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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Fresh Water Tank

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FatCatAnna
Deckhand

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Canada
5 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/18/2006 : 23:21:38

We purchased our Catalina 25 last fall at the end of the boating season. One thing that the surveyer came across was the fresh water tank and hoses had mold in them

. I spent the time to remove and replace the hoses (not reconnected to tank yet), but I am trying to figure a way to clean the water tank. Has anyone ever had this problem before, if so, how did you clean the tank out

Thanks to anyone for the assistance.

Mike and Anna
~~ Fat Cat ~~
C-25 FK/SR 4924

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 03/19/2006 : 07:28:28

FatCatAnna,<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">...the fresh water tank and hoses had mold in them ... Has anyone ever had this problem before...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Actually, I think almost all of us have had this probelm before.

Especially when we've just acquired a used Catalina 25!

The most popular approach seems to be to replace the hoses and clean out everything else. The water tanks all have a cleanout access on top, usually a 3" Beckson plate, or similar.

The procedure goes something like this.<ul>
<li>Dump in a cup or two of laundry bleach.</li>
<li>Add water to fill tank.</li>
<li>Stir, shake, or aggitate any way you can.</li>
<li>Drain the water, either through your old hoses (very tedious with the hand pumps at the sinks), or however you can figure out to do it. (I don't suggest draining it into the bilge and using the bilge pump. That strikes me a a fine way to spread the problem from the tank to the entire boat!) If the boat is out of the water, you might be able to use a garden hose as a long siphon. (Submerge the lower end of the hose in a bucket of water to prevent air from breaking the siphon.)</li>
<li>Repeat the fill, bleach, aggitate, and drain steps until the water in the tank is clean enough to stick a hand in. (Not necessarily your hand -- that's where wives, kids, and other crew members come in handy.)</li>
<li>At this point, the details depend on whether there's a hand skinny enough to fit though the cleanout access available and willing.</li>
<li>With a brush, sponge, and/or rag on the end of either a skinny arm or a stick, scrub the interior of the tank.</li>
<li>Repeat the bleach rinse and scrub steps until you decide the tank is clean enough to use, or hopeless enough to replace.</li>
<li>Only after the tank (And its inlet and outlet) are clean, reconnect your new hoses.</li>
<li>Figure out how to clean your faucets.</li>
</ul>I replaced my tank, but I have the original one in very clean condition sitting on a shelf, if you or anyone else would like to buy your way out of cleaning a particularly nasty tank.

-- Leon Sisson

Edited by - on

glivs
Admiral

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USA
836 Posts

Response Posted - 03/19/2006 : 07:39:07

Fat Cat,
Congrats on the new boat and hi neighbor (Leslie and I are on Malletts Bay just north of Burlington). Our water tank was also disgusting when we purchased our boat. Pulled the tank out of the cabin, hosed it out through the access port, shocked it with a 1/2 - 2/3 cup/gal mixture bleach for each 5 gal. capacity and let it sit in the sun for a couple of days. Flushed it with a similar mixture of white vinegar to neutralize the chlorine, and then flushed it out a couple of times. Cleaned up nicely. It is not necessary perhaps to pull the tank, but it was not a big effort. The only issue I encountered was that in installing the new lines, one of the hose fittings on the tank split. I wrapped it with a hose clamp and it has held these past two years. Check out Peggie Hall, "Get Rid of Boat Orders". It was her recommendations we followed. The book is well worth the investment and time.
Great sailing.

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 03/19/2006 : 07:52:58

FWIW, my hull #2428 did not have an access opening in the top. We installed a 4" access plate on top of the tank and a 6" plate through the wood panel that covers the tank.

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sweetcraft
Admiral

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USA
816 Posts

Response Posted - 03/19/2006 : 18:37:34

The tank experiences sound like mine too. Learned to change water lines everyother year, removed the fill deck hose because of its' loop held water and turned green. Installed an 8" deck plate after moving tank back 6+ inches to have a place for installation. I can completly dry the tank for the off season and wipe down the inside of the tank through the 8" plate. Replace water lines by pulling in new lines attached to new (learned this the hard way)and use thick wall clear water lines; found that flexible light waterlines are sucked closed. You know this was learned by first replacing hand pump which also wouldn't work. Then I learned to filter all the water that goes into the tank by using a large house type filter with hose fittings. Island marinas don't always have the best water or health departments. The tank has been giving us good water for cooking and drinking with filtered carry on water for anything else. Hope this helps.

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FatCatAnna
Deckhand

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Canada
5 Posts

Response Posted - 03/19/2006 : 19:21:14

I did not expect this problem to be so common. By the looks of things I will be going off to the boatshop to pick up an access plate and finally bleach and shake that tank clean. We're one step closer to launch... in May

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OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 03/19/2006 : 19:56:11

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by FatCatAnna
 . . . and shake that tank clean . . . <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

LOL - that's hardly necessary . . . using bleach with a brush should be plenty.

Good luck!

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Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 03/19/2006 : 20:33:51

At one point we considered filling it with gin. We even worked out the costs, the best gin for the dollar (american and canadian) whether the pump worked etc.

We thought about replacing it, removing it, putting in a full electric pump, and removing it.

Anyway, to answer your question, this would be our method of cleaning it.

[url="http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/26400/0/0/water%20tank/All_2/mode+matchallpartial/0/0"]This is the method we would use to clean the water tank[/url]

At one point we would have tried cleaning it, but not with kids now.

Edited by - on

Justin
Admiral

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502 Posts

Response Posted - 03/20/2006 : 07:28:33

I need to replace all my hoses since they're coated in mildew. Where do most of you buy replacement hoses? I saw at Home Depot some hoses that looked very similar to what is on the boat. I just remember it being very cheap compared to what West Marine sold. They were sold on ~25' spools for around $5 I think.

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Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 03/20/2006 : 09:14:10

Boat US

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