Water Tanks Plumbing Help!!! Please

[NoTies]

Rainwater contains minerals believe it or not. They are what form the rain, vapour condenses on airborn microscopic particles and become raindrops. The jury is still out on the medical effects of drinking demineralised water. The body actually needs organic minerals (from vegetables etc.) and all inorganic ones are rejected to waste. The minerals we do need are rapidly absorbed away from the digestive tract and the possibility of demineralised water leeching them from our system is negligible. I am more concerned about the high acidity of high purity RO water but in saying that I made (and drunk) <1 microsiemen water with an average pH of 5.5 for 18 montrhs and had no perceptible health effects.

[MidLandOne]

Originally Posted by NoTies

Rainwater contains minerals believe it or not.

Yes, but do you know how it compares to demineralised water in that content? Obviously depends where collected and how collected but I was wondering what the difference in mineral content was.

[NoTies]

I'm not sure, I've never had much experience with rainwater (except catching it to top up the tanks)

[MidLandOne]

I'd had a quick google and didn't find much on rainwater but am on the boat at the moment limited to slow GPRS for internet connection so didn't try very hard. Will have a hunt when I get home.

We also collect rainwater on the boat to fill the tanks and it is very nice for my hair - well, for the little of it I have left .

[GordMay]

There’s some interesting and informative previous discussions on rainwater quality and etc, including:

Demineralized Water - Health Implications:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ns-3272-2.html

Water Purification: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tion-5855.html

Rain-Catcher Design
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ign-11792.html

[surfingminniwinni]

Thanks for all your input on this one, Now that Ive read all the responses, I have one other question. What do you use your tank water for? Obviously not drinking, so just showers, cooking, washing dishes etc:

[GordMay]

drinking & etc ...

[Hud3]

We have a 170 gallon aluminum water tank, and use it for drinking and everything else. The drinking water is passed through a General Ecology SeaGull IV filter, which removes all tastes as well as any biological contaminants.

Seagull IV, Nature Pure Purifiers and Spark-L-Pure Micro Water Filters for Marine/RV

I got really tired of hauling gallon water bottles to the boat when we were cruising. The filter device and the cartridges aren't cheap, but they're worth it to me. We can take on water anywhere that we go and not worry about getting sick from drinking it.

[MidLandOne]

We drink our tank water too, but unfiltered/untreated.

Regarding rainwater (which we catch and use on the boat too) - when we were kids my family had a holiday home at a beach and all water was rainwater - collected off the roof even though the seagulls seemed to like perching on there too. Didn't seem to do us any harm.

Whole communities pretty much exist only on domestic dwellings own tank stored rainwater and as far as I know untreated - for example, Bermuda but there they do seem to keep their roofs nice and clean with fresh white paint every year .