i am new to boating so please be understanding

[blackrose]

By the way Harvey, since you're new to boating, here's another water pump tip...

 

Switch off the 12v supply to the water pump every time you leave the boat. One day it could save your boat from flooding.

 

The problem is that we put large amounts of water into a tank (usually at the bow) and hope it stays there. But if for some reason your pressurised fresh water system develops a leak (even a small leak) and the pump is on, it will sense a pressure drop in the system and behave as if you have opened a tap by cycling to build up the pressure in the system again.

 

If you are on the boat and this happens then you will hear the pump and wonder why the pump is cycling, and you will investigate (although there are some other reasons for pumps activating other than open taps and leaks). But if you aren't on the boat then the pump will just pump all the water from your tank through the leak into the cabin bilges until the tank runs dry. Then the pump will continue cycling until it burns itself out.

 

You can also isolate the water tank when you leave the boat for longer periods, but if you do this then you MUST also switch off the 12v supply to the pump, because if the pump does sense a pressure drop and activates and it can't get any water from the tank, it will cycle until it burns itself out.

I've been putting mine off for ages, I think this summer it will have to be.

You need to use the stuff recommended for potable water, I did have a link saved, I'll have a look..
Ere you go

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p88792?utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=googleshoppingfeed&mkwid=1lCSgkSQ&pcrid=46335763223&gclid=CMWf2I_rpcMCFamWtAodBUgAEg

 

They told me at Uxbridge that the potable stuff was exactly the same as ordinary blacking, but cost twice the price because they had paid to have it tested and certified as potable.

 

Edit: Mind you, looking at your link that's fairly cheap. They were talking about some expensive stuff they were selling in the chandlers.

Edited January 21, 2015 by blackrose

[Harvey957]

this has opened a can of worms , some boaters have not looked or blacked for years and there water is clear and no rust, others meticulously clean there's out and black every 12 to 18 months

as the wonderful people i am buying my boat from said they have not done it since new and have no nasty brown water its very clear

 

is the steel tank quite thick would it take many years to rust if not blacked ,lots of questions about this subject i am finding it intriguing what about a liner inside it i seen that someone cleaned the tank then stuck carpet tiles to the inside before fitting the liner so it stopped condensation and formed a barrier between the steel and the liner

 

has anyone done this ?????

[bassplayer]

this has opened a can of worms , some boaters have not looked or blacked for years and there water is clear and no rust, others meticulously clean there's out and black every 12 to 18 months

as the wonderful people i am buying my boat from said they have not done it since new and have no nasty brown water its very clear

 

is the steel tank quite thick would it take many years to rust if not blacked ,lots of questions about this subject i am finding it intriguing what about a liner inside it i seen that someone cleaned the tank then stuck carpet tiles to the inside before fitting the liner so it stopped condensation and formed a barrier between the steel and the liner

 

has anyone done this ?????

If you love the boat and you've had it surveyed by a competent surveyor, just enjoy her. When problems occur (like they do in a house), fix them. If it ain't broke...why worry?

[blackrose]

this has opened a can of worms , some boaters have not looked or blacked for years and there water is clear and no rust, others meticulously clean there's out and black every 12 to 18 months

as the wonderful people i am buying my boat from said they have not done it since new and have no nasty brown water its very clear

 

is the steel tank quite thick would it take many years to rust if not blacked ,lots of questions about this subject i am finding it intriguing what about a liner inside it i seen that someone cleaned the tank then stuck carpet tiles to the inside before fitting the liner so it stopped condensation and formed a barrier between the steel and the liner

 

has anyone done this ?????

 

An integral steel tank is as thick as your hull at the bow because that's what it is (apart from the bulkhead).

 

Liners could be a good idea, but if a liner develops a hole then you have the worst of both worlds. And no, I wouldn't want soggy carpet tiles in my tank.

Edited January 21, 2015 by blackrose

[Southern Star]

If you love the boat and you've had it surveyed by a competent surveyor, just enjoy her. When problems occur (like they do in a house), fix them. If it ain't broke...why worry?

+1, my personal two pennorth is that if the boat has a good hull and a good engine then a few flakes of rust in the water tank is such a minor issue that it doesn't even come on to the radar. As I and others have said, you can always use plastic bottles for drinking water.

[saltysplash]

We have always used our boats water tank for drinking, with space being a premium I dont understand keeping containers on board for drinking water when there is a perfectly servicable tank on board.

