Keep fresh water fresh

[JV II]

Now that we are in the 90's for days on end it is time to think about what is growing in your fresh water tank. To find out, just look in your shower sump. That yellow slime is mustard algae. It loves warm stagnant water. That's the environment in your fresh water holding tank. If you leave it without treatment for more than a few days you will have a bloom. Once you have a bloom, you have a lot of work on your hands, a bit of a mess, and some expense and inconvenience.

Here's how to prevent that:
Assuming your tanks are clean
1. Run your faucets until it is empty. Be sure to run hot and cold to purge the hot water tank.
2. Fill the tank and run it empty again.
3. Add 1 oz of Camco Drinking Water Freshener for every 20 gallons capacity and fill the tank with water.
4. run the hot and cold water again until you are half empty to get the treated water in your hot water tank and all lines
5. Add the appropriate amount of Camco Drinking Water Freshener for half the capacity of your tank
6. Top off with fresh water.

Repeat the above procedure every 2 weeks.
Every time you fill up add the appropriate amount of Camco Drinking Water Freshener
Run your pump as often as possible and avoid the shore water hookup.

Do this and you will never have a problem with any growth in your fresh water tank.

While you are at it clean out that sump and add an ounce of the same solution in there.

 

[rondds]

I rarely use the tank water other than to wash hands or dishes on the hook. As such, 50 gallons in a 100 gallon tank may last me 1/2 a season. I used to use the prescribed dosage of chlorine tablets from West Marine but have since switched to 1/2 ounce of Clorox (enough to fill the bottom of a bathroom cup). Maybe 1/2 ounce. I get no smell for as long as that tank lasts. Sure a heck wouldn't drink it, nor would I make ice with it.

 

[Rono007]

I'm glad this topic was brought up. My boat is MUCH smaller, but I do have a small 10 gallon tank for the transom shower on our boat.

Should I be putting anything in there to prevent growth or build-up during the season?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Aerobaticflyer]

Oh great....thanks a lot. Here I was thinking about a nice boating session and now you got me thinking about all the little nasties growing in my fresh water tank. So I have to run down to W.M. and buy some overpriced treatment (probably concentrated bleach) and get it in the boat before those nasties grow out every water faucet and shower in my boat. :smt021

 

[rondds]

Guys, relax! Don't overspend - we boatowners do enough of that. If you want, do the flush out that JV described in post#1, but maintain with 5% NaOCl (household bleach) at each fill-up. For a 10 gallon tank I'd use a two thimble-fulls. Aerobatic, I'd use the 1/2 ounce.

BTW, there are some other rituals for cleaning flushing out your tank using household stuff - I seem to remember baking soda - if you search around you'll likely find it here. I'm too lazy!

 

[sbw1]

I don't add anything but do run the tank dry every week and refill with fresh water. We do drink the water and make ice with tank water. I agree with the advice to not use a hose connected to the dock water. It's important to cycle the fresh water tank. When cruising, we top it off every day after everyone has taken a shower. Never had a problem with this approach and our guests are non the wiser.

 

[Rono007]

My small 10 gallon tank is a pain to fill as there are no hoses in our marina. I wind u topping it off with a few 1 gallon jugs from the house each week as we onloy use it to rinse the back of the boat and sand on us from the beach.

 

[rondds]

This boat is slow enough without having to slog around 800lbs of water in the bow (although it does help with trim!). I used to NOT hook up to dockside water but after about the 5th time of the water running out in the middle of a shower, that was OVER. But that's just me - I couldn't keep track of filling the stupid tank and my idiot lights never worked.

 

[Glen S]

We had a bit of a smell from our water this week-end. Due to family issues and a funeral had not run water for a couple of weeks. Luckily the tank was almost empty so ran it dry, and added fresh water with a water treatment from out local marine shop. I also added a small amount of bleach but was worried it might react with the vacu-flush or holding tank contents since our heads pull water from the tank (previous boats have always used lake water). Any issue with bleach and the holding tank? By the way - we don't drink it - just dishes and such.

 

[rondds]

The amount is so minimal it should not effect the seals. If you poured full strength bleach down the vacuflush that would be a problem.

