Water storage period...

[robtheplod]

Hi All

 

How long would generally be considered safe to store water in a tank before you'd want to drain and replace - assuming the boat is used most weekends?  I'm assuming the chlorine in it will help here but just curious. Also how many filter their drinking water further (usually with a separate filtered tap?) - is this common or a luxury/unnecessary??

 

thanks!!

[Tony Brooks]

29 minutes ago, robtheplod said:

Hi All

 

How long would generally be considered safe to store water in a tank before you'd want to drain and replace - assuming the boat is used most weekends?  I'm assuming the chlorine in it will help here but just curious. Also how many filter their drinking water further (usually with a separate filtered tap?) - is this common or a luxury/unnecessary??

 

thanks!!

Best not look inside the filters on many filter taps, you will not like what you see - breeding ground for bugs etc.

 

We drink water straight from the tank and only top up as required/is convenient during the cruising season. From late November/December I drain it down and leave empty until about March the next year. then refill and go again. I stopped annual sterilising years ago and so far no ill effects.

 

Some years ago i saw a research paper from Thames Water that showed people with domestic water filters tended to have far more bacterial contamination than those taking water straight from the mains. This was attributed to not frequent enough filter changes.

[LadyG]

I would say that the answer is to empty the tank and re-fill with a strong jet of water as many times as required to ensure there is no cloudiness, you could flush it better if a hose can be put in at the bottom of the tank.

Having got the sediment out, then use some chlorine based tablets, leave overnight, flush again and then fill.

The chlorine in mains water will be too dilute to consider as a disinfectant, it would taint the drinking water.

I use a filter jug to make tea or drinks.

Regular use of the water is the key to maintaining the hygiene standard in the tank.

Keep everything clean, including any filters, coarse or fine. When taking water samples for testing, I used an alcohol [meths] cotton swab to flame the tap. Most contamination is from poor hygiene practices. Commercial premises do not permit clothes washing and hand washing from the same tap [or room] as is used in food preparation.

 

Edited October 5, 2019 by LadyG

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, Tony Brooks said:

Best not look inside the filters on many filter taps, you will not like what you see - breeding ground for bugs etc.

 

We drink water straight from the tank and only top up as required/is convenient during the cruising season. From late November/December I drain it down and leave empty until about March the next year. then refill and go again. I stopped annual sterilising years ago and so far no ill effects.

 

Some years ago i saw a research paper from Thames Water that showed people with domestic water filters tended to have far more bacterial contamination than those taking water straight from the mains. This was attributed to not frequent enough filter changes.

WE found the same with filters offshore, a breeding ground for germs, how many people change them at the recommended time period ?

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, LadyG said:

I would say that the answer is to empty the tank and re-fill with a strong jet of water as many times as required to ensure there is no cloudiness, you could flush it better if a hose can be put in at the bottom of the tank.

Having got the sediment out, then use some chlorine based tablets, leave overnight, flush again and then fill.

The chlorine in mains water will be too dilute to consider as a disinfectant, it would taint the drinking water.

I use a filter jug to make tea or drinks.

Regular use of the water is the key to maintaining the hygiene standard in the tank.

Keep everything clean, including any filters, coarse or fine. When taking water samples for testing, I used an alcohol [meths] cotton swab to flame the tap. Most contamination is from poor hygiene practices. Commercial premises do not permit clothes washing and hand washing from the same tap [or room] as is used in food preparation.

 

And most boats have a toilet of some sort in the bathroom with a row of toothbrushes standing there all damp and lovely ready to stuff in your mouth.  I think a water tank is the least of your problems. Also a danger is the hose, drop it in the cut, drag the end through the grass where the dogs pee or on the towpath, I am referring to the open end of course 

 

[mrsmelly]

We drink straight from the tank. always have done.Stainless tanks or old integral tanks, just the same. Sometimes the old girl uses a water filter jug because her tea tastes funny. where we are now water is fabulous from a well so no need to filter. Our old motorhome was parked up for yonks but drinking from the tank hasnt killed us .....................yet!!

[system 4-50]

It must depend to some extent on the state (& type) of your tank.  My tanks are plastic & I don't give it a thought. I fill them when necessary, and they on occasion can go for several months between uses.  I never drain or sterilise it. I take great care to keep my filling hose clean.

[peterboat]

13 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

It must depend to some extent on the state (& type) of your tank.  My tanks are plastic & I don't give it a thought. I fill them when necessary, and they on occasion can go for several months between uses.  I never drain or sterilise it. I take great care to keep my filling hose clean.

Mine is plastic as well and I the same as you just use the water, Its a large tank so only needs filling every 2-3 weeks, but it always tastes good

[ditchcrawler]

29 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

It must depend to some extent on the state (& type) of your tank.  My tanks are plastic & I don't give it a thought. I fill them when necessary, and they on occasion can go for several months between uses.  I never drain or sterilise it. I take great care to keep my filling hose clean.

Apart from having stainless just the same, 18 years now and the share boat before that

[Rob-M]

We always drink straight from the tank. Tend to leave it partially filled over the winter as we use the boat at least one weekend a month. If we leave it for any length of time then I may drop a purification tablet in the tank.

[Bee]

We have a plastic tank, we leave it for 6 months or so over the winter at least half full and its always been ok.

[blackrose]

I have a good filter and dedicated drinking water tap and change the element annually. It filters out microbes so no worries there and the water tastes great. 

 

http://www.motorcaravanning.co.uk/shopuk/water_filters.htm

 

I'm not a big fan of drinking straight out of water tanks where the water is sitting there for any length of time, especially given the muck I found in mine last time I painted it. But of course everyone is free to ingest whatever they want.

Edited October 5, 2019 by blackrose

[cuthound]

It is much safer to adopt the practice of our forefathers and only drink beer. ?

[LadyG]

18 hours ago, Bee said:

We have a plastic tank, we leave it for 6 months or so over the winter at least half full and its always been ok.

So far .....................

check for Pink colour on fittings ,,,,,,,,,,,,, Serratia Marcescens

Edited October 6, 2019 by LadyG

[robtheplod]

7 hours ago, cuthound said:

It is much safer to adopt the practice of our forefathers and only drink beer. ?

mmm , maybe i'm coming at this from the wrong direction!    thanks for all the replies...

[Arthur Marshall]

My tank is the pointy end of the boat under the front deck, so it's basically steel with a couple of coats of bitumen.  It gets cleaned out about every five years and repainted every ten, which mean I shan't ever be doing it again, thank god as it's a horrible job...  It's a leisure boat, so doesn't get used really at all from November to March and I tend to run the water level in the tank down as much as I can and then flush it and refill in Spring when I get going again.  I don't drink the water direct from the tank without boiling it first, tend to fill a few old pop bottles with fresh and drink from then if I want plain water.  Not poisoned me yet.

[blackrose]

Nobody's been poisoned whatever they do by the sounds of things so it's all really down to personal preference.