Getting "plastic" taste out of new water tank

Ray Bowles · Aug 10, 2012

My understanding about the use of chlorine is that it is used to kill bacteria, molds and other growing things that tend to wreck us. It is not used to remove smells that come from the manufacturing of parts in a water system. The amount of chlorine you used the first time will surely kill any living buggers in your system. The repeating of the process also would not give the results you desire.
You might find a better process in the archives under the the pen of "Peggy, the Head Mistress".
I would recommend skipping the use of any more chlorine and just run water through the system. If you let the water stand in the system it will remove the smell with normal use. You might use other water for drinking during this period.
Maybe someone else might know a better way to remove the smell quicker than normal use.
Good luck, Ray

Don S/V ILLusion · Aug 10, 2012

Peroxide will serve both functions - disinfect as well as eliminate the plastic taste which is really the volatile plasticizers. Typical drug store peroxide is 2% which will be useless. Find a chemical formulator near you and get some 26% peroxide (hydrogen peroxide) and run through the entire system. Even a short residence time will work well.

Chris Nowell · Aug 10, 2012

The owners' manual in our boat suggests;
"5- To remove excessive chlorine taste or odor which might remain,
prepare a solution of 1 quart vinegar to 5 gallons of water, and allow
this solution to agitate in tank for several days by vessel motion.

6- Drain tank and again flush with potable water (IMPORTANT)."

Slow Mo^cean · Aug 10, 2012

I've heard the vinegar trick working. I've also bought pre-treaters for my camelback hydration packs. I'll see if I can find them and see what the ingredients are.

caguy · Aug 10, 2012

At least now you can taste the PCB's when you ingest them.

CalebD · Aug 10, 2012

The bonus is that white vinegar by the gallon at a supermarket should be less then $2/gallon. Run that through your water system and let it sit for as long as you can tolerate.

I happen to like putting the cheapest Vodka I can find in our water tank which seems to kill odors. I'll leave about 1.75 liters in the water tank over the winter. It works great for cleaning your hands of engine grease in the spring. I bring bottled water for drinking though so I'm not sure how the water tastes once we put water in on top of the alcohol residue.

RichH · Aug 11, 2012

OdayDave ..... of what material is the water tank made?

If this is a 'plastic' tank, is the tank made from plastic that is certified compatible for POTABLE water usage?
If metal or polyethylene, then the 'taste' can be removed or lessened. If however the tank is 'fiberglass', etc. then nothing on the planet will remove the taste, and the 'taste' is usually very harmful ... and the tank should be coated internally with suitable/special polymers for use with potable water service.

What's the tank made from? ... then I can correctly answer your question.

rgranger · Aug 11, 2012

They sell cartridge water filters at Lowes and Home Depot. I have one on the water line for my Fridge and many people have them under their sink. Maybe adding one of these to your faucet line would be a good idea. An activated charcoal filter would remove the majority of any plasticizers remaining in your water.

xcyz · Aug 11, 2012

Do I dare say "most" people, well at least we don't use the water in our tank for drinking unless we have to. We try to use bottled water for that purpose while other folks probably prefer rum or beer.

Water quality and taste will vary from marina to marina so we use our tank mainly for cooking, showers and cleanup. We always fill our water tank using a charcoal filter (just in case), I purchased it from WalMart for $17. It screws on to the end of a garden hose and has a spring wrapped 9inch hose at the egress end which helps to support its self while filling the tank. We also "ALWAYS" use an approved water hose safe for drinking and not regular garden type variety as some are labeled as unsafe for drinking. Some of the less expensive hoses will also transfer that plastic odor as well.

I suppose using the charcoal filtration during the filling process probably would not work in your situation as you say the foul-plastic-taste is from the plastics within the tank it self. Just for kicks, you may want to check the type of hose you're using, taste the water just as it's leaving the hose, is it nasty, could this be your source?

In any event it sounds like you would need to insert your filtration further down stream in attempt to eliminate the bad odor if the taste is from the tank and you intend to drink the water. I guess with only an 8gal tank it might not make sense..

-R

DAVA390 · Aug 11, 2012

During a new kitchen installation here last winter, my contractor replaced the copper water line from the sink to the refrig. icemaker with a plastic line he had bought at Lowes/.He swears (and i believe him, my best friend since age 5) that the hose was made specificaly for icemaker water . After 3 weeks constantly running, making ice and dumping it out, I mde him reinstall the copper. cured the awful taste problem. Dave

Stu Jackson · Aug 11, 2012

Reply #6 is Peggie Hall's recommissioning for water systems

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5836.0.html

Ducati · Aug 12, 2012

Change Beverages...

(quote): I'm sure it will eventually dissipate, but if there are some tricks to doing this, I would appreciate hearing them.

Switch from water to vodka...

