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Rust in the water coming from integral tank - but no apparent access to get into tank


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3 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

In an ideal world you don't want rust through the taps but all you have is rust dust that has passed through the strainer (course mesh filter) that you should have by the pump but its  rust flakes that will do any blocking. You can normally unscrew the two halves of the strainer to clean it if required.

 

Personally, I don't think drinking or eating a small amount of iron oxide will do you any harm at all.

 

I've got this thing attached to the pipes near the water pump. This isn't a filter is it?

 

Trying to figure out which bit is the filter (if there is one), and where the strainer might be in the system so I can investigate.

 

 

IMG_2156.jpg.4cf6375a2a94d24d4d8b9bddf3a36bcd.jpg

 

18 minutes ago, PaulJ said:

In the short term I would scrape/wire brush around the hatch lid (so you can at least tape/silicon etc it back on temporary) and try to remove those few bolts. They will probably shear to save the hassle of cutting the heads off.

You can then at least empty/vac crud out the tank and assess it.

Baxters will fabricate you a decent hatch and there is also a mobile welder not far from you-

 

https://scottweldingfabrication.com/


Thanks Paul! I'm chipping away at the hatch lid, but the bolts I think are too low/worn to get a proper grip with a wrench, so I guess maybe the thing just needs to be levered off entirely.

 

Have contact Scott Welding, thanks for the tip. They look really good.

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29 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

Personally, I don't think drinking or eating a small amount of iron oxide will do you any harm at all.

 

Agreed. Mains water comes through iron pipes, so we all get a bit of rust from time to time.

 

20 minutes ago, thingsweregood said:

 

IMG_2156.jpg.4cf6375a2a94d24d4d8b9bddf3a36bcd.jpg

 

That is the accumulator, designed to even out pressure in the water system and avoid the pump continually cutting in and out and giving pressure pulses.

 

Follow the water pipework from the tank. There should first be a valve to shut off the supply, then the strainer, then the water pump.

 

The strainer may look something like this.

L157-1615115577.jpg

Edited by David Mack
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25 minutes ago, David Mack said:

 

Agreed. Mains water comes through iron pipes, so we all get a bit of rust from time to time.

 

That is the accumulator, designed to even out pressure in the water system and avoid the pump continually cutting in and out and giving pressure pulses.

 

Follow the water pipework from the tank. There should first be a valve to shut off the supply, then the strainer, then the water pump.

 

The strainer may look something like this.

L157-1615115577.jpg

Unfortunately it looks like I don't have one! I followed the pipe work from the stopcock all the way to the pump and there's nothing in between them, sadly. So might need to look at fitting one.

 

IN RELATED NEWS, the plot thickens! I just pulled the wall off under the steps at the bow doors, and it looks like the water tank sits a couple of inches BELOW the fore deck. So I'm not sure how this affects the inspection hatch enlargement situation?

 

Is this and integral tank, or have I got a separate stainless one on my hands? I would have assumed it wouldn't be rusty if it was stainless.

 

But now I'm concerned that if I cut a bigger hole in the fore deck, if it'll just open up to... a 2 inch drop and then the actual tank (and who knows what sort of sized hatch there is on the tank itself, if at all..).

 

It's a russian nesting doll of a water tank!

 

 

IMG_2160.jpg.965b34874166bbb30c5b663a4da7a0c4.jpg

 

IMG_2159.jpg

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I think its stainless steel unless you can see rust on it so you rust dust probably came from the marina's or CaRT's iron pipes or any other iron pipes on the boat over the years. I very much doubt you have any access into the tank, most SS tanks don't have.

 

Fill up for now and then get one of those strainers between tank and pump. Then, when the tank is low on water pump it overboard while you rock the boat and run the filler hose into tank to flush as much of the debris away as you can. You can sterilize the tank as described above if you want to.

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16 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

I think its stainless steel unless you can see rust on it so you rust dust probably came from the marina's or CaRT's iron pipes or any other iron pipes on the boat over the years. I very much doubt you have any access into the tank, most SS tanks don't have.

 

Fill up for now and then get one of those strainers between tank and pump. Then, when the tank is low on water pump it overboard while you rock the boat and run the filler hose into tank to flush as much of the debris away as you can. You can sterilize the tank as described above if you want to.

I am very much relieved.

 

What pump model would you recommend as a separate one to do the pumping overboard? I think I'll run one from the point just after the stopcock, into the cut like you say.

Edited by thingsweregood
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4 minutes ago, thingsweregood said:

I am very much relieved.

 

What pump model would you recommend as a separate one to do the pumping overboard? I think I'll run one from the point just after the stopcock, into the cut like you say.

