45C Water Question?

[Norm Mayer]

After using the Clorox treatment (I used a gallon of clorox for my 250 gallon tank and letting it sit for a day, then flushing the system out), we have been using the tank water for ALL purposes; cooking, coffee, drinking, brushing teeth. Every time I fill the tank I add one cup of Clorox per 250 gallons, plus the water treatment, according to directions, from Starbrite. For drinking we also added the common charcoal filter to the galley cold water line. No taste or odor ever comes from that tap. If the water in the tank gets a month old, it may have a slight odor from the other taps. We have lived aboard 6.5 years with no visits to the Dr. or any other problems. We are tyed to dock water at the dock, which DOES bypass the tank. When out the tank water works for everything. (Don't have an icemaker yet, so no experience there)

Do you think a month is too long to store water in a tank? Many community water supplies have big water tanks on stilts that may hold researve water for many months before needed, and it is safe. (tested often, to be sure)
Yes, there has been much controversy over this subject, but a small amount of clorine (read Clorox, as it is very pure) will take care of the little beasties. I was taught to use the clorox treatment back in the sixties while in Boy Scouts and has stood me well thru the years. Good luck, and just follow your own instincts!!!

[Genesis]

As was noted there was a nice thread on this a year or so ago, but nothing solid came out of it.

Here's the short and skinny on water in tanks - it cannot be kept safe for drinking purposes.

Water from a municipal tap which is used with some frequency (e.g. your house!) is safe because it was chlorinated a fwe hours before you drank it, and anything that it picked up hasn't had time to grow.

Take that same water and stick it in a bottle for a week or two on your kitchen counter with the cap off, and drinking it would be quite unwise.

Now you say "but its in a tank!" And I say "Yeah, and your tank has a vent, and in the summer that water is quite WARM!"

I run the bleach through every couple of months, and turn the tank over every couple of weeks during the summer. Still, I don't drink it. Shower with it, wash hands, use it to flush the head, yes.

Drink, no.

Filtration + UV is a potential solution, but (1) its expensive, (2) it requires maintenance, (3) it doesn't really fix the problem, only mitigates it. The problem is storing water in a vented tank over significant periods of time.

If I wanted to use the ice machine (I have one on board, but its a little U-line thing that doesn't make enough to matter in a day) I'd install a high-quality R/O filter immediately in front of it, and deal with the maintenance issues. My Hatt has a charcoal-cannister style filter just upstream of both it and the galley sink, but those only control taste, odor and some chemical contaminents - they are NOT proof against biological contamination, and that's what will at best give you a nasty case of Montezuma's revenge.

For full biological safety along with the rest you need a three-step process:

1. A charcoal/media filter to get rid of turbidity, solvents and chemicals.
2. A R/O filter to get rid of most biological contaminents and most other dissolved substances. This MUST have a pre-filter (1) in front of it or it will be destroyed by contaminents.
3. UV to sterilize things that pass the R/O.

The other obvious option is a still, which sucks major amounts of energy, but is about as good as it gets all the way around.

That's a lot of expense and maintenance. If you have a watermaker you have (1) and (2), and provided you have clean seawater to "feed" it then you're ok - if not, you still need (3).

Too much expense, trouble and such for me - I'll just bring bottled water on board to drink and count on periodic sanitization and turnover to have water safe enough to shower with.

If I was living on board I'd find a way to deal with it, 90% of which would be through turnover (one way or another - whether off the tap at the marina or via a watermaker)

[SKYCHENEY]

I have 2 of those Aqua Pure filters, one on the galley sink/fridge and one at the wet bar. I think they work well to take out odor/taste problems, but boy are they pricey. They are AP517 filters which I am told are now obsolete (I think this was an OEM install). Anyway, I haven't found them for less than about $38/each. Does anyone have a good source for these? I realize that any activated charcoal filter would be costly, but these seem excessive.

[Genesis]

Yeah, they're stupid expensive. Best solution is to remove the heads and replace with something modern for which cartridges can be had at a RATIONAL price.

[MikeP]

Well, this thread looks just like the last one! We all have opinions based on our experience. I doubt anyone will change what they do based on a conflicting opinion. It appears that those that use the water and treat/maintain it haven't had any trouble, and those that don't use the water also haven't had any trouble.

Certainly can't argue with the logic that using only bottled water is the safest way. Then again, can't argue with the fact that chlorine WILL kill all the bugs.

I guess it's just one of them "personal choices."

[Captcoop]

I own a construction company that installs water mains and we use the chlorine tablets that you buy for swimming pools usually a product called HTH. I think one tablet will shock treat 50 gal. of water. You can treat your water and let it set 24 hrs. Then you check for a residual of the chlorine, if you have any trace after 24 hrs. your water is pure. This will only take care of the bacteria the solids or trash will need to be filtered out. Good Luck

[doc g]

Seagull IV water purifer/filter systems has the best undercounter system available. They are quite expensive but worth it. These things even filter out viruses,cysts,and parasites such as giardia. The small unit is about 400.00 with replacement filters at about 70.00. There are also different filters available ,allowing you to change the element depending on the need for a certain level of protection. My boat's got one and we use the tank water only to "keep it moving".

[wshelton]

A solution for the ice makers for those of us in the South. I got rid of the built in U-Line because of the bad taste either with the tank water or on tap. I replaced the built in with one of these portable ice makers. You fill it up with bottled water and away you go. Will make ice in 10 minutes and as much as 30 lbs. within a 24 hour period. Great device--you can find them on the web and under $350. BTW, try soda water in your coffee maker sometime. Makes the best coffee, just keep enough aboared for the scotch.

[Captcoop]

The best solution for the ice maker is to turn the unit on and lift the arm that stops the making of ice and buy a bag of ice and put it in the tray. Get out the martini shaker and relax. Good Luck

[Genesis]

Yep. I use it as another freezer