 

Our current boat has the tank in the bow access via the hinged hatch so i can check the contents and steel every time I fill up.

When we first bought her there was some minor rust which I treated with Vactan and to date, the rust is still at bay and the tank in good condition.

 

Boat is about 7 years old.

 

Never tried the liner route, and to be honest id rather be able to see the condition of the steel instead of hiding it behind something

[b0atman]

Mine has been alright for 15 years.

Since being in a marina with high pressure water supply I think some of the blacking has been jetted off and am now getting some rust through.

Tank is now being cleaned and repainted this year.

I am at present doing the water bottle route for drinking water.

When job is done I shall go back to using tank water for drinking.

just a point of note boat should ideally be out of water to allow paint to cure .

[Harvey957]

Blackrose that's great information thanks for that i have printed that off to save, very useful for me so how long will it take me to learn all the things i have to do its a bit daunting at the mo

i start to read about one thing then find something else and the name for all these things,Anodes,Inverters,Eberspacher, pure wave whatever it goes on and on ha ha i am sure i will get there in the end but i am 58 now

 

)) but i am looking forward to it

[J R]

From memory, when we had our boat built (Colecraft shell) they 'blacked' the water tank with something that I cannot remember, that is designed for the tank. Its not the blacking on the hull. We also use a Brita filter jug for our drinking water. Never had a rust issue thankfully. Our tank (150 gallons) is in the bow and there is a plate/hatch that can be removed to look at the interior.

[Harvey957]

long standing member tell me what this Vactan is please and where would i get it

[Loafer]

Look above 'Long Standing Member' for his actual name!

[Ray T]

long standing member tell me what this Vactan is please and where would i get it

 

http://www.paco-systems.co.uk/vactan.html#.VMAKL8tyb4Y

 

Click on the link.

Edited January 21, 2015 by Ray T

[dogless]

We've owned our boat for over 10 years, and it was first built in 1993 by Colecraft. We don't

drink the tank water unless it's been boiled.

We have experienced no problem, and long may that continue.

When we do experience a problem we will respond appropriately.

Everything will be alright in the end....

and if it's not alright

it's not the end.

Boating's about going with the flow....

enjoy

and save up

Rog

[Wanted]

By the way Harvey, since you're new to boating, here's another water pump tip...

 

Switch off the 12v supply to the water pump every time you leave the boat. One day it could save your boat from flooding.

 

The problem is that we put large amounts of water into a tank (usually at the bow) and hope it stays there. But if for some reason your pressurised fresh water system develops a leak (even a small leak) and the pump is on, it will sense a pressure drop in the system and behave as if you have opened a tap by cycling to build up the pressure in the system again.

 

If you are on the boat and this happens then you will hear the pump and wonder why the pump is cycling, and you will investigate (although there are some other reasons for pumps activating other than open taps and leaks). But if you aren't on the boat then the pump will just pump all the water from your tank through the leak into the cabin bilges until the tank runs dry. Then the pump will continue cycling until it burns itself out.

 

You can also isolate the water tank when you leave the boat for longer periods, but if you do this then you MUST also switch off the 12v supply to the pump, because if the pump does sense a pressure drop and activates and it can't get any water from the tank, it will cycle until it burns itself out.

 

 

They told me at Uxbridge that the potable stuff was exactly the same as ordinary blacking, but cost twice the price because they had paid to have it tested and certified as potable.

 

Edit: Mind you, looking at your link that's fairly cheap. They were talking about some expensive stuff they were selling in the chandlers.

I think you are right, I'm sure that I heard the same on here before. Like you say, that price dosent seem to reflect any major difference though.

[pete harrison]

Stainless steel tanks are fine but if they are made of thin S/Steel they can become brittle when it gets very cold and can split.

Stainless steel water tanks 'cracking' is more likely to be caused by chloride embrittlement than the cold, and the chloride will always be present in potable water as it is added in varying amounts by the local Water Authority. Cold ambient temperature could be a contributing factor in the depths of winter if any remaining water in a chloride embrittled stainless steel tank freezes then as the ice expands the walls of the tank will fail more easily. For steel / stainless steel to fracture purely due to cold then the temperature has to be very low, certainly lower than anything this country is likely to see.

