For the second year in a row (I own this boat 17 years) my fresh water tank has clogged its filter in the Shurflo pump, so almost no water pumps. The screen is clogged with a whittish map that looks like mozzarella cheese. I have done nothting different in the fall...drained tank, went to West, bought and installed pink glycol solution. Anyone else seen this?
Help...I have Mozzarella water!
- Thread starter odaydokay
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I have seen some white very small gritty stuf when I clean the filter each spring. After I run the water pump to drain all winterizing NTAF from the tank and plumbing system, I reconnect the input and output to the hot water heater. I then put in the tank a half gallon of Spring Fresh (from WM & others) and fill the tank with fresh water. I then turn on water pressure and open all fawcets (galley, vanity sink, & shower) and run for a couple of minutes (1 to 2) and shut all valves. I let it stand for a half hour to 45 minutes while I do other things. I then open all valves and run until the tank is empty. I then refill the tank with fresh water, to flush it, two more times draining it eack time. Finally I fill the tank, while adding some treatment Tabs or liquid, and the water system is now good to go for the season. Refill with treatment tabs or liquid as needed throughout the season. That works for me. This will be our 14th season.
A good possibility is that by adding P.Glycol, youve simply created a perfect growth medium for a biologic growth of microorganisms. Microorganisms depending on species can essentially use any and all carbon based material as its nutrient source. What most probably you are seeing is a massive 'colony' of micro-cells that were stimulated to grow over last year's 'warm' winter.
For safety and to remove any 'pathological' species, you will have to thoroughly clean out your water system, by cleaning I mean mechanical scrubbing of the tank internals and the hose internals and not simply 'soaking' with a mild clorox, etc. solution.
Also for safety I would advise for you to wear respiratory and 'skin' protection when performing such 'cleaning'. When the system is 'mechanically' clean, then and only then you should 'sanitize' the system using 10-15 parts per million of a clorox solution and soak for at least 2-3 hours. The approximate 'recipe' of water:clorox will be 50 - 75+oz. of 'consumer grade' clorox per 100 gallons of water .... the water system 'internals' MUST be mechanically clean (scrubbing with strong detergents, etc.) before any 'sanitization' is possible as if you have a thick 'biological slime' sanitization fluids will only kill the 'surface' layers leaving viable cells down deep and which will only continue to grow and multiply. Plus, dead cells that arent 'removed' will only provide a nutrient source for other organisms.
The 'easiest' way to do this if you live in an area that has a 'dairy' industry, is to contract and pay a 'dairyman' to come and do the 'clean out', as such folks will have the knowledge and expertise of 'aggressive' chemical means to do an efficacious and almost 'sterile' clean-out.
This recommendation may seem extreme but its the 'safest' way to do this to get the tank and its piping back to a 'hygienic' state.
Since the possibility of massive 'infection' of your tank, etc. is high ... DO NOT follow the typical 'internet' recipe for a 'simple' soak with clorox ... as that 'offering' is ONLY for NEW or mechanically cleaned systems ---- NOT for systems that have developed 'bio-slimes' (massive colonies of microorganisms).
;-)
For safety and to remove any 'pathological' species, you will have to thoroughly clean out your water system, by cleaning I mean mechanical scrubbing of the tank internals and the hose internals and not simply 'soaking' with a mild clorox, etc. solution.
Also for safety I would advise for you to wear respiratory and 'skin' protection when performing such 'cleaning'. When the system is 'mechanically' clean, then and only then you should 'sanitize' the system using 10-15 parts per million of a clorox solution and soak for at least 2-3 hours. The approximate 'recipe' of water:clorox will be 50 - 75+oz. of 'consumer grade' clorox per 100 gallons of water .... the water system 'internals' MUST be mechanically clean (scrubbing with strong detergents, etc.) before any 'sanitization' is possible as if you have a thick 'biological slime' sanitization fluids will only kill the 'surface' layers leaving viable cells down deep and which will only continue to grow and multiply. Plus, dead cells that arent 'removed' will only provide a nutrient source for other organisms.
The 'easiest' way to do this if you live in an area that has a 'dairy' industry, is to contract and pay a 'dairyman' to come and do the 'clean out', as such folks will have the knowledge and expertise of 'aggressive' chemical means to do an efficacious and almost 'sterile' clean-out.
This recommendation may seem extreme but its the 'safest' way to do this to get the tank and its piping back to a 'hygienic' state.
Since the possibility of massive 'infection' of your tank, etc. is high ... DO NOT follow the typical 'internet' recipe for a 'simple' soak with clorox ... as that 'offering' is ONLY for NEW or mechanically cleaned systems ---- NOT for systems that have developed 'bio-slimes' (massive colonies of microorganisms).
;-)
Last year a thorough rinsing cleared up the matter, but I probably just physically removed the slop and did not kill the bacteria, even with a good dose of chlorine. Still, we do not drink from this tank so I wonder whether the "nuking" you recommend is really necessary. What puzzles me is 16 years with no issues (we chlorinate each year) and now two years of this stuff.
I haven't seen that but if you don't have a deck plate on you water tank I'd add one or two if you have a baffle. I installed two and have no regrets. I use it to scrub my tank and it lets me see what is brewing in the tank. This won't help with the hot water heater but is does help to moniter the source of my water before it enters the water system. After 17 years, who knows what is growing on the roof of your tank.
I like that idea. This stuff may not be algae or bacteria at all, but something that is abrading from old plastic or the marina's plastic lines. Getting easy access to the bottom of the tank would certainly be helpful in any event. Many thanks for your suggestion.
Water source
Is your water sysrtem in marina serviced by municipal water that is chlorinated or by well water that is not.
If the latter then flush your tank twice add a little clorox and fill fresh let "spalsh around" for a few days. Treat it every 4 weeks or so. Hotter = more often.
The Stuff you are seeing is a white pasty sort of bread dough kind of smelly stuff. And like bread dough "ITS ALIVE"
This procedure will solve it.
Even if you are city water fed, over winter chlorine dissipates and that stuff 'grows"
Is your water sysrtem in marina serviced by municipal water that is chlorinated or by well water that is not.
If the latter then flush your tank twice add a little clorox and fill fresh let "spalsh around" for a few days. Treat it every 4 weeks or so. Hotter = more often.
The Stuff you are seeing is a white pasty sort of bread dough kind of smelly stuff. And like bread dough "ITS ALIVE"
This procedure will solve it.
Even if you are city water fed, over winter chlorine dissipates and that stuff 'grows"
City water as it turns out. Each year I pump as far down as I can and add the propylene glycol. I also hit it with the Clorox each spring, but will heavy up this time. Will also do a more thorough physical cleanout of the tank bottom. Strange how this just started last year after 16 years same boat, same marina, but stuff happens I guess.
After 5 years of owning my boat, I just experienced the Mozzarella in my water this spring for the first time. We had a very hot early spring and I emptied the tank of the pink anti-freeze solution only recently so I wonder if that caused the rapid growth of the slime in my tank.
DO NOT add anti freeze to the water tank you should be disconnecting the outlet at the tank and inserting the line in a jug of antifreeze and then pumping it through...43 years in the RV business and adding to the tank is a no no
Absolutely agree. Run the pink stuff through the hoses, pump and all the faucets-not in the tank, it will be fine if empty or even with a small amount of water at the bottom; same with the HW tank-I leave the drain valve open on that. I use an electric drill pump and some old garden hose to empty the tanks into the cockpit. Others I know let it go into the bilge and exercise their bilge pump.
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