Visit our Popular Forums

Stu Jackson · 26-05-2015, 10:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by KHJackson

What is the best way to flush your water tanks to get rid of the antifreeze taste and smell? I have a cape dory 36 and a 100 gallon tanks. I would prefer not to run the faucets, shower etc. and the water pump long enough to empty tanks.

Fresh Water System Recommissioning 101 - Peggie Hall's "Cocktail" http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5836.0.html

hellosailor · 26-05-2015, 10:08

" I would prefer not to run the faucets, shower etc. and the water pump long enough to empty tanks"
That's an easy one. Take the fire axe and punch a hole in the bottom of the tank. Or, if you have no fire axe, disconnect the hose from the tank output and let it drain from that.
Then use clean water or whatever you want to clean out the tank, and let the rest of the system gravity drain before reconnecting it and refilling the tank. You'll still need to flush the system but at least the tank will be clean before you start doing that.

Keeping it clean with a debris filter and carbon filter on the fill, and a UV-C lamp in the tank, should make that easier in the future.

From my short list of really good vendors:
www.filterfast.com
is an online source for all kinds of water filter cartridges at very competitive prices. Including their own house brand, which I've found to be even cheaper without any compromise in quality. Nice folks to deal with, and they'll email you with a re-order reminder on schedule if you ask for that.

thinwater · 26-05-2015, 10:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

Ah... With all due respect...The General Ecology performance testing results can be viewed at http://www.generalecologycanada.com/...agull_Data.pdf. Note that the "ND" that appears in the data Does Not mean "No Data" but rather "None Detected" with the minimum detectable level ("Detection Level") reported in the adjoining column. If a given contaminate is below the Detection Level (e.g. 1 ppm), it cannot be detected and hence is reported as "None Detected". The test standard and protocol used was NSF 53 which is pretty rigorous. As a practical matter, the water coming out of the GE filter is far superior to the supposedly potable water supplied in most municipal water systems for home use.

Look more closely at the Seagull data and check the NSFS web site. It is NOT certified for anything other than non-leaching (no lead or toxic chemicals in the construction). They led the way years ago, but they seem to have stagnated.

As a practical matter, there are many other systems, for far less money, that are NSF certified to all the standards Seagull references. Unfortunately, Seagul has been left behind as Pentek, GE, Doulton, and others have delivered far more competitive pricing and greater parts compatibility.

PS has a review of many options coming in a few months.

thinwater · 26-05-2015, 10:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by KHJackson

What is the best way to flush your water tanks to get rid of the antifreeze taste and smell? I have a cape dory 36 and a 100 gallon tanks. I would prefer not to run the faucets, shower etc. and the water pump long enough to empty tanks.

a. NEVER put antifreeze in the tank in the first place. Drain and dry (shop vac) the tank each fall, and ONLY put AF in the lines.

b. It is NOT the AF you are tasting (it has no taste to speak of). Far more likely, you did not put enough in the system (-50AF cannot be diluted with ANY water) to prevent yeast and bacteria from growing, and what you are tasting are fermentation products. Your tank went bad, like opened wine. I smell that around marinas every spring.

If you ONLY put AF in the lines and use enough (test the stuff coming out), it will not go bad, and a few gallons though each tap is more than enough. No special spring cleaning is needed.

**a64pilot** · 26-05-2015, 10:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by malbert73

Does anyone with Seagull filter use it with a foot pump? I am thinking of routing my fresh water foot pump at galley through the filter and then to the spigot at the sink for us to use for drinking/cooking water. This way we always have drinking water even with loss of electricity.

I guess my questions are:
1. Does a foot pump generate enough pressure to use the filter?
2. The filter installs downstream of foot pump, correct? (pressure rather than suction, right?)

Just based on how slowly the water comes out of my filter, under pump pressure, I doubt a foot pump would be enough pressure, or at least the pressure would result in very little water flow. And yes, I'd say the filter has to be on the pressure side as a pure vacuum is only 14.7 PSI differential.

I'd try one of those water pitchers with the filters in them, Brita maybe?

colemj · 26-05-2015, 10:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by thinwater

b. It is NOT the AF you are tasting (it has no taste to speak of).

Hmmm, I don't think I agree with this, but am not going to drink any. I know I am very sensitive to the stuff - can smell and taste it in very dilute quantities. Takes forever and a lot of water to flush our lines out to the point I no longer notice it.

The taste/smell is not fermentation products or bacteria - it is the pink stuff itself. I can smell it right out of a new jug. It is a sweet smell/taste for me, but a somewhat unpleasant one.

Mark

thinwater · 26-05-2015, 10:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by colemj

Hmmm, I don't think I agree with this, but am not going to drink any. I know I am very sensitive to the stuff - can smell and taste it in very dilute quantities. Takes forever and a lot of water to flush our lines out to the point I no longer notice it.

The taste/smell is not fermentation products or bacteria - it is the pink stuff itself. I can smell it right out of a new jug. It is a sweet smell/taste for me, but a somewhat unpleasant one.

