Cleaning water tanks

[Bulldog]

I've been on TF for about 8 years now. I am just beginning to appreciate the cumulative wisdom that this forum has. Guess I'm a slow learner!

When I was a kid, my father used to "sweeten" our freshwater tanks with a handle of vodka twice a year. He said that his father taught him that trick and that boat water tastes better than tap water that way.

Being the slow learner that I am, I've used that trick for 30+ years now. My new wife says I have to change my ways.

With all of that said, can somebody advise me on a modern way of purifying freshwater tanks?

Much obliged.
Paul.

 

[PM]

About a half cup of unscented bleach per 125 gallons of water. You can't taste it, can't smell it and the water stays fresh.

pete

 

[Always Late]

But wait, I like the old method better!!

 

[koliver]

About a half cup of unscented bleach per 125 gallons of water. You can't taste it, can't smell it and the water stays fresh.

pete

That seems like a lot. my (questionable) math says that is 1/4000, or 250ppm.

According to the local (Saltspring Island) water board guy, provincial standards for water system clorination are 4ppm, (4/1000000).

We used to get by with 1 capful of bleach in the 30g tank in our first sailboat, where the supply water was questionable. On city water, for the past several decades, we rely on the tap water to be adequately chlorinated.

 

[Comodave]

Check with The Head Mistress, Peggie Hall. She is on the forum. She has a book about smells on board and it has info on water tank cleaning along with many other cleaning tips. I got a Kindle version on Amazon.

 

[firehoser75]

+1 on buy Peggie's book. You can also search these forums as she has posted many, many good posts with this type of info.
There is a big difference when it comes to "tank and system" cleaning/sterilizing vs "freshening" or "maintaining" the water in the tank to be used for drinking. Don't confuse the two.

 

[alormaria]

Bleach like Pete says.

 

[Bacchus]

Bleach works well. Concentration depends on your objective... sanitizing 1/4 cup / 15 gal capacity and 8-12 hr residence time.
Keeping untreated water from growing things is much lower but would have to look it up w a search.
There are non bleach treatments but I havent used them. Lots of RVers swear by them.

 

[sailormike]

On my camper and the boat at the beginning of the season I mix a super strong solution of bleach i run it through all pipe and faucets and fill fresh tank till it overflows. I let this sit 24 hours minimum. Flush this out and we are good to go for the year. Our freshwater at the dock is super chlorinated so we don't have to add additional bleach. If we are somewhere we need to add bleach I think we add 1oz per tank. I will have to look in my notes