House water filter system

[Mike36c]

I'm ready to install my flake ice machine but I need a multi-stage water filtration system with UV to feed it. The package will also feed both faucets and shower with the exception of the cockpit fresh water washdown, it seems a 8-10gpm system is the correct capacity. It sure would be nice to drink the water for a change. Does anyone have a source? Thanks, Mike

 

[ThirdHatt]

Mike,

I just bought a new U-line icemaker today to replace the dead one in my wetbar and was thinking of a filter for it as well. A few months ago, either Yachting or Power & Motoryacht magazine did an article on the quality of the water in fresh water tanks aboard boats, including several megayachts. Most boats' tanks were fed by watermakers, so the water being put into them is about as pure as it gets. Unfortunately, they did find surprising levels of "undesirables" in all tanks, even the newest tanks and tanks that were supposedly properly maintained. The conclusion was to drink bottled water while aboard to be safe, and use the water in your tanks for everything else. I believe that ice falls in the gray area, as you never drink any large quantity of the water by simply using the ice for cocktails, etc. so that should be fine.

Several months ago I replaced the dying refrigerator with a standard 22 cubic foot GE side-by-side that has a water filter built in so that the ice it makes and the water it dispenses is filtered. Who knows how good that filter actually is but although I do use it for ice in drinks all the time, I still do not drink the water. I fill my tanks with city water via marine hose and I add a cup of bleach in with every 200+ gal fill-up. I do use it to brush my teeth, but I try not to swallow it just in case.

I will be quite interested as well to see what the experts on this forum have to offer on this important subject.

 

[Mike36c]

Thanks for the reply, My ice maker is designed to make around 200-250lbs of ice when set up to run overnight, thats around 30 gallons. The idea was to use it as drink ice too as the Bahamian ice gets a little pricey and questionable. I figured a 3 to 4 stage UV super duper filter would do the trick. Mike

 

[REBrueckner]

Crud in tanks can be surprisingly significant. But don't think your home is any better. Just cut open any water line in your home and you'll be amazed how dirty the water lines are. After thirty years, some become calcified and the water lines flow severely restrcited. Apparently all water carries some sediment and over time it builds up.
I just changed the heating element in my hot water tank a few days ago...I stuck my finger in the 12 gallon tank bottom where the heating element was previously mounted...rusty crud came up to my first knuckle....this is a six year old stainless steel tank. The tank itself was shiny as new...I assume the rust muck came from prior heating elements...I replace them every other year and they are always corroded..I had never peered inside the tank before with a flashlight..it was scary..
In this case, I got a hose aboard with a spray nozzle and "pressure washed" the tank putting the crud into solution..after three rinses the water drain was finally clear....now the rust muck was in the bilge so I had to rinse that as well and then pump it...but all is clear for the time being..

There is no system that can match a well placed drain to permit periodic rinsing of fresh water (and fuel) tanks...Alas, that is all too rare..

 

[MikeP]

I have cannister water filters at the wet bar and the galley sink. I've forgotten the brand but they are about the size of a large auto oil filter with a replaceble element. I also put a cup of clorox in every time I fill the FW tanks. I run the tank out of water at least weekly so it's turned over often which, I think, is a critical issue.

Frankly, I used to drink the tank water all the time but the Admiral is adamant that we not drink it (She also won't drink "bathroom" water at the house - go figure). So we carry bottled water for general water-drinking. However, she's OK with ice cubes or teeth-brushing. When I'm on the boat myself, I make coffee with the tank water but she's pretty much trained me to drink bottled now.

In any case, I have found Mount Gay rum to be totally safe at all times. In fact, I'm drinking it even as I type with absolutely no ill effects!

 

[luckydave215]

The best (cheapest) place to get "whole house" water filters is....Homeless Depot. I have rough, fine, and uv filters in line just after my pump manifold, and they work great, no taste. I also run my watermaker all the time to load the generators, so the feed water is a good as it gets. But even if I fill up with SoCal tapwater (aka mineral concentrate) I can't taste it.

