Suggestions for Inline Water Filters

[Paul D.]

Hello all,

Though the water in Femme's freshwater tanks tastes pretty good (I do bleach them every few years.) I was wondering if there would be any suggestions for an inexpensive, under the sink, RV type water filter to help the water taste great. It would need to be easily removed and/or bypassed for winterizing.

Thoughts on this approach?

[tjr818]

I bought on of those filter systems for my home use and my neighbor, who sells R.O. units, tells me that they end up trading dirt and bacteria and then all you water has to pass through that dirt and bacteria. He is against the filters. Maybe if you used vodka every year instead of bleach

[mgphl52]

Maybe if you used vodka every year instead of bleach

That's exactly what we use on KAYLA and have been since 2002!

[Sea Hunt Video]

Paul:

I agree with both Tim and Mike.

I am something of a self-taught expert on this subject matter. Allow me to state my preference.

A quality Vodka and a dry vermouth; I use a 3:1 ratio but others use 2:1 or even 2:2. I prefer the 3:1. Mix in a large ice cube tumbler until well chilled. You should (can) add 2-3 dry olives (pitted) to taste. Enjoy

Oh, wait, you're talking about using vodka to clean and disinfect a water tank. Never mind. Sorry.

Buy the cheapest vodka you can find and pour. Two (2) gallons should be good for starters. Just a wild guess.

Sorry for bad humor. I am coming off a horrific afternoon of watching my beloved Dolphins suffer yet another defeat at the hands of the hated NE Patriots. Aagghh

[Neil Gordon]

>> Two (2) gallons should be good for starters. Just a wild guess.<<

Unless you're totally into aging vodka in your water tank over the winter, 1/2 gallon is all you should need to anti-freeze the plumbing between the tank and the sink.

[Steve Laume]

When Liz was sailing with me she was very fussy about the taste of the water and our coffee. It was at that time that I upgraded Raven's filtration system. She had a simple screen type filter when I took over and while that might have protected the pressure pump, it did nothing for the water quality.

I did some re plumbing and moved the filters and pump out of the engine compartment and into the cockpit locker to gain some room. I still run the little screen filter before the pressure pump and then an under sink carbon filter right after the pump. The screen will catch anything that is big and nasty in the tank before it gets to the pump or filter. The charcoal filter takes away any bad taste or odor in the water, including chlorine. If it was good enough for Liz to make coffee with, it is fine water. The under sink units are about half the size of a whole house unit and harder to find. You might need to go to a plumbing supply house instead of your local home depot. When you do, pick up a few extra filters just to have on hand so you don't have to search for them every year. I always take the filter out of the canister when I am winterizing and as long as I don't forget to put a fresh one back in, everything works great. One year I must not have run enough pink stuff through the filter bowl and there was enough fresh water in there to freeze crack the thing. Since that time I always pull the canister off of the filter and dump the water after I am done running the antifreeze through the system.

The great thing about having a charcoal filter is it doesn't matter what kind of antifreeze you use, as you are not going to taste it once it goes through the filter. Then you can buy good rum instead of cheap vodka, Steve.