purified fresh water on board

bfloyd4445 said:

... When we tested bottled water at the request of the attorney general years ago we found bottled water that was like untreated city tape water...

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I was talking to a guy from our Water District. He said they use the same testing lab as the big, name-brand Maine water company. And our tap water consistently scores better than theirs.

At work (different town) they replaced the water coolers with high-tech RO systems because this town is known for poor tap water. I've heard that the RO process removes the dissolved air, which affects the taste. I also read somewhere that this system puts back "minerals" to "improve" the taste. My guess would be the "minerals" they put back are salt. Most Americans love the taste of salt.

Now it tastes like bilge water. I liked the old tap water better.

Larry M said:

There are different membranes for different types of water; the under the counter sink type run at ~50 psi, brackish water ~100-225 psi and salt water membranes run at 800-900 psi. Each application has specific membrane and operating pressures. You can google Dow/Filmteck membranes if you want more info.

If we take on water, everything gets filtered (particulate and carbon) before it goes into the tanks.

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You can use a high pressure membrane in any kind of water if you have an adjustable back pressure regulator. I built a 20 gph water maker for our last boat and we made fresh water in all kinds of conditions by adjusting the back pressure to produce 20 gph. In fresh or brakish water, less back pressure, salt water more back pressure.

Bob

Peter B said:

No, you read me wrong, we just have a fairly efficient filter on our domestic city supply, (like BruceK) and use that filtered water on the boat. I tastes great, and is so quick and easy to do, just taking down a couple 15L containers with taps we sit up above the galley. We don't reverse osmosis treat it as well, that would be pointless. Actually, you can purify water too much. We have a full reverse osmosis set-up installed, but never bother to use it now because it wastes a lot of water in the process, (the run-off), and tastes...well...tasteless.

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I understand. The best tasting water i have ever drank comes out of the ground in Siskiyou county. The water takes four hundred years to percolate through the volcanic rock before it reappears in different locations in the valley. The water is so pure out of the ground nothing can live or grow in ponds the springs are always areas with no life just pure water.
When we started testing water back in the eighties I began to get very suspicious of city water even if procured from pure sources because many cities are still using piping from the 1800's some like which in the Pacific North West were even made of redwood and lead pipes. Sacramento California still has some redwood piping under ground from the 1800's according to the city water department.
For me the first criteria is health, the second is taste in regards to water. There are people that drink distilled water which would be devoid of all minerals and other trace elements but can still contain some light end voc's that boil at a lower temperature than water. Laboratory grade distilled water must be pre filtered then it goes through at least one distillation section sometimes more before it is suitable for critical lab work as a solvent. Some of the big heads at work used to only drink the tasteless water from our lab even used it for coffee, talk about awful coffee<smile>
I, like you, would rather assume some risk and have taste in my drinking water. With reverse osmosis membranes there is still some trace elements that get into your water but properly configured they can produce incredibly good tasting water.
In our boats, some of which are a bit long in the tooth, there are many different kinds of water tanks all of which may have become contaminated mover time or made of polymers that can under the right conditions contaminate our water and affect our health. I for one don't wish to replace the tank and am tired of hauling jugs then having to deal with them rattling around when out so have decided to do something about it.

Best wishes

We use an 8 stage whole house water filter for the fresh water system. Around $600 and the water is essentially pure. Besides great filtration and lead and arsenic, it removes the chlorine and other chemicals created by the chlorine reactions.

whole house water filters

GarryP said:

We use an 8 stage whole house water filter for the fresh water system. Around $600 and the water is essentially pure. Besides great filtration and lead and arsenic, it removes the chlorine and other chemicals created by the chlorine reactions.

whole house water filters

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thanks for the link. Whole house system. Don't think i can do that in oregon because of the hard water.

bfloyd4445 said:

Whole house system. Don't think i can do that in oregon because of the hard water.

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You've got to be kidding me! We have some of the hardest water in the country, here in San Diego and my whole house system works great!

SeaHorse II said:

You've got to be kidding me! We have some of the hardest water in the country, here in San Diego and my whole house system works great!

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i would have thought i would first need to soften the water? what kind do you have?

These guys are vendors over on CF (so support them, they help keep thses sites free!): Water Filters And Purifiers

They sell a system which purifies water without chemicals, but by filtration. It's exactly what we use here in Kuwait, where the water fed through older pipes has a tendency to come out brown...!

bfloyd4445 said:

The water is so pure out of the ground nothing can live or grow in ponds the springs are always areas with no life just pure water.

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Citations, please.

You should consider that if you treat water from your on board tank by reverse osmosis you will be "discarding" a significant proportion of your tankage over the side. The RO process typically "rejects" about 2/3 of the water it purifies. If you are are concerned about minor contaminants or flavor issues with your tank water, just use a purifier such as a "Brita" that just requires direct passage through a filter/ion exchange cartridge.
Now on the other hand, if you are talking about purifying the water around the outside of the boat, that it different., but as mentioned above, desalination of seawater requires a high pressure system (800psi) and different membranes compared to cleaning up fresh river water.

CaptTom said:

............I've found, however, that many guests would die of thirst before they lowered themselves to drinking tap water. Honestly, I think it's more a fashion statement than anything. So I always stock individual-sized, name-brand bottled water so I don't end up with dehydrated crew.

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Yes, I wish I had thought of putting almost free city water into plastic bottles and selling them for $1.00 each.

We drink our boat water and have been doing so since our first boat with a potable water system. I have a drinking water rated hose that's used for nothing but filling the water tanks and kept hidden so nobody can borrow it to rinse their holding tank. I run water at the marina for a few minutes before I start filling the tanks. If the water at a marina is suspect, I'll add an ounce or so of chlorine bleach to each tank. There's a filter on a seperate spigot at the sink that we usually use for drinking water but not for cooking.

