Water Tank additives

A

AllTideUp

Member
May 6, 2013
200
Northern Virginia
Boat Info
2003 SeaRay 380 Sundancer
Engines
8.1s - 370HP
Hey all,

I'm still learning about having a cruiser and things I need to do for maint. etc. For the water holding, do I need to put anything in with the water to prevent it from getting moldy or anything?

Just want to make sure that the water in there stays safe to drink.

Thanks!

J
 
As a rule I only use the water in the tank for washing (we drink bottled water). The water can take on a sulphur smell over time if not used up regularly. You can do a search as this has been discussed many times as to prevention techniques.
 
The prior owner of our boat installed an under-cabinet water filter, the kind with a small faucet that goes next to the sink. With that in place, we feel pretty comfortable using the water in the tank, as long as will be using it and refilling it regularly.
 
We always carry cases of bottled water for drinking and use the boat water for showers and wash down. At the beginning of the season I flush the tank out several times then add Clorox about a 1/2 to 1 cup. We use the holding tank water frequently to hose ourselves off when we go swimming so the water doesn't sit in the tank very long long. If I feel the water has been sitting to long I repeat the Clorox treatment.
 
I also bring bottled water for consumption and use the tank for showers & dishes!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
AllTideUp said:
Hey all,

I'm still learning about having a cruiser and things I need to do for maint. etc. For the water holding, do I need to put anything in with the water to prevent it from getting moldy or anything?

Just want to make sure that the water in there stays safe to drink.

Thanks!

J
Click to expand...

J, there are several brands of water treatment products out there and it's a good idea to get into a regular treatment routine. I use a product from Walmart sold in the RV products section which is usually somewhere near the automotive aisles. I believe the manufacturer is Camco. In that same section they sell white hoses designed for potable water, those are supposed to be safer for filling your tanks than the typical garden hose.
 
We anchor out often and use the tank water regularly for drinking as well. Start the season with a Clorox treatment...about a cup of Clorox in the tank, run through all faucets, let sit for three to four hours, drain, refill, drain and refill with additive (link below) to use. We do run the drinking water throug a Brita filter and keep the container in the fridge.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQLQYM/ref=oh_details_o02_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
After cleaning my freshwater pump strainer several times this weekend I will never drink water out of that tank.
 
Thanks for all the input. I have been drinking from the tank and just started thinking about it lately. I think I'll just treat the tank and keep using it for both cleaning and drinking water.

I read alot of other places talk about it to and seems like a pretty even split on whether or not to drink from the on board tank. Seems like in the last 10-15 years we have come to the belief that if water doesn't come from a bottle it isn't safe to drink, when for thousands of years before that we drank strait from the lake, stream or river.

Funny how I remember drinking strait from the hose as a kid but now kids are taught not to do that.

Thanks again for all the input and links to products.
 
alnav said:
J, there are several brands of water treatment products out there and it's a good idea to get into a regular treatment routine. I use a product from Walmart sold in the RV products section which is usually somewhere near the automotive aisles. I believe the manufacturer is Camco. In that same section they sell white hoses designed for potable water, those are supposed to be safer for filling your tanks than the typical garden hose.
Click to expand...

+1 on the CAMCO Refreshe product. +1 on now buying it at walmart vs west marine. (My local west marine stopped carrying it, and started carrying their own $11-15 product.) Boy was I annoyed when I started googling for it and found it at Walmart for $5 +/- when i had been paying like 8 or 9 at west marine.

Avoid using the "tablet" water treatment products. The previous owner of my boat did, and must not have followed the directions. I end up cleaning little chunks of the crap out of my faucet screens like 2-3x a season still (after 2-3 seasons of my own ownership).
 
I do the bleach in the tank every year after 3-4 hours usually go for a ride just to mix things up then fill & empty system 2-3 times then fill tank and add 2-3 cups vinegar let it sit or go for a ride drain & fill 2-3 times never had any odor or bad taste but usually use bottled water for cooking. It will taste like hose water unless you purchase an odor free potable water hose.
 
Lots of sound advice on how to clean your water tanks on this board. IMO, the best thing you can do to keep your tank fresh is to USE IT. Turn the water over as much as possible. I add one cap of bleach each time I fill the tank, and in ten years, I have not had to clean the tank. Nor have I had to clean the screens in my pumps. Water is always clean and fresh. I have a PUR system on a faucet with the Mineral Clear filter. Perfect for coffee, cooking, drinking, etc. Never had a issue with my water or ice.
 
I have never hooked up my city water hose to the boat. I manage the water tank like boatingnut does, leave it as close to empty as possible at the end of a w/e, then put fresh water in on Friday. Works great.
 
West Marine has a product called Aqua-Bon which works very good, or it has for me.
 
Yep used aqua bon too but the camco treatment looks interesting at the price point! But I agree the aqua-bon has been great.

Interesting thread.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
 
Hi All Tied Up: We use our boat year round. With our first boat we used the bleach treatment every now and then. Now,on our 4th, we go through a lot of water, but use the tank water for the vac-u-flush system and washdown or dishwashing. All our drinking water is with bottled water that we bring aboard by the case. Our water tank never seems to get funky, and there is little worry with the bottled water aboard. Good luck, and we hope this helps. Griff4
 
It also helps to put cleaner water into the tank to start with,, again, Walmart has the product. It's an in-line filter that screws on to the end of your hose.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,193
Messages
1,428,278
Members
61,104
Latest member
Three Amigos
Back
Top