Water filter

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I

Iggy

Guru
Joined
Mar 1, 2020
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894
Location
United States
Vessel Make
Pacific Trawler 40
Kind of a stupid question. I have a Seagull IV water filter from General Ecology.

We do use it and we only use it from drinking and cooking. Just an FYI, there is also a UV filter and a cartridge before this filter too.

I can't see us needing a new filter by the end of the season. This filter is so good that it takes the pink out of the AF in winterizing. So I do remove before winterizing and after flushing the tank.

My question is, in the fall can I place the filter in a sealed plastic bag and save it for next year. Keep in mind, the cost is around $110 each. If they were $25 I would just replace it.

I am thinking I can't save it, mold and other thing can grow. BUT I thought I might ask anyways.
 
While I replace my whole boat carbon block water filter once a year, if I were going to remove it and store it over the winter, it would be in a sealed container with municipal water. The municipal water has chlorine which kills everything. Might add an a quarter ounce of bleach, just to be safe. The container would need to be sealed to keep the bleach / chlorine from evaporatoring off.

Ted
 
one of my previous boats had the same filter. i'd get at least two seasons out of a cartridge. i kept my boat in the water over the winter, and just left it all together, no winterizing. i'd just run a little water through it when i checked on the boat. i kept heat on in the winter, never had an issue.
that was one of the best filters i've ever had.
 
I kept having ‘low flow’ at the galley sink. The screen at the facet outlet had some white stuff which necessitated its removal and back flushing the outlet screen frequently.
I finally crawled under the sink, replaced the filter, flow improved considerably.
The filter looked fine but I suspect the filter cartridge was plugged up somewhere.
 
I agree with post 2. IMO, once a filter is activated it should not be allowed to dry out.
 
I have for years used filters to clean the water BEFORE the water enters the tanks.
I learned on my RV.

My boat tanks were showing signs of dirt accumulation over many years every time we were out in other than smooth water. Municipal water systems are NOT perfectly clean.
Even at the source there will be tiny amounts of dirt enter even in GOOD systems.

I had to clean my tanks about 8 yrs ago. THey have stayed clean since.

I use a 5u filter 10"on the supply hose and then a ceramic filter after the 5 just before the water goes into the tanks. THe ceramic is rated to remove cysts such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia which we can have up the coast. No more cloudy water even after a rough trip, no odd tastes, no getting sick.

I would rather clean the water before putting it into my tanks.
 
Portage_Bay said:
I had not heard of the Seagull water filter so did a bit of research. I found this thread on the SailNet forum.

https://www.sailnet.com/threads/seagull-iv-water-filter-why-so-expensive.125905/
Interesting read especially post #5

https://www.sailnet.com/threads/seagull-iv-water-filter-why-so-expensive.125905/#post-1591169
Click to expand...

No thanks to removing filters and storing filtered water in my tanks.

First off, municipal water (which is the only thing going in my tanks) has a correct amount of chlorine to keep the tanks sanitized (provided you're actually using them).

While I believe it's a good idea to sanitize your tanks after prolonged idle periods, I'm not interested in adding more bleach and drinking it. BTW, when was the last time you sanitized your house plumbing.

My preference is to have a very large carbon block filter (4.5" x 20") after the accumulator tank that filters all the boat water (not real big on the taste of chlorine). Not real worried about anything living on the carbon as the water upstream has enough chlorine to kill anything according to the municipal water people.

A quick check has the Pentek Big Blue housing at $50 to $70 and cartridges from $65 to >$100.

Ted
 
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C lectric said:
..................................

I would rather clean the water before putting it into my tanks.
Click to expand...

I have used an RV carbon filter that attaches to the end of the hose to fill. Restricted on adding chlorine to aluminum tanks, so I have another carbon filter after tank
 
Soo-Valley said:
Well that is interesting, now what? I have never come across a suggestion to eliminate on board filters.
Click to expand...
Nor have I. But if his stated professional qualifications are true his logic may be sound. I'm not interested in removing the filter downsteam of the pump. I may consider a very positive check valve before the filter to prevent carbon "crumbs" from getting back into the tank and feeding the critters.

