Would a PUR filter work (or even help) on my sailboat?

[Cool Hand Luke]

I have a 40-foot monohull with 2 large, fresh water tanks. I'm always trying to keep the water fresh and not have it smell or infested with bacteria.

Would a PUR filter (like the one below) work well on a boat? Is it even useful or would it even do anything?

Thanks!!

[Dockhead]

The classic solution for making drinking water out of tank water is the Seagull filter.


There may be some alternatives, but Seagull is the standard. It will make nice drinking water out of nearly the mankiest tank water.

[Lazerbrains]

Originally Posted by Cool Hand Luke

I have a 40-foot monohull with 2 large, fresh water tanks. I'm always trying to keep the water fresh and not have it smell or infested with bacteria.

Would a PUR filter (like the one below) work well on a boat? Is it even useful or would it even do anything?

Thanks!!

Yes. I have that exact one on my boat and it works well.

[LittleWing77]

Remember, Peggie is our resident Marine Water Goddess, Luke.

You can check in with her for recommendations...

(peghall) is her monniker.
Fair winds,
LittleWing77

[fourlyons]

Yes, the PUR will work fine for biologically safe water. Same for the Seagull. The Seagull is a common, and effective, but expensive proprietary water filter marketed to boaters.

Or you can buy a common (and cheap) 10" industrial filter housing and install it in line to your faucet. You can then buy any of a wide range of cartridges capable of filtering many different levels of contamination and different kinds of contamination, if you are uncertain of the water quality going into your tank.

[CarlF]

Filters have made a lot of progress since the Seagull came out. Just get a standard undersink filter housing and 10" filter that meets the ANSI/NFS 53 standard. It will do a far better job than the PUR and probably better than the Seagull. I use this Pentek filter - meets the 53 standard and lasts for thousands of gallons - for $18.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Mike OReilly]

I'd say it depends on what you're filtering out. If you're just trying to remove sediment and odours from the water, then any decent activated carbon filter will do the job. That's what this one seems to be from the brief description on the box. These can also remove chemical contaminants like lead or other heavy metals. Other filters do a better job removing stuff like calcium or magnesium.

But if you're trying to remove various biological and/or material contaminants, then you will likely need a much more serious filter. A filter which removes down to around the 1 micron size is good for the bigger bugs like protazoa, giardia, and other parasites. Bacterial level filters start around 0.2 micron. For virus level filtering we're looking at 0.01 micron.

https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/dri...treatment.html

I've looked at the Seagull. It seems good, but the last time I checked it seemed way over priced.

[Celestialsailor]

I'm another fan of under the sink cheap units. I get the clear ones, so I can see whats going on. While cruising, I add a cap full of bleach to 50 gallon, run it through a double filter system. The pre filter is 20 micron and then through a Carbon active filter which I think is around 5 micron.
A seagull system is ridiculously expensive and the filters not readily available if you're cruising. You can buy a UV purification system for that price.

[denverd0n]

You mention bacteria. Do you have a problem that you are aware of? If so, you can shock the system, and should be able to get it clean enough that the water is safe to drink. If the tank and the hoses are really seriously contaminated, maybe they need to be replaced.


If you are only concerned about the taste, and removing chlorine smell, then any charcoal filter will work just fine.


Good luck.

[wfetter]

Originally Posted by Cool Hand Luke

I have a 40-foot monohull with 2 large, fresh water tanks. I'm always trying to keep the water fresh and not have it smell or infested with bacteria.

Would a PUR filter (like the one below) work well on a boat? Is it even useful or would it even do anything?

Thanks!!

We've had one in place since buying the boat...about 2 years now. I replace the cartridges when the light turns yellow. This is what we use for drinking, coffee, cooking, etc. We don't bother filtering for washing, etc.

[MJH]

Originally Posted by Cool Hand Luke

I have a 40-foot monohull with 2 large, fresh water tanks. I'm always trying to keep the water fresh and not have it smell or infested with bacteria.

Would a PUR filter (like the one below) work well on a boat? Is it even useful or would it even do anything? Thanks!!

I have used a PUR filter since buying my boat and replacing the faucet...my spouse was concerned about water quality but she still prefers bottled water. It is very easy to change filters. The light indicators no longer work.

The package says it is good for 100 gallons but I put a new one in at the start of the cruise and use it all season...no one has died or gotten sick.

I bought a new filter very recently. The store had two different models in very similar packages. One was a few dollars but I could not see that there was a difference.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[tilostahl]

I haven't had any luck with in-line filters. When I leave the boat for a couple of months I get pretty nasty algae growth in the filter, with the accompanying odors, which is contrary to the objective. The tank water holds up well for kitchen use, so I'm keeping a Britta jug in the refrigerator for drinking water (cuts down on all the plastic water bottles I used to have to throw in the trash).

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by tilostahl

I haven't had any luck with in-line filters. When I leave the boat for a couple of months I get pretty nasty algae growth in the filter, with the accompanying odors, which is contrary to the objective. The tank water holds up well for kitchen use, so I'm keeping a Britta jug in the refrigerator for drinking water (cuts down on all the plastic water bottles I used to have to throw in the trash).

For any boat that's being stored, you'd want to flush / clean the water system after storage. And remove filters before flushing, replace with new after. If storing / winterizing over the winter, remove filters before adding antifreeze, replace with new after the spring flush. Letting them just sit in stagnant water when the system is not in use will let things get gross.

[ikanode]

Originally Posted by tilostahl

I haven't had any luck with in-line filters. When I leave the boat for a couple of months I get pretty nasty algae growth in the filter, with the accompanying odors

That's probably true of any filter. (Maybe not with silver impregnated ones.)

I have an inline filter in an RV and I remove and replace it before the next trip if it's going to sit unused for more than a month. I don't know exactly how long they can sit--it probably depends on the weather. If it's hot, stuff grows faster. If it gets down to freezing, the filter and/or the housing get damaged.

I figure it's a cost of $18 per trip. I could probably extend the life by bringing the cartridge home and storing it in the refrigerator--but it's not worth the trouble.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by tilostahl

I haven't had any luck with in-line filters. When I leave the boat for a couple of months I get pretty nasty algae growth in the filter, with the accompanying odors, which is contrary to the objective. The tank water holds up well for kitchen use, so I'm keeping a Britta jug in the refrigerator for drinking water (cuts down on all the plastic water bottles I used to have to throw in the trash).

I wonder if maybe your tanks need to be shocked and purged. I had a 70 gallon integral tank in my Hallberg Rassy. I left 40 or so gallons in it and added a quart of bleach and went for a sail then removed the water, flushed and refilled. Never a problem again.