Should My Water Tank Look Like This?!

[Teadaemon]

One of the around the world sailors i think Robin Knox Johnston who became wrecked,took to his rubber liferaft in which he bobbed about for weeks before being rescued.Well he scraped off the rust from fishing hooks which were in the dinghy's survival kit and ate it for the iron content.

 

Most of the old 1960-70s Narrow boats had either Fibreglass or galvanized separate water tanks.

 

I think that was Alain Bombard (who later designed and sold inflatable dinghies, although I don't know if the one he used as a liferaft was one of his own or not), not Robin Knox Johnston.

 

GRP tanks aren't recommended as the fresh water tends to cause osmotic blistering on the inside, and when the blisters burst they contaminate the water with acetic acid, styrene, and other products of polyester degradation - not particularly toxic in the concentrations encountered (although probably not good long term), but they do make the water unpleasant to drink.

 

Nothing wrong with properly maintained integral water tanks on a steel boat, and if you're going to go to the trouble of installing anything else, stainless steel is undoubtedly the best option.

[Bob18]

My vote, on a new build, would be for stainless. Adds a few quid to the build cost, but removes the need for regular rust prevention measures and worries about canal water getting mixed up with potable water.

 

BUT

It does not remove the need for regular tank hygiene treatments, which are needed on any tank.

[Neil2]

Maybe the rust and general swarf in your tank won't do you any harm, but it's a fact that water born bacteria feed on such impurities. If you are happy to live with that risk, ok, but it's irresponsible to make out that it's fine for everyone else to do the same. We all have different tolerances to bacteria.

 

For example, Legionairres disease is caused by bacteria which loves warm dirty water systems.

 

I suspect the risk in drinking water in a narrowboat is lowered by the likelihood of the water being kept at quite a low temperature, but that isn't always the case.

 

 

 

 

 

[The Pipe]

It does not remove the need for regular tank hygiene treatments, which are needed on any tank.

Every time you put the hose into the tank and turn the tap on you are doing that anyway unless you have found an natural spring water supply.

Edited October 30, 2011 by Jim Evans

[sebrof]

Where do you think water comes from? It's a bit like expecting milk to come from bottles.

Sue

 

Years ago I camped with some townie flat-mates on a Welsh farm. We asked for milk, and the farmer grabbed a pail and sat down beside the cow.

 

The others looked askance at it, but in the morning, it was almost half cream. Made wonderful scrambled eggs.

 

He wouldn't be allowed to do that now.

[Joshua]

I think that was Alain Bombard (who later designed and sold inflatable dinghies, although I don't know if the one he used as a liferaft was one of his own or not), not Robin Knox Johnston.

 

GRP tanks aren't recommended as the fresh water tends to cause osmotic blistering on the inside, and when the blisters burst they contaminate the water with acetic acid, styrene, and other products of polyester degradation - not particularly toxic in the concentrations encountered (although probably not good long term), but they do make the water unpleasant to drink.

 

Nothing wrong with properly maintained integral water tanks on a steel boat, and if you're going to go to the trouble of installing anything else, stainless steel is undoubtedly the best option.

 

For any one who hasn’t read his book (The Bombard story) in which he dispels the myth about drinking seawater, I recommend it, it is a book you wont be able to put down.

 

A doctor by profession and deeply distressed by the relatively small number of ship wreck survivors in the first half of the last century, he believed that most died very quickly having simply given up for lack of hope.

 

He decided to try and rectify this by producing a survival guide and took the remarkable decision in 1952 to deliberately cast himself adrift and prove that one could survive long periods at sea without fresh water by in part, drinking sea water which up until that time had been considered suicidal.

 

Genuinely adrift without fresh water or food supplies for over 2 months, he succeeded.

 

An inspirational man and an unforgettable storey.

 

 

 

Joshua

[Doorman]

I think I will pop to the shop to get Four candles now.....Four candles mmmmmmmmmmm seems to ring a bell........

While you're there can you fetch me some 'O's

 

 

 

It always makes me laugh we i read a water bottle lable 'this spring water is naturally filtered by it's 5 year journey through the ancient volcano's of southern Italy' ...... for best before date see bottle cap!

 

Even more hilarious is the bottled water called Evian, spelled backwards it reads NAIVE.

That just about sums up the amount of people who drink nothing but bottled water..

 

Mike

Edited October 30, 2011 by Doorman

[David Mack]

Years ago I camped with some townie flat-mates on a Welsh farm. We asked for milk, and the farmer grabbed a pail and sat down beside the cow.

 

The others looked askance at it, but in the morning, it was almost half cream. Made wonderful scrambled eggs.

 

He wouldn't be allowed to do that now.

 

In the mid 60s we stayed on a working farm in the Lake District. One morning the farmer took us to watch him hand milk his few cows. My sister, then aged about 5, had a squirt of milk straight from the udder into her mouth. Milk doesn't come mush fresher than that!!

 

David

[sueb]

Why does water cost more than milk?