I have always filtered on fill up but not to the level C lectric does. I may change my habits in that regard. The last work boat I ran I always pre filtered using a generic whole house filter. I would need to occasionally clean the tank proving that filter was not enough. I could open a large enough port to get inside for a thorough scrubbing, it was instructive how much crud was in there. On my personal boat there is no good way to access the tank for cleaning. I'll probably stop using an RV carbon pre-filter for fill up.

One point in his post I will take seriously is to disinfect the fill before opening. Mine is flush deck in the aft cockpit where we all including the dog walk, toss fenders aboard as we depart and where fish are cleaned. Why take a chance on letting crud get in?
I'm not sure about his suggestion to use a filter on the vent line.

I posted the link because I found it interesting, not because I'll follow all of his recommendations. Other than occassional scrubbing of the work boat water tank I've never had anyone aboard get sick from bad water. I have always used dedicated hose to fill the tank that sees no other use.
 
Sure, but the point is you are filtering the water before it enters the tanks which will keep the dirt out. Maybe not quite to my ceramic filter level but good.
THe second filter serves a good purpose of filtering after also.

I cannot guarantee where we travel of getting municipal water and secondly even the municipals are not guaranteed to be fee of dirt including ours.

Chlorine sure however where we are in Gibsons the marina water is well water and to the last of my knowledge is not chlorinated so I will stand by my concerns and filtering. I just looked and it is not.

Just assess your situations.
 
I suppose if my cruising would take me to areas without chlorinated municipal water, I would consider adding chlorine to the level consistent with municipal water.

If you choose to filter your water (removing the chlorine) before it goes into your tanks, how long will you keep it in your tanks if your not using them?

Ted
 
O C Diver said:
.......................

If you choose to filter your water (removing the chlorine) before it goes into your tanks, how long will you keep it in your tanks if your not using them?

Ted
Click to expand...
Until I use it. Of course I smell and taste before making coffee, ice or cooking with it. So far no problems.

I do occasionally add chlorine or hydrogen peroxide, have never flushed a system, but have considered it. :ermm: More often until someone had to say it could cause aluminum tank to leak.
As for a dedicated hose for filling, I have one coiled with the ends screwed together to keep vermin out. But only use it if there is no dock hose, after all there is hundreds of feet of distribution hose before the water gets to the tap. Give it a few minutes flush, add RV filter and fill tank.
 
C lectric said:
Sure, but the point is you are filtering the water before it enters the tanks which will keep the dirt out. Maybe not quite to my ceramic filter level but good.
THe second filter serves a good purpose of filtering after also.

I cannot guarantee where we travel of getting municipal water and secondly even the municipals are not guaranteed to be fee of dirt including ours.

Chlorine sure however where we are in Gibsons the marina water is well water and to the last of my knowledge is not chlorinated so I will stand by my concerns and filtering. I just looked and it is not.

Just assess your situations.
Click to expand...

Water suppliers have Provincial regulations that are getting more comprehensive as time passes. Scuttlebut around our local YC outstation is about compliance with standards that are now being enforced, adding to the cost of supplying water on the docks. Yours may soon also need to comply, be subject to testing and/or enforcement.

On my boat, when I fill in Vancouver I know I am getting chlorinated water so I purposely don't filter it. Elsewhere, I filter, before the tank, then I have a filter after the pump, so the tap water is always filtered.
 
If you are cruising for long distances and long periods of time, I get that you need to have a lot of drinking water available from your tanks. But if your trips are more leisurely and dont last more than a couple weeks, why not just buy gallons of spring water? I use my water tank for washing, flushing, etc, but for just drinking and coffee, a gallon of spring water lasts for days.
 
I used to filter the water coming into the tank with a sediment filter but no charcoal. Then use a filter with UV and charcoal on the drinking water faucet.
 
For my new setup, I'm doing the following. One of those Camco inline hose filters for filling. It's a carbon filter, but at full hose flow (the filter will do 5+ gpm) it can't remove much chlorine. It's mostly there to keep sediment out of the tank (rated at 20 micron). And if I'm somewhere with unpleasant tasting water I can always slow down the fill to let it remove more stuff and just add a little bleach to the tank.

