 Check out the bookstore at IRBS.com |
|
|
|
|||||
|
||||||
From: Lee Licata (no email)
Date: Thu Jan 26 2006 - 08:41:31 EST
From Peggy Hall:
Only to recommission the system annually (on in the event it becomes
contaminated, requiring sanitizing). Adding a little to each fill is
a very bad idea...so is too much or too little, left in too long or
not long enough. Here are the directions for recommissioning...they
conform to section 10.8 in the A-1 192 code covering electrical,
plumbing, and heating of recreational vehicles, and approved and
recommended by competent health officials. It may be used in a new
system a used one that has not been used for a period of time, or
one that may have been contaminated.
Before beginning, turn off hot water heater at the breaker; do not
turn it on again until the entire recommissioning is complete.
Icemakers should be left running to allow cleaning out of the water
feed line; however the first two buckets of ice_the bucket generated
during recommissioning and the first bucketful afterward--should be
discarded.
1. Prepare a chlorine solution using one gallon of water and 1/2 cup
(4 oz) Clorox or Purex household bleach (5% sodium Hypochlorite
solution ). With tank empty, pour chlorine solution into tank. Use
one gallon of solution for each 5 gallons of tank capacity. (There's
an easier way: just use 1 quart of bleach/50 gal of water).
2. Complete filling of tank with fresh water. Open each faucet and
drain cock until air has been released and the entire system is
filled. Do not turn off the pump; it must remain on to keep the
system pressurized and the solution in the lines
3. Allow to stand for at least three hours, but no longer than 24 hours.
4 Drain through every faucet on the boat (and if you haven't done
this in a while, it's a good idea to remove any diffusion screens
from the faucets, because what's likely to come out will clog them).
Fill the tank again with fresh water only, drain again through every
faucet on the boat.
5. To remove excess chlorine taste or odor which might remain,
prepare a solution of one quart white vinegar to five gallons water
and allow this solution to agitate in tank for several days by
vehicle motion.
6. Drain tank again through every faucet, and flush the lines again
by fill the tank 1/4-1/2 full and again flushing with potable water.
While bleach (chlorine) IS corrosive, it_s effects are are
cumulative. So the effect of an annual or semi-annual "shock
treatment" is negligible compared to the cumulative effect of
holding chlorinated city water in the tank for years. Nevertheless,
it's a good idea to mix the total amount of bleach in a few gallons
of water before putting it into either a stainless or aluminum tank.
The cumulative effect of carrying chlorinated water is far more
damaging over time than the occasional _shock treatment._ And it_s
that cumulative effect that makes it a VERY bad idea to add a little
bleach to each fill. Not only does it damage the system, but unless
you add enough to make your water taste and smell like a laundry,
it_s not enough to do any good. Even if it were, any _purifying_
properties in chlorine evaporate within 24 hours, leaving behind
only the corrosive properties. Peggie Hall
On Jan 25, 2006, at 23:36, Paul W. Esterle wrote:
I have just finished articles for both SAIL and Voyaging magazine on
this very thing. Here is my quote:
"Please note that water with bleach in this quantity is not for
drinking, it is only for cleansing. You can use bleach for purifying
questionable drinking water but at a much lower concentration,
Specifically, use 1/2 teaspoon bleach per five gallons of water."
Paul Esterle - Freelance Boating Writer
Columbia 10.7/Matilda 20
North East MD
www.captnpauley.com
pages.preferred.com/~pesterle/
Roger Leslie wrote:
> We have just moved aboard and I over did it with the clorox in our
> two water tanks. I'm going to drain them tomorrow and need your
> recommendations on how much clorox to add. Our tanks are 60
> gallons each. How much would you recommend so as not to taste it,
> but still do some good?
> Thanks
________________________________________________________________________
___
|| The Live-Aboard List : send a "subscribe" or "unsubscribe"
request ||
|| in body of message to: live-aboard-
||
___________________________________________________________________________
|| The Live-Aboard List : send a "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" request ||
|| in body of message to: ||
|