Radioactive water

06Rinker270

I will admit I have not been using my fresh water system like I should.  Last time I went to use it the heat exchanger went on me.  Instead of fixing all the small stuff, I have been using the boat.  There...that's my excuse for lack of use so now onto the issue.

Backstory:
Last winter I took the fresh water tank home and cleaned it out real good.  No antifreeze in system, except for maybe hot water heater.  Beginning of the season I hook everything back up and run a full tank through everything.  Hot water tank goes, I deal with making engine work and forget about it until now.

I turn on cockpit sink without the pump on and sink is flowing like never before but foamy and horrible smell.  I figure this water is coming from hot water tank.  Where else would it come from?  I don't think it can come from tank without pump on correct?

Anyways I fill up tank and turn systems on.  Super foamy, pinkish foul smell.  My carbon monoxide alarm starts blaring and reading over 600ppm.  What the heck?  Each new tank of fresh water the ppm goes down.  On my third tank and bathroom sink is still reading levels.  Please explain this to me.

I havnt put in bleach for fear of exploding or causing a chemical reaction.  Joke but kinda not.

Thanks in advance for the help.

update: 4th tank of water and head sink is reading 102ppm then goes away.  At the end of the tank I am getting the foam back and the smell.  Not as bad but still smell it.  It's as if once the tank is done its pulling water from somewhere else.  The hot water heater?  Maybe I just need to remove that thing completely and replace.

Black_Diamond

That is the pink antifreeze. Depending on what is in it, yea it can trip your CO monitor. Had it happen with a leak in my geothermal system at home before. 

Worse case is exhaust leaking into the coolant system. 

06Rinker270

But there isn't any antifreeze in the freshwater tank.  Is it coming from heat exchanger?

Worse case.  How would exhaust leak into the water system?  I am raw water cooled.

thsnks @Black_Diamond

randy56

You installed new water heater? that uses the engine block water to heat water, same as original. And you plug into shore power to use your hot water. Just stating facts. you flushed all the water out 4 times, and hot water heater should have new fresh water in it. In what time frame? were 4 flushes ? 4 times this season?.
We overnite about every other weekend and take showers, We boat every week end, but when we skip a week without using hot water and it sets in there, it stinks! in two weeks, leaving hot water off during that time. So I flush hot water tank with new water, and stink goes away. After stink goes away then I turn on water heater. only takes 30 minutes and your ready for shower. Then turn off hot water heater the next day and its off again for two weeks.

Michael T

If the anode in your hot water tank is consumed the water will really stink! My anodes were magnesium.

06Rinker270

@randy56 no hot water tank is the original that is not usable.  

This is all happening while on shore power.

Not using hot water.

After 10 flushed, one with bleach and one with finger I have clean water.

BUT I still get stinky water at the begging of turning the faucet on and at the end of a tank of fresh water.  

Bottom line...I am getting contaminated water from somewhere. 

@Michael T hot water tank is fu$&ed and needs to be replaced.  I'm sure anode is shot.

Michael T

spray hydrogen peroxide on my hands then on all hose connections. Hook a KDF charcoal filter ($29 or so) to then shore water supply using a 35psi water pressure limiter to avoid blowing-off my boats internal water lines. Hook the KDF to a high efficiency Water Softener - which hooks to a water potable marine approved water drinking hose (white with blue line) to the boat's screw onto water inlet on the transom or at the side fill - after either has been sprayed with peroxide. Once a year put some bleach in the tank and flush it twice. Don't use if for two weeks? Flush the tiolet and run some taps, make some ice and re-fill the tank, never had a problem, best water at the dock!

Lifes Good

Sounds like the heat coils in the hot water tank have failed. Hence creating a vacuum and sucking the lake water from the engine raw water hoses.  That water may have mixed exhaust in it as well.  Might be time for a new hot water heater.

randy56

Is stinky water on the hot side only? cold is fine? If you do not need hot water and your not going to replace it. why not by pass it. Easy, Go to HWD store buy enough water line to make a loop. unhook water line's from water heater. And simply hook them to each other.

06Rinker270

The raw water hoses that go to the hot water tank were bypassed a few months back when the tank failed.  All done before I started flushing the system this weekend.

Does the fresh water still run through the hot water tank?  Is there a way to bypass it?

@randy56 I'm not sure I should have checked that.  I had both sides open to flush the tanks.  I will try.  However his was happening also at the cockpit sink which I believe can just run cold since it has one knob.

I think I have clean water now but still makes me nervous.  I am going to remove the hot water tank completely and get rid of it.  Will I need to reconnect lines in some way without the hot water heater?

Dream_Inn

I'll say flush flush flush.  I flush mine every weekend.  Definitely sounds like you have pink stuff in it.  Key is to only put 5 or 10 gallons in, run it out, the again.  Filling it up is just diluting and making the process more difficult and taking longer.  Also, use your tank.  Put in what you need each week and then drain next week before putting more in.

06Rinker270

But where is the pink coming from?  No pink ever in fresh water tank.  Can I rip the hot water tank out and do without it for now?

Good point about 15 gallons, I was filling it up completely.  Quite a process.

I will say I used it all this weekend and it was great.  

Dream_Inn

Could be from water heater?  You can add a bypass on your water heater that is for winterization and just use that.  Much simpler than taking out. 

06Rinker270

Has to be.  I'll try to just use cold side for now.

How do you bypass it?

Cableguy Greg

You need two Flair-it Tee Valves in 1/2".  One goes on the cold side and one goes on the hot side with a short piece of 1/2" PEX between them. Here is a picture...




Here is a link to a place that sells them. Part number 88-9283.
http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-pumps-water/flair-it-fittings.htm

06Rinker270

Thanks @Cableguy Greg I have one of these is the cold line right before the pump.  The bottom valve has a short hose that is not connected to anything.  I was wondering what that hose was for.

Ill have to check on the hot side.  Do you have to winterize them independently from the two valves?  

Cableguy Greg

I drain the hot water tank, then run a gallon of antifreeze in it. Then I do the bypass then winterize the rest of the system.

The PO probably used it to winterize without dumping into the holding tank.

06Rinker270

Then maybe there is one for the hot water side.  Or else he would have to dump antifreeze into holding tank.  

Is the drain for the hot water tank the grey knob on the front of the unit?

Cableguy Greg

06Rinker270 said:

 

Is the drain for the hot water tank the grey knob on the front of the unit?

Yes, that's it.

Dream_Inn

Patrick, sounds like you have what you need.  Just turn the valve on the cold water side and see what happens. 

06Rinker270

I think I still need to bypass the hot water to avoid contamination.  If I run cool water all the time I should be ok but I think when I run hot I will have the issue.  

Thanks for the help John.