On the way from the pressure tank to the distribution lines, the water goes through 3 10x4.5 filter housings. Those contain a 1 micron sediment filter, a granular carbon and KDF cartridge and then a 0.5 micron carbon block. So far, water from the tap is basically tasteless like good filtered water should be.
 
backinblue said:
If you are cruising for long distances and long periods of time, I get that you need to have a lot of drinking water available from your tanks. But if your trips are more leisurely and dont last more than a couple weeks, why not just buy gallons of spring water? I use my water tank for washing, flushing, etc, but for just drinking and coffee, a gallon of spring water lasts for days.
Click to expand...

I drink, cook, and make coffee with spring water, but brushing teeth, doing dishes and everything else is with tank water that's been dechlorinated. Have also given water to other boaters in a pinch and feel obligated to make sure it's safe.

Ted
 
Do not back flush the water maker membranes with chlorinated water. I am told, it will shorten the life of the membranes
 
OldDan1943 said:
Do not back flush the water maker membranes with chlorinated water. I am told, it will shorten the life of the membranes
Click to expand...

Good point. If you have a water maker, I'd want a carbon filter sized for near complete dechlorination at backwash flow rates at the highest chlorine concentration you're likely to have in the tank in normal use. Anything less risks membrane damage depending on tank chlorine levels.
 
koliver said:
Water suppliers have Provincial regulations that are getting more comprehensive as time passes. Scuttlebut around our local YC outstation is about compliance with standards that are now being enforced, adding to the cost of supplying water on the docks. Yours may soon also need to comply, be subject to testing and/or enforcement.

On my boat, when I fill in Vancouver I know I am getting chlorinated water so I purposely don't filter it. Elsewhere, I filter, before the tank, then I have a filter after the pump, so the tap water is always filtered.
Click to expand...

Yes, when we were still in Burnaby and the boat in Port Moody for 12 yrs. The boat was then kept in N.Van. for 10 yrs. THe water in BOTH places was chorinated. Sometimes it could be smelled.

Even in Burnaby and N.Van there was dirt/sediment. In the fall and winter with the heavy rains and sometimes landslides into the reservoirs there were clouds of silt which would also end up in the tanks. Of course the chlorination was jacked way up.

The water supplied to the Gibsons marina is checked frequently but what that frequency is I don't know.

If I am up the coast and take on water I very lightly dose with some bleach or chlorine. When I can we will make a point of going to a known clean source such as a town with monitored and dosed water but that is not always possible.

My filters will NOT remove chlorine. THey are for fine silt so I do not get a buildup in the tank again. It is far easier to prevent the silt entry than it is to get rid of it.
 
Last edited:
I think I will switch to a non carbon for filling tank for the grit only. The chlorine will be gone at the taps
 
When the General Ecology filters came out 20 years ago they were a huge step forward but others have since caught up and possibly passed them. What you want is a filter certified to meets NSF-53 (which the Seagull does too) This standard removes cysts and most bacteria/virus. I use the Pentex FloPlus 10 which is NSF 53 certified, has much more filtering capacity than the Seagull, and costs about $20. It was top rated in the preceding PS review. Since it only costs $20, I put in a new one after the winter

https://www.amazon.com/Pentek-FloPl...&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584138871623049&th=1

I’ve never found a good way to avoid using some chlorine to keep the tank from growing stuff. Once every few weeks I add 1/4 teaspoon of Dichlor (sold as hot tub disinfectant) per 100 gallons of water and test with a pool test strip to 1ppm chlorine. You can’t smell this concentration. Pools are 3ppm.
 
Last edited:
Iggy said:
Kind of a stupid question. I have a Seagull IV water filter from General Ecology.

We do use it and we only use it from drinking and cooking. Just an FYI, there is also a UV filter and a cartridge before this filter too.

I can't see us needing a new filter by the end of the season. This filter is so good that it takes the pink out of the AF in winterizing. So I do remove before winterizing and after flushing the tank.

My question is, in the fall can I place the filter in a sealed plastic bag and save it for next year. Keep in mind, the cost is around $110 each. If they were $25 I would just replace it.

I am thinking I can't save it, mold and other thing can grow. BUT I thought I might ask anyways.
Click to expand...
we had the seagull from General ecology paid for 1 filter and then replaced it with a Rain Fresh under counter from Lowes total unit cost was $99.00 replacement filters are $20.00 and in our opinion after 6 years our unit is every bit as good as the GE unit and we us it for coffee and Cooking. People get hung on "Made for Marine Use"
 
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