Have had the H260 in the water for two seasons with the same water in the tank, I did add bleach the beginning of each season, the water is nasty!and needs to be changed. Is their an alternative to pulling the boat onto the trailor to drain? I,m sure a pump is an option as I have read WB tank postings. Wouldn,t want to install just for this purpose. Most likly a one time thing.Is it possible to displace the tank water with clean water through the vent, with the fill port open? Is sinking likly? I'm looking for options as I have sold my vehical with the hitch, and not yet installed one on it's replacement.
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Tom M.
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alan
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ken
do as I wrote
alan, have you done this? can I just pull the plug on the vent, insert a fresh water hose, open up fill port and let it flush? will water flow back up the vent around the hose? should I seal the hose into the vent some way? thanks for the response.
alan, have you done this? can I just pull the plug on the vent, insert a fresh water hose, open up fill port and let it flush? will water flow back up the vent around the hose? should I seal the hose into the vent some way? thanks for the response.
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Tom M.
I think Alan meant that
you could certainly pump it out and then just open the filler thing and refill it. I don't think the other method will work. -Tom
you could certainly pump it out and then just open the filler thing and refill it. I don't think the other method will work. -Tom
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Robert Avent
Easy fix
With the boat in the water, I just opened the bottom valve, put a small diameter hose in the top and let it run slowly for an hour or or a little more. The old water drains out by gravity. The only drawback to this is wasting a little fresh water (some of the fresh water drains out too). After refilling, pour in a little bit of bleach.
With the boat in the water, I just opened the bottom valve, put a small diameter hose in the top and let it run slowly for an hour or or a little more. The old water drains out by gravity. The only drawback to this is wasting a little fresh water (some of the fresh water drains out too). After refilling, pour in a little bit of bleach.
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alan
I ment what I wrote.
Ken, Tom, if you SLOWLY add water through the vent WITH the fill port (I read that as the valve on the bottom of the boat) open, water will drain out the bottom as Robert also pointed out. Yes, if you stick a fire hose in there then the water will not drain out fast enough and flow on top of the ballast tank. That can take months to dry out. When the valve at the bottom of the boat and the vent cap by the control are open, then the water level visable at the vent is the same as the water level outside the boat. This is always true as long as both are open and water is neither added or taken out faster then it can flow in or out through the bottom of the boat. alan
Ken, Tom, if you SLOWLY add water through the vent WITH the fill port (I read that as the valve on the bottom of the boat) open, water will drain out the bottom as Robert also pointed out. Yes, if you stick a fire hose in there then the water will not drain out fast enough and flow on top of the ballast tank. That can take months to dry out. When the valve at the bottom of the boat and the vent cap by the control are open, then the water level visable at the vent is the same as the water level outside the boat. This is always true as long as both are open and water is neither added or taken out faster then it can flow in or out through the bottom of the boat. alan
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crazy dave
Ken
If you have been adding chlorox as I had instructed from the beginning, you will be fine about the tank and there is no need to pull the boat unless you want to. If you do need to pull get in touch with your dealer and maybe he will help you.
If you have been adding chlorox as I had instructed from the beginning, you will be fine about the tank and there is no need to pull the boat unless you want to. If you do need to pull get in touch with your dealer and maybe he will help you.
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Ron Mehringer
Clorox
Many people refer to adding Clorox once a year. Personally, I think it is better to add less Clorox a few times a year. Chlorine is very reactive and gets used up, so it's better to treat at regular intervals than rely on one big dose to get you thru the year. Kind of like the way you do with a pool. JMHO. Ron Mehringer h26 Hydro-Therapy
Many people refer to adding Clorox once a year. Personally, I think it is better to add less Clorox a few times a year. Chlorine is very reactive and gets used up, so it's better to treat at regular intervals than rely on one big dose to get you thru the year. Kind of like the way you do with a pool. JMHO. Ron Mehringer h26 Hydro-Therapy
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Peggie Hall/HeadMistress
Why not just change the water a few times a year?
