Water System

[Jim]

Hi all,

Earlier this year, we had a leak on our water system which was fixed by our marina. As part of the job, they also fitted a new set of taps to the galley (been waiting for them to do that for two years) as the switches had failed. I am certain the leak was below the cabin floor but their invoice says the leak was on the calorifier which seems odd as if there was a leak there, the water would collect in the engine bay and not under the cabin floor.  Our boat has three tank vents, one connected to the cold tank in the bow and two others on the starboard side of the hull.  Usually, when the tanks are full  during filling, water would pour out of these vents but since the "repair" water overflows from the filling point instead and not the vents. I have drained and re-filled the tanks in case there was an air lock but there is no difference.   Not only that but despite using umpteen Milton tablets, the water has a horrible "rotten egg" pong ever since.  I did empty the tanks last weekend and poured in about a litre of water heavily dosed with Milton to try and get rid of the smell.

I have asked our marina many times to let me know exactly where the leak was and why the tank vents no longer work.  Despite many emails, phone calls, they still never told me anything!  Any ideas/suggestions much appreciated 

[BuffaloBill]

Hi Jim. I would strongly suggest that you DO NOT drink the

water until the smell has been properly investigated.

On all the boats we've owned, I have fitted an inline carbon

filter from the pipe that leads directly from the tank and on

the 'pressure' side of the pump. This means that everything

fed from the pump is clean including the shower.This stops

all the smells and there has never been any strange tasting

water either,

[Oddfellow]

Firstly, a couple of milton tabs with a couple of litres of water is pointless. You have a tank of water and a boat full of pipework. You need to know the size of the tank, dose it properly with the correct amount of purification tabs or powder and FILL IT fully so that the whole tank comes into contact with the solution. Then run every tap and shower through until you smell the purification solution come though. 

Now, leave it overnight. 

Then empty the tanks though all taps/outlets and then flush through again or until the instructions on the purification solution tell you to stop. 

I have a problem on my motor home where we get bad smells from the water if it's been standing for a few weeks. Can't quite fathom it, but I suspect that the plastic pipework is degrading. Either that or there's unpleasant sludge in the tank that our purification only attacks the surface of. 

[Jim]

54 minutes ago, BuffaloBill said:

Hi Jim. I would strongly suggest that you DO NOT drink the

water until the smell has been properly investigated.

On all the boats we've owned, I have fitted an inline carbon

filter from the pipe that leads directly from the tank and on

the 'pressure' side of the pump. This means that everything

fed from the pump is clean including the shower.This stops

all the smells and there has never been any strange tasting

water either,

Hi Bill,

We have never drank the tap water and only use it for washing up/showers.  We take bottled water for drinking or cooking although we do sometimes fill a container from the fresh water tap at the mooring.  I like the carbon filter idea though!

 

[Jim]

40 minutes ago, FreedomBoatingHols said:

Firstly, a couple of milton tabs with a couple of litres of water is pointless. You have a tank of water and a boat full of pipework. You need to know the size of the tank, dose it properly with the correct amount of purification tabs or powder and FILL IT fully so that the whole tank comes into contact with the solution. Then run every tap and shower through until you smell the purification solution come though. 

Now, leave it overnight. 

Then empty the tanks though all taps/outlets and then flush through again or until the instructions on the purification solution tell you to stop. 

I have a problem on my motor home where we get bad smells from the water if it's been standing for a few weeks. Can't quite fathom it, but I suspect that the plastic pipework is degrading. Either that or there's unpleasant sludge in the tank that our purification only attacks the surface of. 

Thanks Andy,

As is is winter, the tanks are now empty apart from the last small dose of Milton. If I do get up for a couple of days before Christmas, I will go with what you suggested. Cold water tanks are Aquaflow and were new in Spring 2009.  The bow tank is 7.5 gallon and thwartships is 10 gallon.  Calorifier is a C Warm 35 litre unit new in 2012. most pipework on the cold and hot side is original (1984) but new sections were added when the C Warm unit was fitted.

As to why the vents no longer work, I need to get the answer from FM as to what they did!

[Maxwellian]

You might try working in reverse and inserting a hose in each of the vents one by one. Listen at the filler point of your tank to see if there is any flow back. If none check the bilge. If the bilge is filling they probably disconnected or dislodged then.

[Jim]

22 minutes ago, Maxwellian said:

You might try working in reverse and inserting a hose in each of the vents one by one. Listen at the filler point of your tank to see if there is any flow back. If none check the bilge. If the bilge is filling they probably disconnected or dislodged then.

Thanks for your thoughts on this one, the bilge is dry though with no signs of disconnections at all.  The yard are going to ring me and let me know what they did to fix the original leak and why the system is behaving the way it is. Will be awkward to do much at present as the system has been drained down for winter.

 

[Jim]

Finally, I got up to our boat today, last saw her in late January (work, work and more work). As she was winterised, I loaded the water system with 8 Milton tabs dissolved first and then filled her tanks to the brim.  I will leave for a week or so and hope to get back next weekend to rinse, check and repeat as suggested by members here (Ta)

Neither the bow tank vent or those on the rear starboard side do anything when the taks are full, water still overflows from the filler point.  I have given up asking Ferry to inspect, advise, etc etc. They just never get in touch.  The fact the vents no longer seem to do anything is worrying as they need to work in order for the water system to be in good order.  Some serious jetwashing took all my time today so no chance to do a deeper inspection. None of the pipework in the engine bay has been changed.  

[Jim]

Well, after my visit yesterday and also in early July for two nights, it would seem the milton has done its stuff.  I dosed the system after a full rinse in July and having not been there till yesterday, the water ran fine and no bad pongs, only milton. Her tanks are now empty in prep for winter so hope all is okay come 2018.  Thanks for all the suggestions, well received!