45C Water Question?

[Gina Marie]

Thanks to you all I am now in the process of upgrading the galley,heads and saloon. In doing so I have replaced all the devices that have anything to do with water. All Sinks, Heads,refrigerator, ice makers have been replaced.

I do not have a R/O or a water maker on the vessel yet all my water is supplied as I know it from my water holding tank.

Hence the querry?

The ice maker,galley sink and bathroom sinks get its water from the water tank, is this save to use?

How should this be treated. I am going to assume that since the fuel was not properly cared for the water tank has had no treatment. How do I acquire safe on board water.

I also have on the port side of the cockpit a intake that is labeled dockside water if I connect this to a dockside water supply what does that do. Does it override the on board tank.

Without spending $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ on a water maker how Does one use the benifits of a ice maker and brush your teeth.

I look forward to your input.

Thanks Tom/ Gina Marie

[Genesis]

My rule is to never drink any onboard water on any vessel short of a SHIP!

The base problem is that water in a tank can't be kept safe for very long, so unless you turn it over basically all the time, there's nothing you can do.

The dockside water connection bypasses the tank but be very, very careful about leaving that connected if you're not on board. MANY boats have sunk from being connected to an infinite water source with the owner absent - think about it!

I pour a gallon of bleach into my tank every few months, let it sit overnight, then flush it out several times. This kills the beasties in the water and tank at that instant, but you can be guaranteed that they will grow back.

Its probably ok to shower in and wash your hands with (use soap!) but I wouldn't drink it. I carry bottled water, sodas and beer on board for that purpose.

If you insist on using the icemaker there are decent RO filters you can buy and put inline. That's an option, but adds another thing to maintain.

[Gina Marie]

Thanks for the input, in short don't drink the water. If on dockside for a vacation for a few days does this override work does it take over all water functions and then is it safe to make ice then. Thanks Tom

[MikeP]

There is a lot of controversy about this but here's what I do and it has always worked fine; we use tank water for everything:

Run all the water out of the on-board tank(s).
Pour 1 cup of clorox bleach for every 100 gal of water into the tank.
Fill the tank(s) with water.
Turn on all the faucets/showers and let them run until you can smell the chlorine. Turn off faucets.
Allow any ice makers to make a complete basket of ice. This will probably take at least a day.
Turn on all faucets/showers again; run until tank is empty.
Do it all again.

Using a hose that is OK for drinking water, fill the tanks again. Assuming the water supply is normal city water, it will be fine for any use. Don't bother with the various water "sweetner" products. They are more expensive and less effective than clorox.

Also, as G suggested, It's very important to turn over the water. That is another excellent reason to not use dockside water plumbed directly into the boat. Use the water in the tank and refill the tank.

If we aren't using the boat regularly, I will run all the water out of the tank every 2 weeks and replace it.

[Trojan]

I drink my water. If you can't drink it why have it. I use dock side water when I can. Just to save my pump. I add a quart of peroxide to my tank once a month and drain the tank the next day and refill with water. Any peroxide left in the tank will evaperate. I turn the dock side water off when I leave and use the tank water while away.That way I leave the ice maker run so I have ice cubes when I return. If I break a water line when gone, 150 gallons of water won't sink my boat. Bill

[Beckytek]

While we are tied up at the marina, we connect to the shore water supply. I turn off the fresh water pump at the breaker panel. All your water needs are supplied by the hose connection. the hose should be labeled for drinking purposes also. We have installed a aquapure filter at our galley cold water feed and use all our drinking, and cooking, water from this outlet. The filter works very well to take out any bad taste or impurities. We change the filter every year in the spring. We also have just cleaned out the fresh water tank using the bleach and letting it set for 4 hours and flushing with fresh. The water from the tank is only used when we are away from the dock. You will have to turn on the fresh water pump in order to supply your needs. We have been doing this for many years without any ill effects.
Don't forget to turn the water spigot off when you leave your boat at the marina.
Ron

[Kathy L]

Tom, As stated "turnover" is the key. To help this along I put a fresh water wash down in the cocpit. On the way in from fishing we use this to wash the rods etc. I also add a cap full of clorox every time I fill the tank. We make ice all the time and use for drinks or fish (if we have any) with no bleach smell or taste.

[Passages]

There was a great thread on this topic last year. Attached is the link.

http://www.samsmarine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33

Hey Genesis, any chance of copying the procedure to the FAQ section?

[jim rosenthal]

I lived aboard for several years and used tank water only. I just filled the tank frequently. If you are doing that, the tank water turns over so often that it is safe to use for brushing your teeth etc. I would not, however, cook with it or drink it from the tap. Bottled water is much safer and healthier.
Having nearly sunk my first boat by leaving it hooked up to dock water, I don't do that anymore either .
It is not possible to keep tank water safe unless you are living on the boat and filling the tank every few days. Even then, it is risky especially in the summer. Use the tank water for bathing, and drink bottled water. What grows in the tank and water lines is not pretty and you do not want to ingest it. If you do, sooner or later there is a high likelihood you will need to come see me in the Emergency Room.

[Mike36c]

Maybe an inline UV sanitizer along with the above techniques would make the water drinkable. I've read about UV systems, does anyone have experience.? Mike