Replacing the stagnant septic cesspool in a ballast tank with clean water, whether it's sea water or fresh water, seems a lot simpler--and far more effective--cure for a stinky ballast tank than poisoning it with bleach and other chemicals. A ballast tank is an enclosed anaerobic environment very similar to a waste holding tank if filled with salt water, because salt water is full of bacteria and other organisms that die, decay, break down and stink. Otoh, a swimming pool is exposed to sunlight and plenty of fresh air. A swimming pool can grow algae...which a ballast tank cannot do because algae needs light. But a ballast tank can grow all kinds of other critters--molds, fungi, bacteria, etc. and unfortunately, ballast tanks can't be vented as waste tanks can to make 'em aerobic...and not only does anaerobic activity stink, but the gasses produced by anaerobic activity can be VERY harmful to health. And while bleach and other chemicals may knock down the odor for a while, they lose their potency fairly quickly, so 90% of the time all you have in the tank is a cesspool polluted by toxic chemical waste. So...why not just change the water every few weeks? It can't be any more effort than the never-ending battle to keep it from stinking.
Replacing the stagnant septic cesspool in a ballast tank with clean water, whether it's sea water or fresh water, seems a lot simpler--and far more effective--cure for a stinky ballast tank than poisoning it with bleach and other chemicals. A ballast tank is an enclosed anaerobic environment very similar to a waste holding tank if filled with salt water, because salt water is full of bacteria and other organisms that die, decay, break down and stink. Otoh, a swimming pool is exposed to sunlight and plenty of fresh air. A swimming pool can grow algae...which a ballast tank cannot do because algae needs light. But a ballast tank can grow all kinds of other critters--molds, fungi, bacteria, etc. and unfortunately, ballast tanks can't be vented as waste tanks can to make 'em aerobic...and not only does anaerobic activity stink, but the gasses produced by anaerobic activity can be VERY harmful to health. And while bleach and other chemicals may knock down the odor for a while, they lose their potency fairly quickly, so 90% of the time all you have in the tank is a cesspool polluted by toxic chemical waste. So...why not just change the water every few weeks? It can't be any more effort than the never-ending battle to keep it from stinking.
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Ron Mehringer
changing vs bleach
Peggie, changing the water regularly is an interesting suggestion but I don't know if that will do the trick. How would you get the all the ballast water to come out and be replaced with new, other than if you pulled the boat out? Adding a bit of bleach a few times a year is fairly insignificant in comparison to the amount of bleach being used by the millions of washing machines out there. Ron Mehringer h26 Hydro-Therapy
Peggie, changing the water regularly is an interesting suggestion but I don't know if that will do the trick. How would you get the all the ballast water to come out and be replaced with new, other than if you pulled the boat out? Adding a bit of bleach a few times a year is fairly insignificant in comparison to the amount of bleach being used by the millions of washing machines out there. Ron Mehringer h26 Hydro-Therapy
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crazy dave
For those who do not know Peggie Hall
Peggie Hall also known as the Head Mistress knows toilets, plumbing and everything else. Trust me on this one as this wonderful lady knows what she speaks about. I hate to admit it but once she got me as I was wrong. She is well known on the large boats in this forum. To ansere her about changing the water, good idea but lets face it. We are too lazy to hook up to the trailer and pull the boat out to let water drain and then put it back. Like I said when it comes to the sweet smells, the Head Mistress knows her stuff. Hiya gal. Staying busy with the second office now. Take care Miss Piggy. Oops! I better run if she reads this. Ha!
Peggie Hall also known as the Head Mistress knows toilets, plumbing and everything else. Trust me on this one as this wonderful lady knows what she speaks about. I hate to admit it but once she got me as I was wrong. She is well known on the large boats in this forum. To ansere her about changing the water, good idea but lets face it. We are too lazy to hook up to the trailer and pull the boat out to let water drain and then put it back. Like I said when it comes to the sweet smells, the Head Mistress knows her stuff. Hiya gal. Staying busy with the second office now. Take care Miss Piggy. Oops! I better run if she reads this. Ha!
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Ray Trombino
Pumping the Ballast Tank
I do not have a trailer for my boat, so , over the winter, I pump the ballast tank. I bought a self-priming pump that fits on an electric drill at West Marine for about $20.00. (It's a Shurflow pump). I stick a hose into the tank, and pump the water into the cockpit. It takes about an hour, pumping 3 gpm, and has a lift of 8 feet, which is more than sufficient. See the attached link.
I do not have a trailer for my boat, so , over the winter, I pump the ballast tank. I bought a self-priming pump that fits on an electric drill at West Marine for about $20.00. (It's a Shurflow pump). I stick a hose into the tank, and pump the water into the cockpit. It takes about an hour, pumping 3 gpm, and has a lift of 8 feet, which is more than sufficient. See the attached link.
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