Drinking water filter

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robertj

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The situation I have at the moment is I have separate drinking water from the main tank. I don't like this and would like to know if others use the main tank with filters to get rid of the taste etc.
I have looked at these seagull filters but not sure if in fact they work very well.
Any input of systems will be appreciated.

Bob
 
We have a seagull filter on Amoret personally I have never noticed a problem but SWMBO prefers the security of having a filter that removes potentially harmfull contaminants, as for taste I am not sure that it would remove them as our water seems never to have had that problem. Most people naturally use the Seagull when drawing drinking water all other is drawn from the main tap even that used for making hot drinks.
 
We drink from tanks, using an Aquasource Clear filter. There are two models, either 12.5 or 15mm stubs. The 15mm fit the standard rigid plastic pipework. On board 9-10 months p.a. we change it yearly, filtering all taps. Cost around £23.
 
There has been a long thread on this topic recently, it would be worth a search to find what was said.

I fitted a Seagull IV to a motorhome last year. The transformation in the quality of the drinking water was astonishing, even though the van was relatively new and the tank was in good condition. On that basis I bought one for the boat, yet to be fitted.
 
I did a test of the Nature Pure version for Sailing Today - must have been 5 or 6 years ago. It is really excellent. Easy to fit and provides great tasting water as though from a bottle. I also renew the filter annually. Winterising precaution is the simple removal of the filter which takes about a minute - if I take my time!
 
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I have now gone on to the Whale cylinder filters that are changed each season. I was using the Jabsco ones until this year when I discovered that when I carefully drained all the water out before the Great Freeze, I completely forgot the filter which remained full and froze, splitting the head unit.
I was reluctant to replace it because I do resent the cost of the Jabsco filters so I am contemplating something like the Seagull as a long term solution. Might take a bit of time to amortise the cost though!
 
robertj said:
The situation I have at the moment is I have separate drinking water from the main tank. I don't like this and would like to know if others use the main tank with filters to get rid of the taste etc.
I have looked at these seagull filters but not sure if in fact they work very well.
Any input of systems will be appreciated.

Bob
Click to expand...

main tank + Whale cartridge filter with no probs, no taste
 
Agree with what Tillergirl said.
I bought a Nature Pure filter and then found that I did not have enough room under the sink to fit it, so a friend used it on his boat. He has had it for 3 years now and says it's marvellous - and that's after taking on water in Tunisia, Italy and Greece.

As I recall this one came out best in the test as it killed all bugs unlike most of the others. The test involved taking water from the River Avon in Bristol and with this device it came out drinkable! Maybe Nature Pure (company name is General Ecology) still have copies of the group test.
 
Jug filter

Another solution is to use a jug filter which removes all bad tastes in the same way as an in-line filter. Before a passage we empty the filtered water from the jug into a tall Lock & Lock container for use at sea for drinks.
 
On my last boat Ifitted a Jabsco filter to the water line. It was reasonably successful, but not perfect.

My new boat does not have ant filters on the water line inside the boat (other than those used on the watermaker when in commission). However, I fill my tank from the mains through a portable 10 inch charcoal filter and a 5 micron filter.

The quality of water from the tank is superb!
 
John_Clarke said:
Another solution is to use a jug filter which removes all bad tastes in the same way as an in-line filter. Before a passage we empty the filtered water from the jug into a tall Lock & Lock container for use at sea for drinks.
Click to expand...

Ditto. We have our own borehole at home so are used to chlorine-free tap water. All water from hoses tastes vile so we use a Brita jug. Of course we don't have to worry about it tipping over.
 
snowleopard said:
Ditto. We have our own borehole at home so are used to chlorine-free tap water. All water from hoses tastes vile so we use a Brita jug. Of course we don't have to worry about it tipping over.
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We have Brita filter jug at home. We dont like the taste of the water from it! We have very hard water, generally reckoned to be a good flavour as drinking water, which the Brita softens. Spoils the taste.

We did use it for the Teasmade and for the kettle that has replaced the Teasmade to avoid scaling

We think we let one filter ove run its allotted life span and that for a short while suspect the water being produced was acidic ... at least all the plating from the kettle element suddenly disappeared!

The Brita is also used to provide drinking water for the cat .. on the vets advice.


What do these Seagull filters do. Are they carbon filters to remove bad tastes, particulate filters, or are they more than that. Do they soften hard water like the Brita does?

Never had trouble with water straight from the boat watertank. Although I do give my own a low levlel dose of Milton at the start of the season. I think I have over done it again this year :mad:
 
Ubergeekian said:
My view is that if your drinking water tastes bad you should do something about the reason for it tasting bad and not just filter out the bad taste. I find that a good soak with Puriclean, followed by four complete fill-and-empties, before each season works just fine.
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I agree. I have done everything I can think of, including cutting another inspection hole in the tank, scrubbing internally through both, treating with three or four different treatments over several seasons, dosing the water with silver salts and another one. None of them makes it taste good.

Changing the hoses would be nice but on a Sadler 34 this would be a major task with perhaps only 50/50 chance of success. So a good filter is our last resort.
 
Never again

Buy a Seagull filter and you will never again have any taint.

http://generalecology.com/

Best bit of kit I have bought for my boat without question. Apparently the filter is so good you could draw water from the bilge (not recommended as you will block the filter very quickly).

I think it is a very powerful reverse osmosis filter, no need to replace annually only replace when the flow is too slow.

I have tried the inline filters mentioned and they are different from the Seagull and do let some taste through, so the Seagull is doing something different. I have used the same filter for three seasons and so they do not work out as expensive as some people think butt here is an upfront cost.
 
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vyv_cox said:
I agree. I have done everything I can think of, including cutting another inspection hole in the tank, scrubbing internally through both, treating with three or four different treatments over several seasons, dosing the water with silver salts and another one. None of them makes it taste good.

Changing the hoses would be nice but on a Sadler 34 this would be a major task with perhaps only 50/50 chance of success. So a good filter is our last resort.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry - I should have said that I think using a filter is fine as long as you have done as comprehensive a check on the rest of the system as you have clearly done. What worries me is that some people are masking the symptoms of badly fouled tanks, which is not sensible.
 
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