Water Filter Advice?

[Davy_Joke]

I've got no patience for bleaching and then draining/re-draining the water tank in my Bayliner 2855, so we've only been using the tank water for washing thus far. We generally bring along 2 gallons of potable water in milk jugs.

However I'm planning an extended trip to the Gulf Islands in two weeks, in the middle of a major drought, and we've been warned by some marinas that they may not have any water available.

It got me thinking about just filtering the tank water, which is something I hadn't considered before. I installed one of those canister filters under the sink in an apartment once, so I'm familiar with the basic concept. The space under my 2855's sink may not be ideal for something that size, and I don't have a lot of time to plan it out. I know I don't want to spend a fortune.
​​
I'd be tempted to just use a charcoal filter bottle like hikers use, but I read somewhere that it might not guard against mold in the tank?

Any experiences and recommendations?

[S/V Illusion]

No POU filter is going to “guard against mold in the tank”.

As far as efficacy of filters, carbon filters remove taste and color and little else. Further, their efficacy depends on residence time so small filters are less effective than larger ones.

If you don’t want to treat the tank(s) as you should, anything else is essentially a ‘feel good’ solution unless you buy a RO system which is over-kill for your stated purpose.

Your choice...

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by Davy_Joke;3445660[COLOR="Red"

]I've got no patience for bleaching and then draining/re-draining the water tank in my Bayliner 2855,[/COLOR] so we've only been using the tank water for washing thus far. We generally bring along 2 gallons of potable water in milk jugs.

However I'm planning an extended trip to the Gulf Islands in two weeks, in the middle of a major drought, and we've been warned by some marinas that they may not have any water available.

It got me thinking about just filtering the tank water, which is something I hadn't considered before. I installed one of those canister filters under the sink in an apartment once, so I'm familiar with the basic concept. The space under my 2855's sink may not be ideal for something that size, and I don't have a lot of time to plan it out. I know I don't want to spend a fortune.
​​
I'd be tempted to just use a charcoal filter bottle like hikers use, but I read somewhere that it might not guard against mold in the tank?

Any experiences and recommendations?

I can hear the guys in the yard salivating as we speak.

[Macdoug]

You could try seagull filters.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Davy_Joke

It got me thinking about just filtering the tank water, which is something I hadn't considered before. I installed one of those canister filters under the sink in an apartment once, so I'm familiar with the basic concept. The space under my 2855's sink may not be ideal for something that size, and I don't have a lot of time to plan it out. I know I don't want to spend a fortune.
​​

There are two basic canister sizes, and the smaller might work for you. You can get .5 micron filter elements for that smaller sump diameter...

Or... another solution might be to bite the bullet, clean your tank (should only have to do it once/year, doesn't take long), and then only introduce well-filtered water to the tank itself. We've done it that way, double filtering with a combo 25/1 micron large filter followed inline by a .5 micron small filter.

-Chris

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Davy_Joke

I've got no patience for bleaching and then draining/re-draining the water tank in my Bayliner 2855, so we've only been using the tank water for washing thus far. We generally bring along 2 gallons of potable water in milk jugs.

However I'm planning an extended trip to the Gulf Islands in two weeks, in the middle of a major drought, and we've been warned by some marinas that they may not have any water available.

It got me thinking about just filtering the tank water, which is something I hadn't considered before. I installed one of those canister filters under the sink in an apartment once, so I'm familiar with the basic concept. The space under my 2855's sink may not be ideal for something that size, and I don't have a lot of time to plan it out. I know I don't want to spend a fortune.
​​
I'd be tempted to just use a charcoal filter bottle like hikers use, but I read somewhere that it might not guard against mold in the tank?

Any experiences and recommendations?

Develop the patience for better water tank maintenance. After that, we can talk filters.


Sail Delmarva: Drinking Water Filtration--The Short Version

[Davy_Joke]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

There are two basic canister sizes, and the smaller might work for you. You can get .5 micron filter elements for that smaller sump diameter...

Or... another solution might be to bite the bullet, clean your tank (should only have to do it once/year, doesn't take long), and then only introduce well-filtered water to the tank itself. We've done it that way, double filtering with a combo 25/1 micron large filter followed inline by a .5 micron small filter.

-Chris

It's been ingrained in me since childhood by my mechanic family to not put undue strain on motors. Any motors. And running the water pump for hours on end strikes me as exactly that, which is why I don't do it.

But perhaps I will give it a try in this case.

[TrentePieds]

You say: "I've got no patience for bleaching and then draining/re-draining the water tank in my Bayliner 2855..."

Item 1) You are on a forum inhabited by sailors. Sailing is not for the impatient! You may find our sister forum here:

https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/private.php

more to your liking.

item 2) Water taken aboard from any fueling station in Georgia Straits and the Islands is perfectly wholesome and need NOT be treated in any way.

item 3) Emptying you tank takes but five minutes. Pull the hose off the supply side of the delivery pump and let the water run into the bilge by gravity while your bilge pump is running. Nothing else to it. You can do that as often as you like.

Item 4) 1/2 teaspoon of Chorox/Javex unscented household bleach per 20 litres of water imparts no perceptible taste. If your tank is 80 litres, say, then when filling from empty put 2 TEASPOONS of said bleach into the deck filler before you run the hose to fill the tank. Use a standard kitchen measuring spoon to measure the bleach. If you want to get technological about it, then make it 10cm^3

Item 5) Do 3) and 4) one after the other once a season and Bob's yer uncle!

Item 6) Now, having dealt with the above, you can carry enuff water to see you through a trip through the Islands in a power boat. You will find that Ganges Marina on Saltspring Island may be short of water, but you will also find that marinas on VI such as, say, Ladysmith or French Creek are not. Nor will Nanaimo be.

In short: You can buy an enormous amount of utility for a very small amount of patience - hard as that may be to come by :-)

All the best to you

TrentePieds

[Lepke]

If you don't clean your tank, new water is instantly contaminated. Good luck with that.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Davy_Joke

It's been ingrained in me since childhood by my mechanic family to not put undue strain on motors. Any motors. And running the water pump for hours on end strikes me as exactly that, which is why I don't do it.

But perhaps I will give it a try in this case.

OK, but your tank isn't all that huge...

And you may also have a drain plug on it, perhaps to be used in case you need to winterize every year.

-Chris

[Davy_Joke]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

OK, but your tank isn't all that huge...

And you may also have a drain plug on it, perhaps to be used in case you need to winterize every year.

-Chris

My tank is built into the cabin floor. There's no access to it, and the last time I drained it via the faucets it took about an hour. The procedures I've seen call for draining it several times until the bleach taste is gone.

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by Davy_Joke

My tank is built into the cabin floor. There's no access to it, and the last time I drained it via the faucets it took about an hour. The procedures I've seen call for draining it several times until the bleach taste is gone.

That’s why people put a clean out fitting in the top of their tank.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Davy_Joke

My tank is built into the cabin floor. There's no access to it, and the last time I drained it via the faucets it took about an hour. The procedures I've seen call for draining it several times until the bleach taste is gone.

An hour isn't long, for most pumps. We've had a pump reach a thermal cut-off once, starts right up again after it "rests" long enough for the temp to come down.

We've usually only had to rinse once, after the first tank... and rinsing doesn't usually need a full water tank; lots of the rinsing is about the lines.

I could usually get other chores done while dealing with two 100 gallon tanks...

-Chris