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Tanks for the advuce


Opener

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I'm in the process of cleaning out the water tank - integral to the bow of the boat comprising the base plate, hull sides, foredeck (incorporating a person-sized hatch) and a bulkhead to the rear.  The cabin floor is higher than the base plate so water in the bottom of the tank is sucked up a vertical metal pipe about 25mm in diameter and 25 cm long.  Pipe is curved at the top and feeds through the bulkhead to a shut off - fitting with red handle in picture.  The bottom end of the pipe, within the tank, ends about 2 cm from the tank floor.  Groping under the bottom end of the pipe is just possible with one fat finger and it feels like at least the end is obstructed (but no particular problem before I started this) with the same sort of cr@p that built up on the inside walls of the tank - that came off the walls with a vigorous scrape but I'm at a bit of a loss how to clean out this feed pipe.  There's not enough space to get any useful tool in from the bottom end (??).  I'm toying with the idea of removing the shut off valve from the top end and sticking a length of curtain wire down the pipe attached to an electric drill so that it threshes around and dislodges the corrosion.  The alternative appears to be to cut off the bottom of the pipe until I can get something up the end.  Then put up with the pipe not reaching all the water in the tank (when it gets low) or grafting a replacement end of some sort on eg sweat or glue a bit of compatible diameter plastic on.  OK - what is your experience / what was your solution - it must have happened to someone out there?

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8 pipe layout.JPG

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38 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Can you rod it out from the isolation valve with something a bit bendy?

Hmm!  Thanks for your comment - I did react but lost connection to the site.  I did actually have a pipe bending snake somewhere that you reminded me about.  It may be too big a diameter - if I've still got it - but I'll do a search.

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I would be tempted to cobble up a pipe that would connect the shut off valve to a car's spare wheel. pump up the tyre to the maximum pressure marked on it, take to boat, & get everything ready, take out the tyre valve and quickly connect the pipe.  May or may not work.

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4 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

I would be tempted to cobble up a pipe that would connect the shut off valve to a car's spare wheel. pump up the tyre to the maximum pressure marked on it, take to boat, & get everything ready, take out the tyre valve and quickly connect the pipe.  May or may not work.

Hmm!  I've got one of they space-saver spare thingys which has not seen the light of day since the car was thrown together by a small group of Frenchmen.  I do, however, have a foot pump (in case I ever want to pump up my feet!).

 

Thing is, I was getting adequate water before I started messing about so I'm guessing that there is still a hole up the middle so enough space for water but enough of an obstruction to worry me.  I'm gusseting the obstruction may not blow out - just make a rude noise at me.

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23 minutes ago, Ryeland said:

How about connecting the pipes to the opposite sides of the pump, disconnect the old output pipe and put it in a container of clean water.  The pump should then  clean out the pipe.

 

Richard 

Or just blow down the end of that plastic pipe!   but a good flush with clean water is good.

 

..............Dave

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5 hours ago, Opener said:

with the same sort of cr@p that built up on the inside walls of the tank - that came off the walls with a vigorous scrape but I'm at a bit of a loss how to clean out this feed pipe. 

If its a steel pipe, like mine was its rusted up on the inside reducing the diameter. No amount of huffing, puffing & blowing will get rid of the rust.

Cut the vertical steel pipe off just below the bend inside the tank, you should then be able to scrape the rust out of the bend. Replace the vertical steel pipe with a suitable piece of plastic hose pushed over the stub end, add a jubilee clip it its not a tight fit.

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On Innisfree I installed my own pick up tube. Drilled a hole with a bi metal holesaw then inserted a brass tank fitting turned out to accept a length of soldered copper tube on the inside, compression elbow and a length of copper pipe to bottom of tank and a valve on the end of the tank fitting, all quite easily removed and cleaned or replaced. 

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I had a similar issue if internal corrosion with my tank breather on the well deck. It was completely blocked so I chopped it off about halfway down its length, drilled out the part still attached to the deck and forced the end of a wire coat hanger through the curved bit I'd chopped off. Then I just reattached it with a few inches of hose pipe, the internal diameter of which was exactly the right size for the breather. Now if it corrodes again it's very easy to take the top part of and clean the parts.

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10 hours ago, nb Innisfree said:

On Innisfree I installed my own pick up tube. Drilled a hole with a bi metal holesaw then inserted a brass tank fitting turned out to accept a length of soldered copper tube on the inside, compression elbow and a length of copper pipe to bottom of tank and a valve on the end of the tank fitting, all quite easily removed and cleaned or replaced. 

Better to use steel or plastic for tank fitting and especially for the dip pipe as copper in contact with the tank wall via the metal tank connector dipped into the water will set-up a galvanic corrosion cell causing the steel to corrode.  May cause the tank paint to lift below the pipe and consequent tank corrosion.  So if you notice your water filter (if you have one) going orange (rust) it would be worth a look in the tank.........

