Freshwater filter for foot pump

[SV Demeter]

I'm trying to install a water filter on the footpump, whale, and have not had much luck. I'm using a standard GE filter fr Home Depot with charcoal 11" I believe cartridges. I've tried installing on either intake or output and footpump just doesn't like it. Should I be using a different filter? Would like on that's easy to find replacement elements for

[sailorchic34]

Ah, Good question!!

Alas I don't have a solution to that. The foot pumps (I use one all the time) don't develop enough head for the typical fiber wound filter media.

Perhaps making one with 2" pvc pipe, endcaps with hose adaptors. Add aquarium activated carbon and fiber material to keep the pressure drop low. Put the spun fiber at either end and activated carbon in the middle should allow for a low pressure drop..

[SV Demeter]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

Ah, Good question!!

Alas I don't have a solution to that. The foot pumps (I use one all the time) don't develop enough head for the typical fiber wound filter media.

Perhaps making one with 2" pvc pipe, endcaps with hose adaptors. Add aquarium activated carbon and fiber material to keep the pressure drop low. Put the spun fiber at either end and activated carbon in the middle should allow for a low pressure drop..

Thanks Chic. I was hoping to find a cartridge set up I could easily find replacements for. I initially set up the filter on the pressure side at the galley faucet and it was ok but there was a noticeable pressure drop. Figure I really only wanted filter for water we drink so I thought I could move it over to the foot pump. Wondering what others do for a water filter? I guess I could move it back to pressure side and up the specs on the pump, the one I have now is wimpy but I didnt mind cause it saves water...

[Sailmonkey]

I went in circles with this very thing myself.......we just gave up on the filter thing, and only filled the tank from our watermaker. That way, no chlorine, no chemicals, no bacteria.....etc.

Now that we're back on the dock for a few years, I just filter the water with a charcoal filter before it hits the tank.

[SV Demeter]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

I went in circles with this very thing myself.......we just gave up on the filter thing, and only filled the tank from our watermaker. That way, no chlorine, no chemicals, no bacteria.....etc.

Now that we're back on the dock for a few years, I just filter the water with a charcoal filter before it hits the tank.

Thanks Monkey, no water maker on our boat, but our tank water is pretty darn good and we hope to catch a lot of rain water with a rain catcher. Will see how that goes before I pour it right into the tanks. Most folks I talk to seem to have no problems doing that once the initial rain has washed off the catcher some.

I was thinking of just going the Brita pitcher route for drinking. We live aboard so the tanks get a fair bit of use and only have a very mild "tank" taste. Its really not an issue for me and more so for guests and crew.

[captfolly]

Hi....we are using the whale(the real ones, not the copies) double-action footpumps(one galley, one head, no pressure water) with the standard whole-house water filter housings (about $30) and 2 micron charcoal filters($10 for 2) on the output side, we have been using them for about 3 years now with no problem, the whale pumps push water through them fine, we replace the filters about every 3 months or when we can start to taste chlorine in the water, our tanks are the boat's fiberglass keels and are in pretty nasty shape so the filters have put off a giant project of redoing the tanks plus not worrying too much about water quality going in the tanks...are you sure there are no check valves or flow restrictions on the housing you are using? the filter elements we use are about 10" long and about 2.5" in diameter with what seems like no pressure drop...

fair winds,

George

[Dsanduril]

+1 on the Whale double-action foot pumps. The one we use is this one:

Whale Marine - Products

Whale sells a filter cartridge for use with this pump, but, as with all things marine it is more than the non-marine version. We use a household filter setup as well.

Brita is also a good way to go, then you don't have to change your system at all.

[rebel heart]

We have a whale foot pump. Two actually, one sea water and one fresh. For fresh we pop chlorine in the tank habitually. Not all that much, but a tiny amount goes a long way and prevents anything funky from living in their.

We have a Brita in the galley that we fill up a lot. If we're drinking water straight we use the Brita, if it's getting cooked or used for washing we just use it from the tank. Lazy solution but it works for us.

[SV Demeter]

Originally Posted by captfolly

Hi....we are using the whale(the real ones, not the copies) double-action footpumps(one galley, one head, no pressure water) with the standard whole-house water filter housings (about $30) and 2 micron charcoal filters($10 for 2) on the output side, we have been using them for about 3 years now with no problem, the whale pumps push water through them fine, we replace the filters about every 3 months or when we can start to taste chlorine in the water, our tanks are the boat's fiberglass keels and are in pretty nasty shape so the filters have put off a giant project of redoing the tanks plus not worrying too much about water quality going in the tanks...are you sure there are no check valves or flow restrictions on the housing you are using? the filter elements we use are about 10" long and about 2.5" in diameter with what seems like no pressure drop...

fair winds,

George

Interesting George. We have the Whale Gusher galley pump, Im wondering if maybe the filter I was using was just clogged from being used in the pressure side for a while when the tanks were not all that clean? Im using a filter just like this one:





And in it Im using this sort of filter:

[Sailmonkey]

That's exactly what we tried......I was afraid I was going to pop the pump

[SV Demeter]

Tried a new element and could not get the foot pump to work. It didnt lock up like before but it didnt seem to want to fully prime. Filter is on the suction side of the whale pump. The filter Im using I think says 0.5-1.0 micron. Maybe I should try something more coarse? Im really just looking to knock the tankiness taste down which is not that bad to begin with.

Im wondering though wether Im better off with the filter on the intake side of the foot pump or on the output? Guess I'll try another cartridge and see what happens.

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by SV Demeter

Tried a new element and could not get the foot pump to work. It didnt lock up like before but it didnt seem to want to fully prime. Filter is on the suction side of the whale pump. The filter Im using I think says 0.5-1.0 micron. Maybe I should try something more coarse? Im really just looking to knock the tankiness taste down which is not that bad to begin with.

Im wondering though wether Im better off with the filter on the intake side of the foot pump or on the output? Guess I'll try another cartridge and see what happens.

I suggest you would do better pushing the water through the filter, particularly as you may have a small air leak in the filter cannister or lines. You might also find the the smaller Pentek filters will work for you. They do for us. And, filter cartridges are relatively inexpensive. If you can't find replacement cartridges, activated charcoal in a baggie made from a ladies nylon stocking will substitute for awhile.

FWIW...