RichH · Aug 12, 2012

OdayDave said:
Thanks for the responses. I hadn't thought of the vinegar or the hydrogen peroxide options. The vodka option is also interesting. I did think of the filter option but since the system uses hand pumps, rather than an electric pump, I wasn't sure if it would work well. I'm sure I'll get the plastic taste out so the current problem is likely temporary.

By the way, the tank is an 8-gal marine water tank bought from www.tank-depot.com. It's designed for potable water use.

Dave
s/v Lagniappe
O'Day 25

All the tanks listed on that website are manufactured from polyethylene - a very stable and inert polymer for potable water service ... so, the odds are high that the tank isnt the source of your taste. Rather 'sniff' each component other than the tank for smell/taste and consider to replace the individual component. Usually its the hose as much of the water hose sold in marine chandleries ISNT suitable for POTABLE water service. Buy only components that are NSF or FDA compliant for potable water service if you dont want 'taste'.
That 'taste' is potentially very harmful on an accumulated basis and can absorb either through drinking it, washing or soaking in it, etc. The 'taste' usually cannot be flushed away as the chemical fragments that are responsible for 'taste' keep leeching out forever (at a decreasing exponential basis). Using oxidants (clorox, etc,) only reacts with the present surface leeching chemicals that continue to leech or extract. Vinegar isnt reactive and will only 'mask' the taste. Drugstore peroxide is too 'weak'; to be of any benefit you'd have to totally fill the system 'completely' with drugstore hydrogen peroxide ... even for sanitization purposes; the concentration of hydrogen peroxide needed is quite dangerous for a non-chemist to use. Charcoal packed filters are OK but require maintenance to be sure not to become 'breakthrough' when the activated charcoal is 'saturated'; and the chemical fragments are no longer captured, the concentration of 'fragments' slowly increases ---- and you get 'used to them' as they increase. Filters and charcoal adsorbing filters on water systems are best used on the dock hose that you use to fill the tankage.

Rx: assay the components other than the tank. Use your nose on each component and replace the component that 'stinks', replace with NSF or FDA compliant component .... THEN shock sanitize the total system: (40+ oz. of grocery store Clorox per 100 gallons of water --- soak for at least 1-2 hours, then flush the system SEVERAL times --- Note: this is a standard formulary for shock sanitizing a NEW system made of new components, not a water system that has become contaminated with a large amount of bio-burden and/or a system that has developed a 'slimey to the touch' massive colony (calcyx) of bacteria, etc. )

Hope this helps.

zeehag · Aug 12, 2012

try rinsing it with baking soda then letting it sit for a few minuets--about 5, and thoroughly rinse it out. should make a difference--is the usual remedy for flavorful plastics.

FastOlson · Aug 12, 2012

New? It might just be the Tank!

All the suggestions here may help.
On the chance that they do not, however, I have to weigh in with our experience on a new water tank some years ago on our prior boat.
I bought that tank new from a reputable vendor, and it was the usual (and reliable) roto molded poly. Krakor brand.

Well, after several weeks of trying everything on this list and more, and a heckova lot of rinse water, I gave up. The seller agreed that they would scrap that tank and refunded our money.

What they told me was that the temp. control in the molding process is VERY critical and that a degree or two too hot will "over cook" the material and the resulting taste will never go away.
So I bought a another tank - same vendor - from another tank builder and there was never a smell or a problem.

My experience, FWIW.
YMMV, as they say on the 'net...........

BobM · Aug 12, 2012

Re: New? It might just be the Tank!

I second the vodka...only I would substitute a gallon of denatured alcohol if it is cheaper and drink the vodka. I am a chemist and we do extractables / leachables studies for metered dose inhalers. Over the years I have done extractions with water, ethanol and stronger solvents. Just water won't work worth a damn. Bleach is good for killing things, and probably helps a little, but ethanol is the way to roll. Just don't go crazy and use neat ethanol as you could damage your pump seals.

However, even if the system were brand new I'd still strongly recommend you filter it. To get around the pump issue I suggest you get a water pitcher or a hand pump filter like the ones backpackers use. For a daysailer I still find that those 2.5 gallon water jugs work best. I have thought about hooking up a separate pump I could use and adapt to hook up to one. Maybe the easiest thing to do would be to work out a way to gravity feed it.

http://www.outdoorplay.com/MSR-Mini-Works-EX-Water-Purifier-Filter?sc=10&category=8395#back

Bob S · Aug 13, 2012

I have used Peggy's recommendations referenced by Stu for three seasons and can't believe how much better my water tastes now. You'll never go wrong following RichH's advise either. I bought this tubing for my water system from McMaster Carr. I was a little worried it not being reinforced. I thought it might collapse with the pump but it has worked well.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-plastic-and-rubber-tubing/=itztyk