Washing Machine Water

[Chris Pink]

Whether it's a good idea to post this on the same day as a dead animal thread is running...

 

...anyway, my daughter, with baby is to have one of my boats for a while so I am thinking washing machine. In the good old days, of the charmingly misnamed Easywash I use to rinse using canal water and, I'm glad to report, I'm still here. More importantly the water in the canal seemed clean enough to rinse clothes in and not at all smelly.

 

So my thoughts about washing machine installation are to take the water from the canal, run it through a filter to take out and solids, mud, leaves, dead animals (well maybe not the latter).

 

Given that the filter doesn't have to produce potable quality water, any ideas what i might use and how I can plumb it in so that the filter would be easily cleanable?

[Guest wanted]

I can't help but I recall a member on the forum living totally off grid and filtering his own water from the cut to potable standard. maybe somebody can remember his name as he seemed quite clued up, unless it did him in!

[Guest]

Whether it's a good idea to post this on the same day as a dead animal thread is running...

 

...anyway, my daughter, with baby is to have one of my boats for a while so I am thinking washing machine. In the good old days, of the charmingly misnamed Easywash I use to rinse using canal water and, I'm glad to report, I'm still here. More importantly the water in the canal seemed clean enough to rinse clothes in and not at all smelly.

 

So my thoughts about washing machine installation are to take the water from the canal, run it through a filter to take out and solids, mud, leaves, dead animals (well maybe not the latter).

 

Given that the filter doesn't have to produce potable quality water, any ideas what i might use and how I can plumb it in so that the filter would be easily cleanable?

 

Perhaps??

 

http://www.lineonedist.co.uk/Riva_In_Line_Water_Filter.asp?CID=

 

Suspect any filter of this type will clog pretty quickly though filtering canal water. Plumbed in a cupboard though it would be easy to get at and unblock though...

[Caprifool]

A little more frugal aproach is to make a wire "cage thingy", stick a hose in it and tie a nylon stocking over it before tossing it into the water. I do that when pumping up mucky water here on the farm.

[sueb]

I wouldn't be happy using canal water for washing baby things. Weils disease amongst other bugs

[Iain_S]

I can't help but I recall a member on the forum living totally off grid and filtering his own water from the cut to potable standard. maybe somebody can remember his name as he seemed quite clued up, unless it did him in!

 

Mitch-Soma. Haven't seen him on the forum lately, though.

 

Iain

[nb Innisfree]

Quick ebay search brought this up.

 

Pricey but looks the biz.

[Chris Pink]

I think it's bigger than it looks

 

Looks like a posh mud box, which, I guess is an idea.

 

Maybe I could have an interior reed bed.

 

.

[nb Innisfree]

Just leaving a container of water to settle will clear it.

[Nose Miner]

I have a homemade filter system for the canal water. It involves a couple of 25 litre plastic tubs stuffed with polycarbonate loft insulation. The water is allowed to circulate through them and then into the tank. It just top them up with a bucket a couple of times a day. When the filter medium gets blocked I fish it out and wash it in the washing machine.

 

For drinking water I put the same resultant water through a British Berkfield water filter. Been doing it for a couple of years now and never had any problems.

[smileypete]

Maybe try a column of fine sand to mimic a filter bed.

 

Dosing the filtered water with chlorine will purify it further.

 

cheers,

Pete.

Edited April 21, 2011 by smileypete

[larkshall]

I'd use a Hozelock filter system (used in keeping Koi carp), water is uplifted, filtered through several stages, and also passed over a UV light. The resultant output can be used. Removes particles, nitrates, and UV kills any algae .

[Robbo]

Given that the filter doesn't have to produce potable quality water, any ideas what i might use and how I can plumb it in so that the filter would be easily cleanable?

 

Do a google for a reverse osmosis filter system, there's various types including ones for filtering sea water to potable.

[larkshall]

Do a google for a reverse osmosis filter system, there's various types including ones for filtering sea water to potable.

 

Reverse osmosis is very expensive process and power hungry from engine.

[Gibbo]

Isn't there a condition somewhere that you're not allowed to remove water form the canal except for engine cooling? There certainly used to be.

[Chris Pink]

Isn't there a condition somewhere that you're not allowed to remove water form the canal except for engine cooling? There certainly used to be.

 

I'm not removing it, I'm only borrowing it for a short while.

[Robbo]

Reverse osmosis is very expensive process and power hungry from engine.

 

You can get under sink ones, that work on water pressure alone - although you'll only get around 15% of the water put in and of course for a boat you'll need a pump to pump the water from the canal. They have a optional pump to increase the pressure and performance.

[Chris Pink]

I have a homemade filter system for the canal water. It involves a couple of 25 litre plastic tubs stuffed with polycarbonate loft insulation. The water is allowed to circulate through them and then into the tank. It just top them up with a bucket a couple of times a day. When the filter medium gets blocked I fish it out and wash it in the washing machine.

 

For drinking water I put the same resultant water through a British Berkfield water filter. Been doing it for a couple of years now and never had any problems.

 

Oooh, I'd missed this addition (thanks Gibbo). This looks like a goer. put the water in at the bottom, keep the loft insulation at the bottom under a layer of fine mesh and then put the takeoff at the top. reasonably compact too.