 

I only use two and three gallon galvanised water cans ('Buckby Cans') as the boats I go on don't have new fangled things like water tanks

[dmr]

Integral water tanks are now seriously out of fashion, all new boaters want plastic or stainless steel.

However I suspect it is just fashion and nothing else. I have heard of several stainless tanks splitting but have never heard of a serious failure of an integral tank.

I confess we neglected ours: we owned the boat for 7 years before we looked inside, and I confess I paid somebody else to do this. (I thought it was young mans work but the man involved turned out to be only a few years younger than me!).

 

The blacking was in good condition but was penetrated in a couple of places leading to significant pitting of the steel, but still only about 1.5mm in a 10mm base plate. The answer (I hope) is modern epoxies, forget about blacking the tank every year, .... take it back to bare metal (bad job), do it in a modern epoxy (reactive resins?) then next time round its probably somebody else's problem!!!!!

 

I really don't like the idea of flexible liners.

 

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

[Arthur Marshall]

I had to clean out mine when I bought the boat - it's just the inside of the hull at the font and under the front (cruiser) deck. It was choked with rust,and very, very nasty, but the boat hadn't been used for years. Cleaned it, undercoated it and blacked it. i think I did it again fifteeen years later and again a couple of years ago (another twelve or so years on). I don't drink the water unboiled, but tea made from it never seems to have done me any damage. The pipe from the tank to the water pump blocks up every now nd then and i go in and clean it out, but that's about it. Just barin mind that if you black it, the taste can last for a month or two so yuo might want to use a water carrier until it settles down. All part of the fun.

[DeanS]

Someone once told the story of leaving their boat on their mooring, next to their friends boat. Every time they came down to the boat, the water tank was full, and when they eventually touched base with their neighbour, many months later, they expressed gratitude for his helpfulness in topping up their water tank when he did his own.

 

"I've never topped up your water?" the neighbour boater said...

 

 

They found out their boat had a fine crack in the integral hull, and it had been filling itself with canal water.

 

I don't know if it's a true story, but a little scary

[nebulae]

Been meaning to black our tank for years,but have not got round to it yet .Use the water in our tank for tea/coffee but not drinking water .As others have said,worry not.

[cuthound]

My view is that if you decide to paint the inside of the integral tank, do it with a suitable epoxy based potable paint. The labour costs for blacking or this will be similar, the expoxy paint a bit more, but you will know that it will not need doing again for a long time.

[Tony Dunkley]

Having looked at all the posts in this thread and what's been said about expensive epoxy paints, liners, bitumen flavouring the water and needing to boil water before using it, the commercial boat / ship practice of cement washing the inside of water tanks seems to have quite a lot going for it. Doesn't take long to do, it's inexpensive, there's no need to boil water from clean cement washed tanks and it doesn't flavour or taint the water.

[DeanS]

Is cement washing......what it sounds like.....painting cement onto all the walls of the watertank?

[Tony Dunkley]

Is cement washing......what it sounds like.....painting cement onto all the walls of the watertank?

Yes, it's cement only, with no sand or anything else, mixed up to the consistency of thick paint and brushed on. It's been the standard way of treating water tanks on commercials / ships since water tanks were invented. It sounds a bit of a strange thing to do, I know, but it works.

Edited January 22, 2015 by Tony Dunkley

[Señor Chris]

Having looked at all the posts in this thread and what's been said about expensive epoxy paints, liners, bitumen flavouring the water and needing to boil water before using it, the commercial boat / ship practice of cement washing the inside of water tanks seems to have quite a lot going for it. Doesn't take long to do, it's inexpensive, there's no need to boil water from clean cement washed tanks and it doesn't flavour or taint the water.

 

The epoxy-ceramic stuff has all of the advantages you mention and should last longer than cement. Does it crack ? Can it be applied to rusty surfaces ? It cost me around £75 to do an integral bow tank which is not expensive when you take into account the lifespan.

[Tony Dunkley]

 

The epoxy-ceramic stuff has all of the advantages you mention and should last longer than cement. Does it crack ? Can it be applied to rusty surfaces ? It cost me around £75 to do an integral bow tank which is not expensive when you take into account the lifespan.

 

Cracks no more than hard, thick old paint and it sticks well to rusty steel as long as you get any loose, flaky stuff off first. I've no idea what the lifespan of epoxy- ceramic paint is, but a bag of cement is a lot less than 75 quid.