 

[Henry Boyd]

We use the 1/2 to 1 once of bleach and don't have a problem. We also use the tank water on a regular basis for washing dishes, cooking, showers etc. For drinking, we carry a couple of gallons of spring water.
Henry

 

[Gimme Time]

We use the water in our tank all the time as I have a 65 gallon tank and haul water from home to the boat. The water in Deltaville is no something that I ever want in my tank. I usually add about 2 oz of Clorox to each tank before I leave home. When I get there the water drains through a 30 hose to the boat and gravity empties into the tank. I was told a couple of weeks ago to switch to Vinegar rather than bleach but not will sure why. Anyone know specifically which is better to use?

 

[270SLX]

I use bleach and wouldn't worry if for some reason I had to drink it. Chlorine is used in public water supplies, ya know. The "dose" would be so low that it wouldn't hurt. Heck, might even be beneficial.

Dennis

 

[wileecoyote]

There are many threads about this very thing and I have posted my story on a few. I got the boat last year and there was water in the tank that was probably there since 2001 as the PO only ran to the bar and back home. I removed the Sending unit to figure out why it always showed full. When I removed it there was slime growing between all of the probes and there was more inside.:smt089
I sprayed the inside of the tank as best I could multiple times, and flushed it out as I went along with a stand alone pump.
I treated the tank with chlorine bleach 5 separate times and probably ran 20-30 tanks full of water through it.
This year I have treated it and run 5 tanks through. I still wouldn't drink it, but I constantly take samples to see if there are any floaters. Looks good again so far.

If anyone knows, will the goop that was in there ever get cleaned out? Even with all the water and bleach I have run through it I still imagine there is a nasty film in there.

Out of curiosity, I would like to one day take a fill water sample and faucet sample to see the difference once the water is stored in the tank.

 

[JVM225]

I use th tank water all the time at my home dock beacause I dock alongside the bulkhead, and the dockside water fitting is on the far side of the boat. I cpuld run the hose over to it, but I'm too lazy, and I don't want to be stepping over it all the time.
I put in a couple of drops of hosehold bleach in every time I fill up my 40 gallon tank. I never drink it, but use it for showers, to wash dishes, hands, etc.. So far, I've never had a problem with it.
If we go anywhere overnight with a back in slip, I hook up to the dockside water.

 

[chumbley]

We don't treat the water, though I wouldn't be worried about just a touch of chlorine (which is what most of the treatments seem to be). We use it for cleaning, showering, washing, brushing teeth, making ice. We run through the tank about once a month or more in the summer.

We do drink bottled though.

 

[rondds]

NEVER heard of vinegar in the water (acetic acid). Chlorine is added to all water supplies in trace amounts for bacterial control and we all know it's in swimming pools in massive doses. I'd stick with chlorine in the minuscule amounts people above described.

 

[Groucho]

The first time I ran clorine thru my system I was getting some black stuff every once in awhile...must have been cleaning itself out. Make me pretty religious on making sure I get some clorine in the tank. I don't drink it either...just brushing teeth and toilet use.

 

[JV II]

If anyone knows, will the goop that was in there ever get cleaned out? Even with all the water and bleach I have run through it I still imagine there is a nasty film in there.

The answer is no. Your experience is exactly the one I want to avoid. In order to completely clean it, you have to wipe off the film. The film is likely absent of any life, but still organic and a medium for new growth.

 

[alnav]

FWIW from my Sea Ray owner's manual:

"If water treatment additives are not available, adhere
to the following procedure for complete sanitation
of your potable water system.
1. Prepare a chlorine solution using one (1) gallon
of water and one (1) cup Clorox or Purex
household bleach (5% Hypochlorite solution).
With tank empty, pour chlorine solution into
tank, using one (1) gallon solution for each sixty
(60) gallons of tank capacity.
2. Complete filling of tank with fresh water. Open
each faucet until air has been released and the
entire system is filled.
3. Allow to stand for three (3) hours.
4. Drain and flush with potable fresh water.
5. To remove excessive chlorine taste or odor
which might remain, prepare a solution of four
(4) quarts of vinegar to twenty (20) gallons of
water and allow this solution to agitate in the
tank for several days by vehicle motion.
6. Drain tank and again flush with potable water.
7. Replace water filter."​