Onboard water gone stale/smelly

BellevilleMXZ

What do you guys do to keep the onboard water fresh? Water has been in there since roughly 1st of june. I noticed using it last week, it has turned a bit and has an off smell. I'm going to reflush it all today, but what do you do to keep it fresh? We don't drink it, just use for washing. I did originally put a tiny bit of javex in it, but I guess not enough. Doesn't help probably that the tank is right beside engine, and water gets quite warm if you use boat for long.

zaverin1

Flush it every few weeks and I run bleach thru my tank in spring and once during summer months.
just a small amount will do 
then flush it and you should be good to go 

Black_Diamond

You only need 2-3 tablespoons of bleach for the whole tank. Then flush well. 

randy56

You can treat it, but I only leave it a couple weeks, pump out and refeash.

Michael T

I used a portable charcoal filter (cheap KDF) in line at any marina I filled-up at.

There are two physicians in my family (both long time boaters) and both say that most contaminants get into boat water tanks from bacteria found on dock hoses, boat owners hoses and water tank filler inlets on the hull.

What to do?

 I carried a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide (easily available at any drug store). The Admiral bought a cheap spray bottle to put it in. It was kept in a cool place (not a fridge) in the cabin. When getting ready to fill my water tank I would: *remove the water tank fill cap. *spray the dock side water male outlet with HP. *spray the end of the KDF filter and connect them. *spray the end of the KDF filter and my supply hose. *spray the end of the hose going into the water fill and spray the water fill inlet on the boat's hull. Took maybe 2 minutes longer. We always had fresh, clean water.

I sprayed my hands too.

The first time I did it (2013) I saw a bunch of guys watching me and I'm sure they thought I was nuts. Within a few months a least 10 boats near me were doing the same thing.

That's, imo, how to put CLEAN fresh water into your boat's water tank.

To keep it fresh I am 100% with @zaverin1 and @B_D. Fresh water didn't sit in our tanks for more than a few days.....but I still rinsed the tank AND inlet cap and fill area with bleach about once a month.

BTW at my local marina I saw a dock "kid" use the main water hose for visiting boaters to wash out a pump out inlet on a boat - bad enough - but he touched the end of it to the inlet several times, and then just put it back by the water fill-up station.

Bacteria can also get into tanks from personal fill hoses too. I see guys leave their water fill hoses on docks and hanging into the water.....and how clean is your boats storage locker, bacteria wise.

It just takes about 2 minutes to do it right.

BellevilleMXZ

Thanks everyone!! I think I'm just leaving it in to long for sure. And thanks MT, I will start doing that!

Black_Diamond

As an FYI, I put in a better vent for the water tank, my old one let water / whatever possibly in. It is a vent for a fuel tank, shielded and a screen in it too, perfect fit. Perko model. 5/8" barbed end. 

BellevilleMXZ

Yeah I probably should have done that......I replaced mine with new stainless ones instead of the ugly white ones.....but same style as was on there.

MarkB

There's water sanitizers that I throw in every week.  It's a liquid that essentially contains chlorine and we used to add like 2 Oz ever week.  We never drank that water but it was always fresh smelling.  Note there are additives to soften the water, that's not what I'm talking about. You have to get the sanitizer. 

BellevilleMXZ

MarkB said:

There's water sanitizers that I throw in every week.  It's a liquid that essentially contains chlorine and we used to add like 2 Oz ever week.  We never drank that water but it was always fresh smelling.  Note there are additives to soften the water, that's not what I'm talking about. You have to get the sanitizer. 

Great idea, where did u find them?

Cableguy Greg

Wally World sells it in the RV section. Much cheaper than West Marine.

Dream_Inn

Best thing is to flush it.  You can hide it with tablets and bleach, but I have never done any of that.  I put fresh water in every single week and only use the water from my tank, not the city water connection. I drink it from the tank and also use the ice maker from it.

DanD2

In the spring before commissioning, I run a bit of bleach through mine and then a bit of vinegar. I then fill and flush my tank a couple of times. During the summer, I try to flush out the tank every 3 - 4 weeks. If I get any hint of smell, I do the bleach vinegar thing again.

checkmate

And my wife thought I was the only one that calls it that.  Lol...(wally world)

Liberty44140

X2 on the water freshener that Walmart sells. I always use that and I never let water sit in the tank more than a few weeks. 

Trashman

I bust up a swimming pool chlorine tab and drop it in the fill hole. Also if the water has been in there for two weeks I pump and refill.  

MarkB

BellevilleMXZ said:

MarkB said:

There's water sanitizers that I throw in every week.  It's a liquid that essentially contains chlorine and we used to add like 2 Oz ever week.  We never drank that water but it was always fresh smelling.  Note there are additives to soften the water, that's not what I'm talking about. You have to get the sanitizer. 

Great idea, where did u find them?

I got them at the Toronto boat show. West marine used to sell them, but no longer. Do a google search, but make sure you get water purifier, not water softener. Water softener basically just neutralizes the chlorine in city water (which you don't want!). 

aero3113

Trashman said:

I bust up a swimming pool chlorine tab and drop it in the fill hole. Also if the water has been in there for two weeks I pump and refill.  

Do you put the whole tab in? 3 inch tab?

MarkB

I'm sure it can't be a whole puck.  That would be poisonous!  Swimming pool water only has about 3 to 5 ppm of chlorine. It would only take less than 2 grams to achieve that in a 100 gallon fresh water tank.

Trashman

Aero, no.  I bust the pick up and add a few pea sized pieces.  

06Rinker270

Due to @Michael T recommendation a while ago I picked up this to help with hard water spots on the side of the my blue hull and to help with fresh water issues.  A lot cheaper on Amazon than WM.

Michael T

@06Rinker270 - Nice! exactly the same product for less!

Dream_Inn

Yes, they seem to work well. I also carry one on my boat when connecting at other marinas.  I use a 'new' one for filling my fresh water tank, and put the old one on the hose for washing the boat.

BellevilleMXZ

06Rinker270 said:

Due to @Michael T recommendation a while ago I picked up this to help with hard water spots on the side of the my blue hull and to help with fresh water issues.  A lot cheaper on Amazon than WM.

Wow, not a bad price!

bigal6030

I use a couple oz. of bleach in every tank. I don't drink the water just for rinsing dishes to hands