Cleaning Fresh Water Tanks

[pjf]

Hi,

I am preparing a list of jobs to be done to my new boat and one recommendation from the surveyor is to clean the fresh water tank (precautionary). So my question is; how best to do this to ensure safe drinking water. Tank is plastic , 400ltr sitting below saloon berth.

Apologies in advance if this has been covered previously and all advice will be appreciated

Thanks

 

[sailorman]

http://www.inndoctor.co.uk/beer-line-cleaning/how-to-clean-beer-lines-instructions/

http://www.bing.com/search?q=how+to+clean+potable+water+tanks&form=OPRTSD&pc=OPER

 

[pjf]

Now there's a thought...400ltrs of Timothy Taylors Landlord

 

[sailorman]

Now there's a thought...400ltrs of Timothy Taylors Landlord

Give us a call when its in, i have my own mug

 

[JumbleDuck]

I am preparing a list of jobs to be done to my new boat and one recommendation from the surveyor is to clean the fresh water tank (precautionary). So my question is; how best to do this to ensure safe drinking water. Tank is plastic , 400ltr sitting below saloon berth.

I use Puriclean powder. Stick it down the 'ole, fill up with water, leave to seethe for a bit, empty, fill, empty, fill, empty, fill, empty, fill. To empty I just undo a hose, let it drain into the bilge and pump out.

 

[Twister_Ken]

For most of the end of the season is nigh. Do as suggested with Puri Clean, Puri Tabs or Milton's Fluid, flush through, leave empty so it doesn't freeze up in winter, repeat process on launch, except flush it through twice.

 

[maby]

We add Aqua Sol to every fill - tank seems to stay clean without the need for an annual shock treatment.

 

[NormanS]

How about taking off the inspection cover(s) and clean with a brush. Then at least you'll know that it's properly clean.

 

[chinita]

.......Surveyor must have been desperate to find some more words!

 

[Sneaky Pete]

Milton tabs just follow the instructions, wife puts them down heads also to clean it. They do a good job.

 

[sailorman]

Milton tabs just follow the instructions, wife puts them down heads also to clean it. They do a good job.

Sodium Dichloroisocyanutate

[h=1]From Amazon
OASIS Water Purification (50) Tablets[/h]by Oasis

 

[sailorgirl]

Milton tabs just follow the instructions, wife puts them down heads also to clean it. They do a good job.

You can use Milton Fluid too (instructions on bottle) - will never forget the checkout girls face when we placed a large qty of bottles on her conveyor belt in Hamble Tescos some years ago to flush out our then new-to-us boat's tanks... the skipper mumbled something about boats but she wasn't convinced and I guess we looked too old to be new parents.

You'll need to refill and drain a couple of times before the Milton taste goes away afterwards but it's worth it. We do this once a year or so and our water is always drinkable

 

[pjf]

Milton seems to be the way to go..Many thanks

 

[RichardPerou]

I have never done any thing to the water tanks and it tastes fine to me and there have never been any complaints. Maybe the wisky t9aste covers it.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I have never done any thing to the water tanks and it tastes fine to me and there have never been any complaints. Maybe the wisky t9aste covers it.

I very, very rarely bother myself. I did the current boat's tank when I got her, four years ago, and haven't bothered since as the water tastes fine. On my previous boat I did it only after she was laid up for seven years.

Of course it may depend on what you put in to the tanks ... things may get fizzy a little more quickly if you are filling up from peaty streams.

 

[maby]

I very, very rarely bother myself. I did the current boat's tank when I got her, four years ago, and haven't bothered since as the water tastes fine. On my previous boat I did it only after she was laid up for seven years.

Of course it may depend on what you put in to the tanks ... things may get fizzy a little more quickly if you are filling up from peaty streams.

You do need to be careful - the water in our first boat tasted fine, but the tank was leaking - I cut it out to replace it and was horrified at the amount of black gunk in the bottom!

 

[vyv_cox]

You do need to be careful - the water in our first boat tasted fine, but the tank was leaking - I cut it out to replace it and was horrified at the amount of black gunk in the bottom!

Despite treatment with quite a variety of products including Milton and even bleach, it is surprising how much black gunge develops in tanks in a couple of years. You could argue that it is probably no different from the reservoir in which the water spent its earler life but that doesn't make it any more pleasant. I scrub mine out every few years using washing up liquid, flush copiously then treat with Milton.

 

[JumbleDuck]

You do need to be careful - the water in our first boat tasted fine, but the tank was leaking - I cut it out to replace it and was horrified at the amount of black gunk in the bottom!

As long as I can't taste it I don't worry about it. I have a Whale filter between galley pump and tap as well, by the way.