end of the line or the longest dock. You may find that you are getting 0.2PPM from the city. The city should check this for free if you ask.
Good luck
Glen
glen@hobbymarine.com
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D. Stump, Hanalei
Re: WHY? (from another Hospital Corpsman!)
Captain Jacobs,
First question, is WHY use hydrogen peroxide, when bleach works so well?
Like HM1 Roger, I feel that chlorine is the way to go, read that a little bleach! To clean and sanitize the tanks on Hanalei here is what I do. At end of season, drain tanks completely, install non-toxic antifreeze and run through each water line until visible. Takes about 1 gallon per tank! Drain and disconnect hot water heater before installing antifreeze.
In the Spring, after launch, run fresh water system to drain out all antifreeze. Fill tanks with about 5 gallons water and drain again. THEN, and this is a big help, vacuum out the last little bit of water/crud at the outlet of each tank with a wet/dry shop vac. This will get rid of the little junk that floats around in your tank, and will help keep the pump primary filter clean. Clean waterpump filter. Fill tanks with city water, add a splash of Chlorox bleach to each tank(less than a quarter of a cup for 30 gallons). Run system until you smell chlorine at the faucets. Let sit over the weekend. Drain tanks completely again. Refill with city water and you are done. As for free chlorine, I don't worry at all about the quality of water aboard Hanalei. As, each time I fill her tanks I do so from the inspection ports on top of each tank. You can SMELL the chlorine in the city water as it goes into the tank! There has got to be enough to keep that water safe to drink, and as a proof, I nor any of my crew have ever gotten the s*&%s from drinking the water on board. Plus, it tastes good(well, not exactly like Greenwich Cove bottled water, but close!).
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30C
CDSOA Number ONE ! ! !
US Navy Hopital Corpsman
HM-3, Honorably Discharged
with Vietnam Combat Operations Service Medal
(spent a LOT of time with the US Marines in Vietnam, talk about drinking water problems! ! ! )
First question, is WHY use hydrogen peroxide, when bleach works so well?
Like HM1 Roger, I feel that chlorine is the way to go, read that a little bleach! To clean and sanitize the tanks on Hanalei here is what I do. At end of season, drain tanks completely, install non-toxic antifreeze and run through each water line until visible. Takes about 1 gallon per tank! Drain and disconnect hot water heater before installing antifreeze.
In the Spring, after launch, run fresh water system to drain out all antifreeze. Fill tanks with about 5 gallons water and drain again. THEN, and this is a big help, vacuum out the last little bit of water/crud at the outlet of each tank with a wet/dry shop vac. This will get rid of the little junk that floats around in your tank, and will help keep the pump primary filter clean. Clean waterpump filter. Fill tanks with city water, add a splash of Chlorox bleach to each tank(less than a quarter of a cup for 30 gallons). Run system until you smell chlorine at the faucets. Let sit over the weekend. Drain tanks completely again. Refill with city water and you are done. As for free chlorine, I don't worry at all about the quality of water aboard Hanalei. As, each time I fill her tanks I do so from the inspection ports on top of each tank. You can SMELL the chlorine in the city water as it goes into the tank! There has got to be enough to keep that water safe to drink, and as a proof, I nor any of my crew have ever gotten the s*&%s from drinking the water on board. Plus, it tastes good(well, not exactly like Greenwich Cove bottled water, but close!).
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30C
CDSOA Number ONE ! ! !
US Navy Hopital Corpsman
HM-3, Honorably Discharged
with Vietnam Combat Operations Service Medal
(spent a LOT of time with the US Marines in Vietnam, talk about drinking water problems! ! ! )
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JimL
Re: WHY? (from another Hospital Corpsman!)
Gosh....I just realized I have a solution for your winter water treatment. Simply drop the boat at my slip in sunny Southern California during your winter season. I can "watch" the boat for you, while you suffer through your freezing weather! No need to use antifreeze in the tanks!
I also spent a lot of time in Vietnam; Army however. I recall a drinking problem, myself......but not clearly.....a little fuzzy. Wasn't always the water, however.......
Regards, JimL
U.S. Army, MACV, Phu Bai/Hue, I Corp, 1967-69
CD25 Odyssey III, Dana Point, CA
leinfam@earthlink.net
I also spent a lot of time in Vietnam; Army however. I recall a drinking problem, myself......but not clearly.....a little fuzzy. Wasn't always the water, however.......
Regards, JimL
U.S. Army, MACV, Phu Bai/Hue, I Corp, 1967-69
CD25 Odyssey III, Dana Point, CA
leinfam@earthlink.net