Mark

Very well, I can't argue that (but fermented is even worse!!). I still bet the problem is puting AF in the tank. Takes forever to dilute it down.

Also--and this should be totally obvious but I'm posting it for the group-- the filters MUST be removed during winterization.

CarinaPDX · 26-05-2015, 13:26

You can go to any Home Depot/Lowes/plumbing outlet and buy a standard 10" filter housing. They are available in standard and slim - I recommend the slim. Not only is it low cost, but the filter elements are widely available from several manufacturers at low prices. There is a great variety of filter types; I use the sediment/charcoal cartridges. The specifications should indicate the pressure drop of the cartridge; the pure charcoal ones often are too restricted for manual/foot pumps. If you want to get fancy you can link 2 or more filters in series for different purposes. Also, consider buying a filter body with a ceramic block filter to put on your hose at the dock faucet to keep out giardia if going to places that might have them (too much pressure drop for a boat water system, but you don't want that water on the boat or even in the hose until filtered).

I don't get the need for killing viruses, beyond the usual chlorine or similar additive. If the water is suspect for human pathogens then you shouldn't put it in the boat at all. When coast hopping or passage making use an RO water maker away from land and you will have quality drinking water - but do add chlorine or alternative to keep it fresh (which the charcoal-impregnated filter will remove before consumption).

Keep in mind that between the filter and the tap bacteria can - will - grow because the filter removes the chlorine. When changing cartridges (frequently) clean out the filter housing and flush the line out the tap with chlorinated water. Slime in the housing is usually a clue that things need sterilizing.

Personally I can't imagine using the proprietary solutions for filtering - they are hideously expensive, often hard to find while cruising, and don't do anything that can't be done by products at Home Depot - and many other places around the world - for a fraction of the price.

I do recommend the non-chlorine water treatments. Adding bleach to the water is not considered as healthy.

Greg

onestepcsy37 · 26-05-2015, 14:02

AF does have a taste. Its slightly sweet, which is why it is so often used by wives poisoning their husbands.

Just a heads up. Never eat green jello...

colemj · 26-05-2015, 14:24

The antifreeze talked about here is the potable propylene glycol stuff used in water systems - not the toxic ethylene glycol used in engines.

Mark

onestepcsy37 · 26-05-2015, 14:36

Never mind.

**Hud3** · 26-05-2015, 14:55

Our Seagull IV served us well for two years of cruising in the eastern Caribbean, where we took on water from some fairly dicey sources, and also for six years in our home on Nevis where we collected water from our roof and stored it in a 15,000 gallon cistern. We never had "tummy problems".

But at this point, I think I'd ditch the Seagull and go with Thinwater's advice.

malbert73 · 26-05-2015, 15:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

You can go to any Home Depot/Lowes/plumbing outlet and buy a standard 10" filter housing. They are available in standard and slim - I recommend the slim. Not only is it low cost, but the filter elements are widely available from several manufacturers at low prices. There is a great variety of filter types; I use the sediment/charcoal cartridges. The specifications should indicate the pressure drop of the cartridge; the pure charcoal ones often are too restricted for manual/foot pumps. If you want to get fancy you can link 2 or more filters in series for different purposes. Also, consider buying a filter body with a ceramic block filter to put on your hose at the dock faucet to keep out giardia if going to places that might have them (too much pressure drop for a boat water system, but you don't want that water on the boat or even in the hose until filtered).

I don't get the need for killing viruses, beyond the usual chlorine or similar additive. If the water is suspect for human pathogens then you shouldn't put it in the boat at all. When coast hopping or passage making use an RO water maker away from land and you will have quality drinking water - but do add chlorine or alternative to keep it fresh (which the charcoal-impregnated filter will remove before consumption).

Keep in mind that between the filter and the tap bacteria can - will - grow because the filter removes the chlorine. When changing cartridges (frequently) clean out the filter housing and flush the line out the tap with chlorinated water. Slime in the housing is usually a clue that things need sterilizing.

Personally I can't imagine using the proprietary solutions for filtering - they are hideously expensive, often hard to find while cruising, and don't do anything that can't be done by products at Home Depot - and many other places around the world - for a fraction of the price.

I do recommend the non-chlorine water treatments. Adding bleach to the water is not considered as healthy.

Greg

I have aluminum tanks so bleach is out. I am using aquabon which seems to freshen the taste. i assume it's peroxide based? Anyone with other non-chlorine options?

Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

thinwater · 26-05-2015, 16:04

^^ I did bunch of testing for PS, including corrosion testing on aluminum.

Sail Delmarva: Bleach and Aluminum Corrosion

Yes, there are less corrosive products than bleach. Subscribe!

The Aquabon MSDS lists sodium chlorite as the sole active ingredient.

Hydrogen peroxide, BTW, is NOT listed as a water purification agent and there is no drinking water protecole. At the low doses suggested it is quite clear that it is NOT antimicrobial. To be used as a sterilizing agent it must be at about 2-3%, or the concentration that the drugs store sells, straight up. So while there be no taste, there is also no antimicrobial effect at any healthy level.