 

I never used a separate pump on my boat, just the boat's domestic water pump but you have to make sure it does not flatten your battery. That is why I said run the tank down by normal use first. Elsewhere someone talked about using a bilge pump but I doubt you have an inspection hatch so can't get one into the tank.

Edited by Tony Brooks
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24 minutes ago, thingsweregood said:

I am very much relieved.

 

What pump model would you recommend as a separate one to do the pumping overboard? I think I'll run one from the point just after the stopcock, into the cut like you say.

Just open the cold tap nearest the tank and let your existing water pump drain the tank into the sink/basin and then overboard in the normal way. You may need to run your engine for some of the time if you don't have a shoreline and battery charger connected, so you don't flatten your batteries.

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3 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

Almost certainly rust but as you are running your tank down the water is probably sloping about as you move about so it has stirred up the rest particles that are in the bottom of the tank.

 

 

 

Why did you quote my post, Tony?

I was referring to the rust on the deck and hatch plate.   what other rust could you see in the photos?   certainly nothing that was inside the tank.

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2 hours ago, thingsweregood said:

 

IMG_2160.jpg.965b34874166bbb30c5b663a4da7a0c4.jpg

 

 

Yes. You have a separate tank beneath the well deck. No point in opening up that tiny hatch now. You don't want to disturb the seal.

 

Is anything connected to that pipe fitting on the top of the tank in the photo above? That is where the air will come out when you fill the tank with water. And if you over fill it water will come out of the pipe fitting and drain into your bilge. Ideally that fitting should be connected to a vent fitting which is at a higher level than the filler inlet.

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5 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Yes. You have a separate tank beneath the well deck. No point in opening up that tiny hatch now. You don't want to disturb the seal.

 

Is anything connected to that pipe fitting on the top of the tank in the photo above? That is where the air will come out when you fill the tank with water. And if you over fill it water will come out of the pipe fitting and drain into your bilge. Ideally that fitting should be connected to a vent fitting which is at a higher level than the filler inlet.

That vent is a part of a brass compression  elbow screwed into an iron reducing bush and that could just be the source of your rust particles. 

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9 hours ago, Ronaldo47 said:

An angle grinder fitted with a rotary wire brush is excellent for removing that sort of rust. Heavy leather gauntlets and eye protection are advisable in case of flying loose wire strands. 

Not advisable, essential. 

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55 minutes ago, jonathanA said:

I wonder if there was an integral tank which was removed and the SS one fitted, would explain the hatch?

Unlikely. If this was originally an integral tank the cabin front bulkhead would have extended all the way to the bottom plate, forming the back of the tank. With a separate tank the cabin bulkhead extends only as far down as the deck, so that the tank can be slid into place from within the cabin. (And once the cabin has been lined and fitted out the tank is all but unremovable).

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I use a plastic collader....glued some magnets around the side...and put it inside one of those net filter bags that you use for making wine 

 

I then dropped this into the tank over the outlet hose so that all the larger fragments don't get drawn through the pump.

 

The magnets hold it in place. 

  • Greenie 1
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27 minutes ago, Bobbybass said:

I use a plastic collader....glued some magnets around the side...and put it inside one of those net filter bags that you use for making wine 

 

I then dropped this into the tank over the outlet hose so that all the larger fragments don't get drawn through the pump.

 

The magnets hold it in place. 

 

Clever ....................

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On 14/06/2021 at 09:12, thingsweregood said:

Sadly it seems like it might be impossible to access with my current hatch (too small, looks like it would need to be cut open)

 

This is what I'm working with:IMG_2142.jpg.add4c10740aa11005be4fa641926975a.jpg

 

 

IMG_2143.jpg

Can't remember the name of him, but it wasn't one of the big names.

 

I think this might end up being the only way....

 

In the bow entrance, below the front step (in the cabin) is a red screw tap thing to turn off the water to the rest of the boat - any chance there could be a vertical access panel behind the wall part here, or is the access hatch ALWAYS on the top of the tank? (I imagine a vertical access panel would be risky for leaks, but you never know...)

 

Might have to be some purifying tablets for now until I can think of the appropriate long term solution...

Dont delay this task - mild steel water tanks become horrible after a few years and the only solution is to get in there, clean it down and then retreat with potable bitumen (or install a liner). Its a task which needs doing every three years.

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3 minutes ago, Capt Ahab said:

Dont delay this task - mild steel water tanks become horrible after a few years and the only solution is to get in there, clean it down and then retreat with potable bitumen (or install a liner). Its a task which needs doing every three years.

 

I think if you read the whole topic, it has since been discovered that the OP has a stainless steel tank so nothing needs doing to it in the vast majority of cases.

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