Sue

[Grace and Favour]

Although the last few replies have been about how it is possible to drink water that is not perfectly clear etc, as it is with milk that is untreated.....

 

For peace of mind, couldn't you just throw in water purification tablets (can be bought from camping stores) to clean the rusted tank delivered water...?

 

Yup, you can, or mix a volume of Milton Sterilising fluid to clean the tank first.

 

However, my favourite is to mix all water non a 1:10 ratio (i.e. 1 part water to 10 parts of:) with Laphraiog Malt whisky.

 

The alcohol and iodine in the whisky mask the taste of the ferric water, - if one then falls ill, he alcohol renders on incapable of realising the severity of the problem

Edited October 30, 2011 by Grace & Favour

[Doorman]

 

However, my favourite is to mix all water non a 1:10 ratio (i.e. 1 part water to 10 parts of:) with Laphraiog Malt whisky.

 

The alcohol and iodine in the whisky mask the taste of the ferric water, - if one then falls ill, he alcohol renders on incapable of realising the severity of the problem

 

Can you get it on prescription?

 

 

Mike

[WotEver]

I have the Nature Pure which is one of the best.

We too have the Nature Pure. Highly recommended.

 

Their demonstrations at shows is quite illuminating. A tank of blue water which comes out of the filter pure and drinkable with no strange taste.

 

Tony

[WotEver]

Why does water cost more than milk?

Sue

It costs more than diesel!

[PeterScott]

... or if it's limited to Laphraiog...!

... which reminds me of a Talisker-fuelled evening near the Wewstway flyover - about 7 years ago - with a boater who lived on his boat and took his water from t'cut, through a filter. He also had a composting toilet which could then be discharged into the canal. It might have been the Talisker that inspired the thought of cutting out the middleman and just connect the two together. Others hereabouts may remember the details better :-)

[Starcoaster]

My water tank was emptied before I bought the boat, there's a bit of crap in it because when I turned on the taps some orangey water came out! The first time I fill it, should I do anything like add some kind of steriliser to the tank, or run it through with the taps on or anything?

I don't intend to drink it (ever!) at any point, if thats relevant.

[haggis]

... which reminds me of a Talisker-fuelled evening near the Wewstway flyover - about 7 years ago - with a boater who lived on his boat and took his water from t'cut, through a filter. He also had a composting toilet which could then be discharged into the canal. It might have been the Talisker that inspired the thought of cutting out the middleman and just connect the two together. Others hereabouts may remember the details better :-)

 

I remember it well :-) I think we were all more interested in the Z (?) guage railway the owner had on his boat than what happenned to incoming and outgoing water. Was a good drop of Talisker though it did seem to suffer a lot of evaporation :-)

 

Haggis

[ditchcrawler]

Why does water cost more than milk?

Sue

Because people are daft enough to pay that much.

[smudge837]

Now that has got me thinking.

 

A model railway on the boat (when i get it). Oh that would be great fun, little tunnels and all that. Now the question is do i go suspended from the ceiling, ground/ floor level or a mix of both? Hmmm.

 

Even more things to research.

[sebrof]

Why does water cost more than milk?

Sue

 

Coz people are stoopid.

[Graham and Jo]

Now that has got me thinking.

 

A model railway on the boat (when i get it). Oh that would be great fun, little tunnels and all that. Now the question is do i go suspended from the ceiling, ground/ floor level or a mix of both? Hmmm.

 

Even more things to research.

 

Forget Z gauge go for T scale - even smaller.

 

Cheers Graham

[bizzard]

Now that has got me thinking.

 

A model railway on the boat (when i get it). Oh that would be great fun, little tunnels and all that. Now the question is do i go suspended from the ceiling, ground/ floor level or a mix of both? Hmmm.

 

Even more things to research.

Above the windows on shelving,out of the way and you can probably get it all around the boat,with maybe a lift bridge at the stern hatch end. N gauge is suitable for this and i think a lot cheaper than Z,and you won't have to follow the train with binoculars.

[blackrose]

My water tank was emptied before I bought the boat, there's a bit of crap in it because when I turned on the taps some orangey water came out! The first time I fill it, should I do anything like add some kind of steriliser to the tank, or run it through with the taps on or anything?

I don't intend to drink it (ever!) at any point, if thats relevant.

 

I wouldn't bother - sterilisation will do nothing to prevent rust coming through. What you could do though is switch off the pump, close the main valve coming from your water tank, open a tap to reduce any pressure in the system, close the tap and check the strainer upstream of your water pump. Open it up and clean it out. It's probably best to have an old towel handy for any water that does come out. If you find you haven't got a strainer, then it might be wise to get one as it will protect your pump from bits of rust coming from the tank.

[Bright Angel]

What is Vactan and where do I get it. After Vactanning (new word ?) does Rylards Potable water bitumen fit the bill ?

[Grace and Favour]

What is Vactan and where do I get it. After Vactanning (new word ?) does Rylards Potable water bitumen fit the bill ?

 

Vactan