Antifouling for water tank

[Andy1237]

Just read this in article about things to do with a penney.

#7. Reader Tip: Birdbath Cleaner

To ward off algae, toss in a few pre-1982 coins; the high copper content retards growth.

So should I put a pre-82 penney in my water tank to retard algae growth?

 

[Joe]

Well..... I don't think the copper penny makes the birdbath water drinkable.

 

[jsalley]

Gotta say - my wife has a copper and a concrete birdbath in the yard, and the copper one never seems to have growth in it. Never gave it any thought before...

 

[sailingdog]

Might not be a bad idea... the minimal amount of copper that would leach into the water would probably not be enough to harm you.

Just read this in article about things to do with a penney.

#7. Reader Tip: Birdbath Cleaner

To ward off algae, toss in a few pre-1982 coins; the high copper content retards growth.

So should I put a pre-82 penney in my water tank to retard algae growth?

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

It won't hurt but it won't do much good either. Algae is only one of many things in stagnant water which can cause either a bad taste or health hazard in potable water, e.g., bacteria, mold, organics, all of which are un-effected by copper.

Rather than waste a perfectly valuable penny, disinfect the tank periodically and always keep the water fresh.

 

[Ron20324]

Clean the penny first! When I am back in my slip after a cruise, I do not hesitate to use the water in the tank. If I'm wastefull, I can use all of it before my next cruise so as to start out with entirely fresh water.

 

[Paul Mermelstein]

Algae requires light to grow. I doubt if the water tank(s) have that. So you can't have algae in the water tank. You could have many other things ranging from bacteria to fungi (mold etc.). I don't think a penny helps there.

Read Peggy Hall's posts about spring comissioning of the fresh water tank. You gotta get it clean and keep it clean.

 

[catsailor]

Well, what about these articles on copper's antimicrobial atributes?

Algae requires light to grow. I doubt if the water tank(s) have that. So you can't have algae in the water tank. You could have many other things ranging from bacteria to fungi (mold etc.). I don't think a penny helps there.

Read Peggy Hall's posts about spring commissioning of the fresh water tank. You gotta get it clean and keep it clean.

These claims and the study are about pathogens - the ones we are worried about.

http://contractormag.com/piping/cda_hails_epa/

http://www.reverecopper.com/pdf/pressRelease052508.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tap_water

I think this bears watching. The EPA and CDC think so. No, it won't have the effectiveness of conventional cleaning and commissioning steps, but it is interesting.

 

[sailingdog]

One major caveat, if you have an aluminum or stainless steel water tank, don't throw any copper into it... bad idea...

 

[catsailor]

A very large fly in the ointment, to be certain.

I once saw a copper float drill a big hole through the bottom of a 1/4-inch carbon steel fuel tank in about 10 years. It was sitting on the bottom, due to a broken cable. certainly, there was a small layer of water.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Fwiw...

The critters that grow in fresh water tanks and plumbing are molds, fungi and bacteria--unpleasant but harmless unless foul water was taken on--but not algae...'cuz algae needs light. And there's no light inside water tanks and fresh water plumbing.

 

[BobM]

Re: Fwiw...

I wouldn't worry about copper making water undrinkable...after all...most of us have copper pipes in our homes. A good quality water filter should be included if you drink your water. If you turn your water supply over a lot you are in little danger, those of us who don't have a bigger issue. I need to replace my 40 gallon tank, but really don't use fw all that often as I mostly day sail. It sounds ridiculous, but I could almost just hook up one of those 2.5 gallon jugs from the store to meet my needs. That would save me about $700 on the purchase of a new tank LOL. However, I have decided to replace the tank and that the cockpit shower will be used to fw rinse the boat. That will certainly increase my water turnover, keeping my water fresh.

 

[Jerry Clark H356 SV Persi]

Spring Commissioning using Peggy Hall method

Each spring when I de-winterize, I use Peggy Hall's method of re-sanitizing my water system. We use our water straight from the tank all year (March 1 through November) with no problems. We spend about 75 days a year on the boat, so we run through the water fairly quick. If you don't use it as much as we do, then just re-sanitize more oftern. It takes several hours, but is a really easy job.