Problems with my water

[mocruising]

I had a problem with my water having left the boat for a month in Marbella. When I returned there was an H2S(Bad eggs) smell coming from the water. I solved it by drenching the whole system with Chlorox bleach. I would like to carry some sodium hyperchlorite on the boat does anyone have any ideas where it can be purchased from in UK or Spain.

 

[AliM]

This sort of question is posted quite often, so it's worth doing a search on the PBO forum. I saved this advice (from "Headmistress", I think. She (Peggie) knows everything there is to be known about boat water systems, toilets etc - do a search for her advice.)

Not only your tank, but the whole system should be recommissioned....'cuz while most people think only in terms of the tank, the plumbing is actually the source of most foul water, because the molds, mildew, fungi and bacteria which cause it thrive in damp dark places, not under water. Many people—and even some boat manufacturers—believe that keeping the tanks empty reduce the problem, but an empty water tank only provides another damp dark home for those “critters.”

There are all kinds of products sold that claim to keep onboard water fresh, but all that’s really necessary is an annual or in especially warm climates, semi-annual recommissioning of the entire system—tank and plumbing. The following recommendations conform to section 10.8 in the A-1 192 code covering electrical, plumbing, and heating of recreational vehicles. The solution is approved and recommended by competent health officials. It may be used in a new system a used one that has not been used for a period of time, or one that may have been contaminated.

Before beginning, turn off water heater at the breaker; do not turn it on again until the entire recommissioning is complete.

Icemakers should be left running to allow cleaning out of the water feed line; however the first two buckets of ice—the bucket generated during recommissioning and the first bucketful afterward--should be discarded.

1. Prepare a chlorine solution using one gallon of water and 1/2 cup (4 oz) Clorox or Purex household bleach (6% sodium Hypochlorine solution ). With tank empty, pour chlorine solution into tank. Use one gallon of solution for each 5 gallons of tank capacity.

2. Complete filling of tank with fresh water. Open each faucet and drain cock until air has been released and the entire system is filled. Do not turn off the pump; it must remain on to keep the system pressurized and the solution in the lines

3. Allow to stand for at least three hours, but no longer than 24 hours.

4 Drain through every faucet on the boat (and if you haven't done this in a while, it's a good idea to remove any diffusion screens from the faucets, because what's likely to come out will clog them). Fill the tank again with fresh water only, drain again through every faucet on the boat.

5. To remove excess chlorine taste or odor which might remain, prepare a solution of one quart white vinegar to five gallons water and allow this solution to agitate in tank for several days by vehicle motion.

6. Drain tank again through every faucet, and flush the lines again by fill the tank 1/4-1/2 full and again flushing with potable water.

 

[TigaWave]

There have been many discussions on this subject, my own experience is that the bad eggs is always stagnant sea water.
So its usually the length of inlet pipe from the hull fitting where the bad smell starts.

We fitted a cleaner cartridge close to the inlet hull fitting for the heads, but then also always flushed the heads with fresh water if she was to be left for more than a few days.

Others have divert valves so they can purge the system with fresh water from the tanks.

We never had bad smells with this routine. Other boats I've sailed have had very long runs of inlet pipe that really honk after only a few days.

Neil

 

[pragmatist]

Sodium hypochlorite is available as Milton fluid - we buy generic supermarket baby sterlising solution which is exactly the same but much cheaper. I feel sure that baby sterilising liquid is ubiqitous - afer all babies seem to be /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

We use about 2/3 to 1/2 of the recommended dose for water that it states on the bottle as even through a filter the full dosage could be tasted. However this is for the UK where it doesn't get so very hot - have had no problems with the water over the last 9 yrs of using this method - although forgetting to change the filter on time on the last boat did result in contaminated water.