Water tank nasty taste

[extravert]

I've got horrible tasting water in my tank, but not caused by bugs or slime, instead caused by the stuff put in to keep it clean. Last September when my boat was laid up (by the previous owner) the water tank had some nasty cleaning chemicals left in it. Now, despite filling and emptying it 4 times (a lot of work with a footpump) the water still tastes horrible like a swimming pool.

What can I do to get rid of it? Old Mother Extravert suggets bi-carbonate of soda, but I am worried that this will taste horrible too.

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[jeanne]

An activated charcoal filter would be my first move. They are commonly available in chandlers, I think I paid about £18 for my current one, and they are a genuine ten minute job [if there ever is such a thing] to fit to a simple system. Find the fresh water feed to the galley tap[usually 1/2 inch diameter], cut it, and jubilee clip the filter into the break. They do increase the effort needed to pump by hand. I have a second tap in the loo, but it is not much used for drinking, so I only fitted the filter to the galley.
If the pipes used are the transparent sort, they usually end up black inside where they are exposed to the light, presumably due to something growing in them, so new pipes might be worth considering, and would probably simplify the fitting of a filter. Old pipes go hard and set in their ways, like old sailors!

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[extravert]

Thanks, I shall try to find one. I have only ever seen much more expensive filters.

There is no black growth in any of the pipes that I can see. The nasty taste is not at all organic, purely chemical.

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[Evadne]

A filter sounds a good idea, the only solution (no pun intended) is probably to flush the tank out several times. Not easy, unless you have turbo driven electric taps. I added too much chlorine once, it does go away eventually.

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[tcm]

yes agreed, it goes away eventually. With the boat out of the water, you can set up a hose to fill and another hose to siphon out. Ours tasted fould from new, but er 2 years later it was ok.

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[Aja]

If you can get to a caravan shop - the in-line filters are much cheaper

Regards

Donald

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[Chris_Robb]

Had the same problem myself. You will need to have 2 or three flushings of the system, so get some bottled water on board to drink for the time being.

I use tescos bleach (not the thick type) and at the end of the season give the system a real wack and leave it standing in the pipes as well (so run some water from each tap) for 12 hours. Do not leave it any longer - it was a mistake of the previous owner to leave it for the winter!!!! For the first 2 fillings of the year I always have bottled water to drink - after that the chlorine smell goes away.

But worth getting a filter - PBO did a review last month.

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[Johnjo]

Got a inline filter on our water supply, the water use to taste plasticy before
but now is okay,
Takes all the bad tastes away and the bugs you cannot see or taste!!

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[jimg]

Filters are OK, but the best solution is a purifier. It's more expensive but you get perfect drinking water, I have fitted one to all the boats I have owned:-
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.generalecologyeurope.com>http://www.generalecologyeurope.com</A>


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[pvb]

Flushing methods...

Agree it's a pain to pump it out with the normal footpump. Had you thought of taking the outlet pipe off the tank, letting it drain into the bilge, and then pumping out with the bilge pump? I've done this a few times, and it seems much easier.

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