Chlorine Vs Marine Growth

[Traveler 45C]

Both of my A/C's discharge raw water into a seachest before going overboard. I've had problems with growth in the seachest. Very hard to clean out.

My idea is to install a strainer before the A/C pump and add chlorine tablets to prevent growth. Think it'll work? Could the chlorine damage the pump, hoses or metals in the A/C?

 

[eze2bme]

Don't use chlorine if it's going to be in contact with anything made of rubber ...

 

[REBrueckner]

Does light get to the sea chest?? IF so that will aid growth or organisms....did not think much would grow in salt water in the dark....Are you in brakish or fresh water mcuh of the time??

Except for real rubber, not synthetic hose, chlorine tablets i"d think would be ok...but not in close proximity to metals.... but I'm unsure what sea water and chlorine does together...better check....

When I was in salt water, a trip into fresh water for a few days would cause all seaweed and algae type stuff to drop off...not mussels nor barnacles of course....

I'd check online such sites as : http://www.tramfloc.com/tf71.html
and see if any obvious cautions pop up...

 

[Traveler 45C]

I suppose some light gets in right by the through hull, that's where the stuff grows. It's brackish water.

Well if chlorine isn't gonna' work I guess I'll have to either make a new seachest, one that I can clean or install some type of clean out plug. I'd rather not put in a new through hull if I don't have to.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I would try the chlorine or bromine tablets in the strainer basket. I have heard of others using this method with no ill results.

 

[rrrestorer]

put the clorine in the sea cheast if you can, that way you dont have to worry about pumps and hoses.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I was thinking about this some more. Does your pump run all of the time or does it go on and off with the compressors? If it runs all of the time, then maybe the best solution would be to change controllers. This would stop the water flow from time to time and probably keep the critters out of the sea chest.

 

[spartonboat1]

Technical analysis of bacteria growth in home piping clearly indicates that copper is superior to all other piping materials for killing bacteria. Could some type of copper plate or other copper product sit in the sea chest and kill growth.

Just a swag...

 

[Traveler 45C]

Adding the chlorine to the seachest only instead of the entire system is a great idea. A strainer with chlorine at the seachest inlet is all I need, if it’ll work.

My compressors trigger the pump. But here in Florida, the pump runs just about all the time

Thanks guys!

 

[bigbill]

i have heard , to only use bromine, not chlorine. dont remember where i heard this or why to only use bromine. bigbill

 

[REBrueckner]

Post #8 is a good idea...stick a piece of cut up copper tubing in your sea chest and see how that works...

Also, I remembered that sticking cholorine tables in my pool skimmer strainer at home quickly caused the strainer the crack and deteroriate....so it seems chlorine DOES affect some plastics; maybe PVC...so use caution...

Someone else on Sam's reported using some copper in a similar situation and reported a resolution of their crud/growth problem....

 

[Traveler 45C]

Someone else on Sam's reported using some copper in a similar situation and reported a resolution of their crud/growth problem....

Yea, I found that thread today and asked the following, would just putting some copper wire in the seachest prevent the critters from growing on the seachest walls? I can understand nothing growing on the copper, but would that prevent it from growing on everything in there?

 

[Trojan]

Why not use a copper scrub pad and placed it in the sea chest. The pad will let the water flow through it.

BILL

 

[Traveler 45C]

Yes, but will it prevent growth on the seachest walls?

Taking this one step further... The A/C coils are copper right?

Seems like there is already a bunch of copper in the system.

I guess I'm not understanding...

 

[bigbill]

greg, the coils are cupranickle(sp) not sure if this matters where marine growth is concerned...bigbill

 

[Traveler 45C]

Oh, yea...