 

[doc g]

Seagull IV filter is the way to go , see this link http://www.drink-water.com/point.html........................Pat

 

[jim rosenthal]

Just a point to make: ice made from contaminated water is NOT safe and plenty of folks have gotten sick off of it. I don't think that tank water in a boat ought to be consumed (ingested) unless it was filtered and UV treated and, as Mike says, turned over frequently. The basic problem is that unless you live on your boat and use the water system all the time, stuff sits and grows in there.
The basic things that can make you ill from drinking tank water are as follows:
1) stuff that's alive- this is bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi. Usually a combination of filters and UV treatment will reduce these levels to safe, but not always.
2) stuff that's poisonous: fuel, solvents, cleaning solutions, etc. Usually the taste puts you off these, but not always.

Having lived aboard for many years, I used tank water for showering and dishwashing only, and kept bottled water on the boat. I do not recommend tank water for brushing your teeth, or drinking. It may be safe to cook using tank water, but you don't really know. I think if you have a good multistage filtering system plus UV treatment, you can be somewhat reassured. Frankly I would still carry bottled water for drinking.

Having treated countless cases of "turista" over the years, and also experienced it myself, I carry a cooler of ice and bottled water for drinking. Not all the illnesses that people acquire from bad water are brief- it is possible to get Hepatitis A, as well as various fungal infections that can be quite serious, from bad water. Better to avoid it.

Oh, and as Mike said, rum, while having its' own risks, is safe with regard to the issues at hand. Ice, however, is not. Mixed with lime juice and bottled water, however, rum is safe and traditional.

 

[Traveler 45C]

I fill my tanks with city water via marine hose and I add a cup of bleach in with every 200+ gal fill-up.

Mike, a cup of bleach is way too much for 200gals. 3-4 ounces would be the correct amount based on the research that I have done. I can’t reference that at this time but will if you require.

 

[rangerscott275]

I'd be interested in what the right amount is.....at my last fillup (250 gallons), I put ALOT more than a cup of bleach in....

 

[Traveler 45C]

Ouch, don’t shower in that. I think a cup of bleach for that amount of water is used as a shock to the tank. I’ll get the info, but it will be Mon before I can get back to ya’.

For now, I’d drain the tank (including the hot water heater) and keep flushing it until the bleach odor is gone. You might be surprised at the crap that will come out of there.

 

[Capt.Erich]

To render water potable with bleach, the correct ratio is 1/2 teasoon (.33 oz.) of bleach for every 5 gallons of water.

 

[MikeP]

Water tank Procedure

So I guess the correct amount with our FW 287 gal tank would be about 5 oz. I have to say that the amount I put for routine use doesn't produce a noticeable chlorine odor.

At the beginning of the season, I put a GALLON of clorox in the tank, then fill it completely with water, run the water through all the fixtures for several minutes, shut off the fixtures and leave it overnight, making sure the icemakers are empty so they will be making ice all night. Next day I run all of the water out of the tank through all the fixtures, fill the tank again (no clorox) and run the water out through all the fixtures. Then I add a "cup" of clorox and fill the tank again. After this, I empty the icemakers again and let them make ice for a day before using any of the ice.

I have to admit I don't measure the "cup" of clorox I put in - a couple of "dollops," I estimate it at a cup but it is probably somewhat less than that. Then I fill the tank and consider it done. From that point on, I add the "couple of dollops each time I fill the tank.

There is never any odd odor or color in the tank water from the taps.

Again, we now use bottled water for most things per the Admiral, but I don't know what could possibly be alive in the tanks after that treatment!

 

[Traveler 45C]

Upon revisiting my old research I have found the following:

According to Clorox: Bleach can be used to clean or “shock” tanks before using them to store water. Fill the tank with water and add 1 cup of bleach for each 50 gallons of water. Let sit for 10 mins and then drain it. Rinse the tank with water until the taste of bleach is gone.

For regular maint: According to my research of public water systems (reference I can’t find at this time) you want at least 0.2 ppm to no more than .6ppm free available chlorine in the system. And you get that from the city water supply anyway. Therefore, no need to add any to the system.

Shocking the tank once a year may be a good idea. Adding bleach every time you fill up is unnecessary.

I know guys who take on 400 gals on their way to the Bahamas and drink off that for months without ever adding bleach and their water stays ok.