 

added - I know this can happen, as I did the same and had tank paint blistering and lifting just below the dip pipe.

Edited by Chewbacka
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12 minutes ago, Chewbacka said:

Better to use steel or plastic for tank fitting and especially for the dip pipe as copper in contact with the tank wall via the metal tank connector dipped into the water will set-up a galvanic corrosion cell causing the steel to corrode.  May cause the tank paint to lift below the pipe and consequent tank corrosion.  So if you notice your water filter (if you have one) going orange (rust) it would be worth a look in the tank.........

 

added - I know this can happen, as I did the same and had tank paint blistering and lifting just below the dip pipe.

I used a gasket + bedded in with bitumen blacking. 

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3 minutes ago, nb Innisfree said:

I used a gasket + bedded in with bitumen blacking. 

Smarter than me then, because I didn’t.

Should be fine.  If you want to confirm, you can check isolation by using a multimeter on ohms, should be over range between the tap and the hull.

Edited by Chewbacka
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1 minute ago, Chewbacka said:

Smarter than me then, because I didn’t.

Should be fine.  If you want to confirm, you can check isolation by using a multimeter on ohms, should be over range between the tap and the hull.

I used to visually check regularly and once a year gave the tank a quick clean and a coat of blacking, easy job with OPs type of tank. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 21/02/2020 at 16:29, ditchcrawler said:

Can you rod it out from the isolation valve with something a bit bendy?

OK - folks - thanks for the suggestions - quick postprandial update.  As previously, before I emptied the tank for cleaning I was getting water OK - no reason to be suspicious so don't think a blast of water or air would have shifted much.  Having seen videos posted by others I tried to stick my finger up the orifice from the tank end which indicated restricted diameter.  Took a few crude implements to the boat and set to.

As suggested, removed the stop valve - I was trying to remove just the 90' bend but the whole valve came off instead.  Never mind!  I had a length of curtain wire and gave the pipe a good probing - not sure if I was getting all the way through - difficult to push from that end then stick my head in the tank to spot the other end.  I also had a drain cleaner wire from friendly neighborhood hardware - bare metal, twice the diameter of curtain wire with a vicious screw thread at the business end.  Again, gave it some stick and could see that the end was emerging by marking the length of wire going in the top end..

Once I was convinced I was through, I went back to the curtain wire.  Stripped back a few inches of plastic and slightly bent the end, cut a suitable length off and mounted that in cordless drill.  Fed that in the top end then worked it back and forth so that the bare end was thrashing around inside the pipe.  Repeated a few times adding a new bend each time.  Not much sign of cr@p coming out but, after adding a bit of water to the tank, I'm getting a good flow.  So may not be perfect/back to full diameter but plenty of water.

So, if you have a suspected blockage, try curtain wire and a drill - good luck.

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26 minutes ago, Opener said:

OK - folks - thanks for the suggestions - quick postprandial update.  As previously, before I emptied the tank for cleaning I was getting water OK - no reason to be suspicious so don't think a blast of water or air would have shifted much.  Having seen videos posted by others I tried to stick my finger up the orifice from the tank end which indicated restricted diameter.  Took a few crude implements to the boat and set to.

As suggested, removed the stop valve - I was trying to remove just the 90' bend but the whole valve came off instead.  Never mind!  I had a length of curtain wire and gave the pipe a good probing - not sure if I was getting all the way through - difficult to push from that end then stick my head in the tank to spot the other end.  I also had a drain cleaner wire from friendly neighborhood hardware - bare metal, twice the diameter of curtain wire with a vicious screw thread at the business end.  Again, gave it some stick and could see that the end was emerging by marking the length of wire going in the top end..

Once I was convinced I was through, I went back to the curtain wire.  Stripped back a few inches of plastic and slightly bent the end, cut a suitable length off and mounted that in cordless drill.  Fed that in the top end then worked it back and forth so that the bare end was thrashing around inside the pipe.  Repeated a few times adding a new bend each time.  Not much sign of cr@p coming out but, after adding a bit of water to the tank, I'm getting a good flow.  So may not be perfect/back to full diameter but plenty of water.

So, if you have a suspected blockage, try curtain wire and a drill - good luck.

Hope you have a strainer before the pump to catch the crap

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Funny you should mention that! Giving the tank a good swilling out, I had the pump outlet diverted overboard to extract mucky water. Had the filter (see OP photo) apart five times so far to clear displaced tank coating - I've taken out a fair bit so far. The size of the chunks indicates the pick up pipe is pretty clear now?.

  • Happy 1
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