Water Purification Tablet Recommendations Yes?/No??

Is it a good idea to place a few sterilization tablets i the water tanks, just to keep the possibility of bacteria lower?

If so can anybody suggest what they use?

Thanks
Jeff in Savannah

I don’t use anything like that, I do commission the water system at the beginning of each season per Peggies recommendations. She has posted in on the forum so if you search you should be able to find it. She goes as The Head Mistress. And she has a great biok on smells on boats.

jefndeb said:

Is it a good idea to place a few sterilization tablets i the water tanks, just to keep the possibility of bacteria lower?

If so can anybody suggest what they use?

Thanks
Jeff in Savannah

Click to expand...

If you're taking on municipal water, it's chlorinated, and will typically have about 2ppm of chlorine residual. That takes care of any pathogens that it may encounter. If your tank is clean, there's no need to add anything.


In order to start with a clean system, you may want to shock the whole system with a 50ppm concentration, about 12 oz./100 gal. or 10ppm- about 4 oz/100 gal. Contact time is 6 hrs @ 50 ppm or 24@ 10 ppm. After the desired contact time, just flush out until smell is gone. Overkill isn't necessary, it just makes flushing more trouble. More does not do it better.



Once the system is clean, as long as you're using municipal water, nothing further is needed. If you're using on-site water (private well), you can treat to 1-2 ppm, or about 1/2-3/4 oz per 100 gal. Folks who insist on regularly dumping cupfulls of clorox into their tanks are unnecessarily exposing themselves to unacceptable chlorine levels, and it's not good for the tanks, either.
There's an inordinate amount of worry regarding tanked water on board. Start with a clean system, turn the water regularly, your water will be just fine.

ok thanks, I figured that the long showers the boss takes is really helping me keep the water fresh!! ha..constantly adding fresh water!!

Yes the long showers are actually good if you are close to a water supply. Anchored out remote, not so much...

Found this stuff works quite well, use it all the time, and refill with city water, which still tends to go off even with their treatment, I imagine if you have a lot of throughput it wouldn't be necessary.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B39KSUO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

fletch said:

Found this stuff works quite well, use it all the time, and refill with city water, which still tends to go off even with their treatment, I imagine if you have a lot of throughput it wouldn't be necessary.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B39KSUO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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If your tanks are collecting silt then bacteria can hide in it and get protection from that silt so it can reappear quite a bit more readily than expected.

There was a recent discussion about water filters at the galley and also for the tanks. Look it up.

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s3/water-filtration-under-counter-46899.html


Also get Peggies book and read it.
https://www.amazon.com/New-Get-Rid-Boat-Odors-ebook/dp/B01BW2ZSTW


If you filter the water BEFORE putting it into the tanks you can avoid a lot of the odours although not all the time of course. Clean your tanks by only partially filling, 1/4 or so full, and then go out on a mildly rough day and then empty them after 15 minutes or so or pitching and rock and roll. THat R & R will stir a LOT of silt up into the water and pumping the tanks will get rid of most of it.

Do NOT run it through the Hot water tank. Use the cold water side and let 'er go into the sink..

Do it a couple times and I will venture to say the tanks will be much improved.
Then use Peggies book as a guide abut how to keep them in good condition and keep them clean by filtering the water you install.