Keeping Water Fresh

[maccauley123]

I don't know that I would use all the water in my storage tank so looking for a way to keep the green stuff from growing. Would these work?

1. Throw in a couple of silver dollars? I read somewhere that silver is a natural disinfectant so wondered if this might work.

2. Throw in a shot or two of vodka. In a 10 gallon tank a few shots of vodka won't have any noticeable effect on taste but is it enough alcohol to kill the buggies?

[sailingdog]

Yes, silver ions do have anti-bacteria properties...but the best way to keep the water fresh in the tank is to keep it moving... it only really goes bad if it sits there and stagnates. If you pump a couple of gallons into the sink each time you're at the boat, if you're not actively using the water tank..and add fresh water... its letting it sit for weeks on end that leads to the system getting really nasty.

Shock treat the system in the spring as Peggie Hall describes it..and then go from there.

[sailingfool]

Add a couple of tablespoons of bleach into your tank each time you fill it, that will keep growth out of the tank. You can't really drink what's in the tank anyway, use bottled water for drinking.

[sailingdog]

Don't do this if you have an aluminum tank... it's a disaster if you have an aluminum tank....

Originally Posted by sailingfool

Add a couple of tablespoons of bleach into your tank each time you fill it, that will keep growth out of the tank. You can't really drink what's in the tank anyway, use bottled water for drinking.

[Omatako]

If your tanks are white plastic that lets light in, paint them with something dark - light causes stuff to grow. No light - no grow.

We had a huge farm tank on our property years ago and it gather rain water from the roof of the dwelling. It was completely enclosed and pitch dark inside. The water stayed fresh and crystal clear even when no "new" water went in for several months.

[39512]

Why not use Aquabon? It works.

[billyruffn]

Originally Posted by Omatako

If your tanks are white plastic that lets light in, paint them with something dark - light causes stuff to grow. No light - no grow.

I've also found keeping the water in the dark is a big help. Many brands of water hose are made of clear plastic -- which of course lets lots of light in, which is probably why much of the problem occurs in the transmission tubing vs the tanks (see the link SD's post above). Water systems that use semi-rigid plastic tube (vs flexible hose) have an advantage of keeping the light out. Where you have to use the clear, flexible hose try wrapping it in black electrical tape to block the light.

[celenoglu]

Use a set of filters very close to the output. 20 microns, active carbon and 5 micron filters in series will keep all the growth in and supply fresh water.

[Keldee]

Why wouldn't you drink water out of the tank? With some bleach each time you fill it is perfectly fine.Bottled water should be banned,what about all that plastic in the landfills.

[adru]

Are there any special recommendations if a marine hot water heater is involved.