I still would not drink from the tank untill a proper filtration system is in place to remove anything the tank may add to the mix.

 

[Mike36c]

For those who are interested I put together the water filter system for my 36. It consists of a 10" housing for a 5 micron pre-filter ($39.99), a 20" housing for a .5 micron carbon filter ($55.99), and a 5gpm 110v UV sterilizer ($239.99). The filters run $7.49 for the 5 micron and $25.99 for the .5 micron carbon. Complete system cost w/ 2 of each replacement filters and shipping ran $455.00. A 12v UV was available but the folks said to leave it on 24/7, I was afraid of it draining the battery in the event of shore power loss so I went with 110v. I'll set it up be on anytime there is 110v available (a small inverter could be used), lamp life is forecast at 8000hrs ($75 per replacement bulb).

I system may be a bit overkill but it will protect the entire boat including the shower and ice machine. We cruise the Bahamas a LOT and the water purchased at out islands can be questionable, plus I've paid $1 per bottled water (case price ) now we can drink from the faucet.

I'm not sure forum rules allow posting of the product sources (internet) so if anyone wants them PM me. Mike

 

[Nonchalant1]

Re: icemakers....There was a highschool student in the news recently that did a science fair project of visiting 30 fast food restaurants. She took a sample of water from the ice machine, or ordered a cup of ice. Then she went to the restroom and took a sample of water from the toilet of each restaurant. She then analyzed the contents for critters.........you guessed it!......the toilet water had less bad stuff in it than the ice machines!!!

It turns out that they're very hard to keep clean inside and that there are plenty of bacteria that do just fine at 25 to 30 degrees.

My icemaker works OK, but we never use it, unless to use it as a secondary referigerator on a long haul with the genny running.

Doug Shuman

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I pulled out my icemaker and replaced it with a bar-size refrigerator. Then we replaced the galley fridge with a side-by-side with ice in the door. The galley fridge water runs through the filter under the sink and then through another charcoal filter in the fridge itself.

 

[DeeRow]

Mike,
Do you plan on using the water when you don't have 110v available? Will this contaminate the water in the lines if it doesn't run thru the UV? I also would be concerned about drawing down the batteries with the 12v uv light. I guess that you could replace your FW pump with a 110v pump so that only treated water is passed thru the system.
Mark

 

[Trojan]

I use peroxide to treat my tank. It's so much easier. Just put it in when you leave the boat, when you return the work has been done. Any left in the water evaporates. No taste. You guys have never lived in the country. We have used holding tanks and cisterns for our water for years.



BILL

 

[Norm Mayer]

FWIW, I have lived aboard with my wife, and occasionally daughter, for over 7 years, and the previous owner lived aboard with 2 daughters for 2 years. We both used tank water for everything. I did add a home depot filter that has not only the sediment filter, but an internal charcoal filter. I set it up to only filter the water on the cold water side of the galley (the filter doesn't need replaced too often that way) and our ice as well as drinking water comes from that faucet ONLY. We also add just under a cup of bleach (clorox brand, as I read somewhere it is the purest) to 250 gallons of tank water. No taste and no odor.
So far no one has been sick by unknown causes that might be related to drinking tank water. I know not everyone lives aboard, however, we now live in SW Florida and it DOES get Hot down here. Our tank only lasts about 2 weeks, but again, we have had no problems drinking the tap water. Hope this information helps. If I only spent weekends on the boat, I would probably do the same, except I would only add enough water to the tank (and the appropriate amount of Clorox) to last two or three weeks.
Also, I only use tank water till it runs completely out. It will invariably run out when my wife is in the shower, so dock water is always hooked up to the boat, but with a shutoff valve at the inlet to the boat. When the water runs out, a flip of the quarter turn valve allows completion of the shower and whatever else needs done, until the tank can be refilled.
I almost forgot. As well as bleach, we add 2 teaspoons of a water conditioner from Starbrite. I don't recall what it is called (PM me if you want to know and I will look it up and report back) and it does a superior job of lproviding VERY fresh tasting water!!! Again, FWIW
Norm Mayer
Aboard Runaround Sue (1970 44' Hatt Tricabin)
in N Ft Myers, FL