We refill water bottles from the boat's water system.

SaucySailoress said:

These guys are vendors over on CF (so support them, they help keep thses sites free!): Water Filters And Purifiers

They sell a system which purifies water without chemicals, but by filtration. It's exactly what we use here in Kuwait, where the water fed through older pipes has a tendency to come out brown...!

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That would work if it dosent take any money away from the boats<smile>
thanks

Andy G said:

bfloyd4445"anyone using a reverse osmosis water system in their boat? I'm never seen one and am thinking of installing one myself. You can never be sure how pure the water is you load in the tank so it seems like a good idea to me at least for cooking and drinking water."

Do you have the lead issues in mind or just dodgy water in general?

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No I'm just tired of the jug thing and have come to really appreciate the high quality drinking water i get from my ro system in my ca. residence so would like to have the same on board

I usually add a touch of vinegar to fresh-water fill-ups.

We use one-gallon bottles which store easily on the boat. I probably have 20 gals on board now. As the bottles empty, we bring them home to refill with our RO water from home. One bottle remains in a fridge for cold water needs. One galley cabinet holds 10 gal and a small plastic storage box or a box from a case of bottled beer holds 6 gal each in the lazarette.

markpierce said:

I usually add a touch of vinegar to fresh-water fill-ups.

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ummm...wusky!!!!......that kills anything in the right concentration

FlyWright said:

One galley cabinet holds 10 gal and a small plastic storage box or a box from a case of bottled beer holds 6 gal each in the lazarette.

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Al, I'm envious of your galley space/storage.

Where do you buy your beer, Al? Couldn't find your brand at my local Lucky grocery store today.

markpierce said:

Al, I'm envious of your galley space/storage.

Where do you buy your beer, Al? Couldn't find your brand at my local Lucky grocery store today.

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Beer....did someone say beer

markpierce said:

Al, I'm envious of your galley space/storage.

Where do you buy your beer, Al? Couldn't find your brand at my local Lucky grocery store today.

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What one gets in cabinet storage, he gives up in floorspace. I looked at your saloon and thought it was so big, my voice might echo.

I like Sierra Nevada and Lagunitas products...all available by the case for about $1 per bottle at my local Costco.

You never know when the clean water will run out. I find it best to be prepared for the worst. Here are pics of my favorite precautions:

sirrea used to be good before they went bigtime. Their beer is still ok if you go to Chico and drink at the bar.

Shower Water 'System' ?

bfloyd4445 said:

sorta like i started out with then added the ro then a leachate pump then apolishing filter and then a tank and last a uv lamp. The end result was water that was outstanding.

Sorta like this system except i added the uv lamp

AP-RO5P

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As I've gotten older (and lived to long on land) I've gotten use to a nice longest (by boat standards) hot showers. Now that I think about a live aboard situation again, I'm wondering about an isolated shower water system that would recirculate a good portion of the shower water for certain periods of time.

....decided to start a new subject thread...

I just put a PUR filter on my galley sink and it filters the tank water perfectly.

We have a GE "smartwater" under sink filter system for drinking water works fine but at a low flow rate and doesn't help anywhere else in the boat. I am thinking of installing some larger capacity filter in the main line near the outlet of the accumulator. It will supply galley and bathrooms.

Steve said:

We have a GE "smartwater" under sink filter system for drinking water works fine ..... I am thinking of installing some larger capacity filter in the main line near the outlet of the accumulator. It will supply galley and bathrooms.

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That's exactly how my boat is plumbed.

If you want to save some money and build a very good water maker, check this link out:

Dido's Watermaker - Build your own!

He built his own high pressure reverse osmosis unit for a fraction of the cost of an off-the-shelf model.

We buy distilled water in gallon jugs at the stores in port.

Use them for all cooking and drinking.

manyboats said:

We buy distilled water in gallon jugs at the stores in port.

Use them for all cooking and drinking.

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You might want to Google "Drinking Distilled Water." The effects are not healthy & can cause stubborness beyond belief ! Start your search here...

Why Drinking Distilled Water is Bad For Your Health and Well-Being | WaterUse.org

SeaHorse II said:

That's exactly how my boat is plumbed.

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Walt, do you recall what filter you have at the outlet of the accumulator, any chance a picture of your set up?
Thanks,
Steve

SeaHorse II said:

You might want to Google "Drinking Distilled Water." The effects are not healthy & can cause stubborness beyond belief !

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Distilled or similar is for batteries, guessing/hoping Eric meant bottled "spring water", whatever that really is. We accidentally drank some distilled water at home, yuk! I think patients with compromised immune systems on oncology wards get distilled water, I`m told v. nasty to drink,(but saves infections)
We refill 10-15L containers from the tap ashore for drinking/cooking/coffee making onboard. Good enough at home,good enough onboard. I`ve not bothered with a filter, maybe if we extend time onboard. If you cruise areas with suspect water you`d want good filtering.

Steve said:

Walt, do you recall what filter you have at the outlet of the accumulator, any chance a picture of your set up?

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I'll be at the boat on Thursday and will see if I can get you some photos. It's in the lazarette and is a G.E. with quick disconnects. We drink the onboard water on our boat and check it periodically with a TDS meter. (Total Dissolved Solids) We don't do anything special to our FW water tank other than filtering it twice before using. Showering, dishes, ice maker, drinking, anchor & cockpit wash down, etc. etc. Been doing it like this since 1995 with no noticeable effects.

Photo of me taken yesterday. (excuse my cold)