| Author | Message | ||
     Wojciech and Jolanta Lukaszewicz Username: Wlukasz Registered: 01-2007 |
The water in Namaste's tank became somewhat smelly and I need to do something about it. My plan is to pump all the water out while trying to stir the contents so that the sediment gets disturbed. Then I plan to rinse the tank and finally fill it back in and add the tablets. As far as I know there is no easy access to the tank in W28. If any of W28-ers has done this before, please share your experience. Cheers, Voytek, s/v Namaste | ||
| Kevin Donahue and Marilyn Falconer Username: 2858 Registered: 09-2008 |
I had a similar issue and found that changing the (30+ year old) water supply lines seems to have completely solved the problem. I started out by first using a product called Puriclean. We added it as we filled the tank, then went out sailing for a few hours to stir things up. I let it sit in the tank for a few days then pumped everything out and followed up with another fill, rinse and refill. It was a cheap fix as boat fixes go...but did not completely solve the issue, so I then replaced all the supply hoses. That was 18 months ago and things are still good. I also replaced all the head hoses at that same time and eliminated all the odors in the head. Heating the head hoses makes them MUCH eaiser to bend and install. The only way I could think of to access the tank top was by carefully cutting and removing part of the locker bottoms under the settee and aft end of the settee near the fill and outlet fittings. Then cutting into the top of the tank. But that would still give only limited access. Shurflo sells some Carbon inline water filters that work really well. Kevin | ||
| Stephen and Lu Ann Yoder Username: Syoder Registered: 09-2005 |
Kevin, Does Puriclean have chlorine in it? I've been worried about putting chlorine tablets in my tank ever since I started reading about how bad chlorine was for aluminum tanks. Or maybe the tank isn't aluminum? Anyway, I think your idea about the hoses is probably pretty good. We haven't had any taste or odor issues but looking at our at-one-time clear hoses, I can't imagine why not. Pretty funky looking. | ||
| Wojciech and Jolanta Lukaszewicz Username: Wlukasz Registered: 01-2007 |
Kevin, Thanks for the advice. How did you replace the hoses? How did you get to the place where they attach to the tank? Voytek | ||
| Kevin Donahue and Marilyn Falconer Username: 2858 Registered: 09-2008 |
The hoses attach to the tank under the aft end of the settee by the engine room bulkhead. Lift the aft settee board and cushion and look down and aft. Just loosen the hose clamps and twist/pull off the hose. I don't have pressure water so my supply system is simple. I rerouted my supply hoses thru the bilge hanging them from the cabin sloe stringers and "T"ing them to the galley sink and head sink. Kevin | ||
| Kevin Donahue and Marilyn Falconer Username: 2858 Registered: 09-2008 |
Steve, I don't recall what is in the Puriclean. I've got some on the boat, I'll check the label the next time on on my boat. Kevin | ||
| Wojciech and Jolanta Lukaszewicz Username: Wlukasz Registered: 01-2007 |
Thanks Kevin, will let you know the progress... | ||
| Wojciech and Jolanta Lukaszewicz Username: Wlukasz Registered: 01-2007 |
I've connected an electric pump to the outflow hose but couldn't get any flow of water. It seemed that the pump's suction created vacuum in the tank preventing water flow. I've opened the filler cap but no luck either... yet when I've connected the hose back to the filter and used the foot pump as usual the water was on the tap as expected. What could be causing that? | ||
| Kevin Donahue and Marilyn Falconer Username: 2858 Registered: 09-2008 |
Voytek, Please forgive me for asking, but is it possible you are hooking the electric pump to the vent line and not to the output line? They are usually side by side on the tank top. If you did put the pump on the vent line it would just draw air. Kevin | ||
| Wojciech and Jolanta Lukaszewicz Username: Wlukasz Registered: 01-2007 |
Fair question Kevin but no.. I've disconnected the hose from the filter and connected the pump there so this should be correct. I've also checked that the pump is connected correctly, i.e. it sucks from the tank rather than pumping into it. When I start the pump it sucks about half a glass of water and no more. When I disconnect the hose I can hear the air swooosh back to the tank, yet the foot pump works fine. This project's priority's dropped somewhat though after last weekend's cruise. I went from Adelaide to Port Vincent, a 30nm shot west across Gulf St Vincent. I had a stiff southerly breeze of 18-23kt both ways. Half the way over the ST4000+ autopilot packed up. I've changed to my spare ST2000+ that took me there and half way back the next day. Then the nipple at the end of the drive shaft broke off (ST2000+ isn't really up for the job for W28 steaming with full sail in a 20+ kt breeze), I only reefed up then because I had to hand steer and it was hard. Remarkably haven't lost any speed after reefing. Talking about the speed it was the first time I've seen 7 knots on the speedo which was very pleasing. All in all 6 hours over and 5.5 back. Great sail. Other damage includes burned/rusted exhaust riser that has caused a spray of exhaust and salt water around the engine room. Cleaning's already done but the riser needs to be fabricated and replaced. So, as you can see, some more important jobs came out. The water tank cleaning comes after... | ||
| Tom Crank Username: Capn_tom Registered: 06-2004 |
It sounds like the electric pump develops more vacuum than the foot pump and is causing the hose to colapse. | ||
| Kevin Donahue and Marilyn Falconer Username: 2858 Registered: 09-2008 |
Voytek, Maybe the pump you are using is a push rather than a suction pump, if that were the case the resistance from the filter might be enough to prevent it from drawing. Tom also brings up a good possability about the hose. Its amazing the similar issues we both have had. A few years ago the plastic tip on my autohelm broke in mid Pacific on the way to Hawaii. I had one machined out of bronze when I got to Hawaii. It was not cheap, but it is still working... Kevin | ||
| Wojciech and Jolanta Lukaszewicz Username: Wlukasz Registered: 01-2007 |
Tom, Thanks for the suggestion. I will check this. I'm using a Shurflo pump that I found on the boat. I think it is of the type usually used for pressure water. Is it normally installed before or after the filter? Kevin, I was thinking of of getting one machined out of bronze but on the second thought I figured that it was intended to break rather than damaging the drive so I'm planning on buying the plastic tip and a spare, they shouldn't be more than 5 or 10 bucks each... ST2000+ is rated at 10000lbs boat so W28 is too big for it and has to be used with caution. Are you using it as your primary autopilot? | ||
| Wojciech and Jolanta Lukaszewicz Username: Wlukasz Registered: 01-2007 |
Pump mystery solved! When I first connected the pump I was guided by the arrows on the filter for the flow direction. After carefully checking the layout of water hoses it's turned out that they were connected to the filter back to front and I was trying to suck the water from the tap and not from the tank... so, one hurdle over but still don't know why it was connected that way... In the meantime I've got half the water out, to be continued tomorrow... | ||
| George and Rayna Shaunfield Username: Georges Registered: 12-2005 |
Wojciech, I would be interested in knowing how your cleaning of the water tank came out. I project I need to undertake before too many months. | ||
| Wojciech and Jolanta Lukaszewicz Username: Wlukasz Registered: 01-2007 |
George, I'm half way done. Since there is no access to the tank, all you can do is pump stuff in and out. With this being an aluminum tank I was reluctant to be adding anything to the water I was pumping, so I ended up just rinsing the tank a number of times, maybe 5 times. This has not eliminated the smell, however, so the next step is to replace all water hoses. I'm sure this will fix the problem. I will keep you guys posted on my progress. In the meantime I have got a new exhaust riser fabricated and installed, overhauled leaking water pump and fixed fuel lift pump, so things are moving on... I'm getting to know my engine inside out by now ;-) |