Hello all, I`m trying to figure out what I can use to kill the algae growing in my bilge ? Can I use something like Bleach or chloroxs ? will this kill that stuff or hurt my bilge pumps? Also whats and best product that I can add to the fresh water holding for the same thing, just some small brown floaters in there, proably in the lines also.( I`m guessing it algae also ) ? I don`t drink the water just shower and sink water. but would like to have it cleaned enough to drink. Any Help would be great, thanks , Chet.
Whats the best product for killing algae in bilge area?
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Water System Re-commissioning
Put 4 ounces of bleach into your water tank for each 15 gallons of water and fill system and run through your lines until you can smell the bleach. DO NOT TURN ON YOUR HOT WATER HEATER, but fill the hot water tank. Let stand for a minimum of 3 hours, preferably 4 to 5 and then completely flush your tank until all the bleach taste is out of the system. Take off the aerators from the end of the fixture so all the trash will pass out the water system. It will take a while to flush all the bleach out. You can find detailed instuctions in the archives published by Peggy Hall. I do this each spring, and have done it also in mid season when away from the boat in July and early August. My system is clean and drinkable. We drink the water and use for all other uses. Use a good bilge cleaner for the bilge.
Put 4 ounces of bleach into your water tank for each 15 gallons of water and fill system and run through your lines until you can smell the bleach. DO NOT TURN ON YOUR HOT WATER HEATER, but fill the hot water tank. Let stand for a minimum of 3 hours, preferably 4 to 5 and then completely flush your tank until all the bleach taste is out of the system. Take off the aerators from the end of the fixture so all the trash will pass out the water system. It will take a while to flush all the bleach out. You can find detailed instuctions in the archives published by Peggy Hall. I do this each spring, and have done it also in mid season when away from the boat in July and early August. My system is clean and drinkable. We drink the water and use for all other uses. Use a good bilge cleaner for the bilge.
Chet...
Last year I had some "foreign matter" show up in my sinks when I recommissioned my water system last Spring. After flushing the system with several tank fulls of fresh water, I installed a standard household canister filter unit between the tank and the pressure pump. Those braided flex hoses with female ends used to connect household sinks to water supplies made the connection to the plastic water pipe system in my H34 an easy proposition. The filter now removes anything that manages to grow in the tank. I also use the same filter set-up connected to the shore hose when filling the tank for extra assurance of clean water. We still drink and cook with bottle water but the first mate now feels much better about washing the dishes!
Last year I had some "foreign matter" show up in my sinks when I recommissioned my water system last Spring. After flushing the system with several tank fulls of fresh water, I installed a standard household canister filter unit between the tank and the pressure pump. Those braided flex hoses with female ends used to connect household sinks to water supplies made the connection to the plastic water pipe system in my H34 an easy proposition. The filter now removes anything that manages to grow in the tank. I also use the same filter set-up connected to the shore hose when filling the tank for extra assurance of clean water. We still drink and cook with bottle water but the first mate now feels much better about washing the dishes!
Thanks Jerry Ross and Dan Two question Jerry and Ross ?
Thanks for the fast response guys, Two Questions , first is the bleach going to hurt me if I taste it? And second Where can I buy this Borax, Ross? I`ve never heard of it. Thanks
Thanks for the fast response guys, Two Questions , first is the bleach going to hurt me if I taste it? And second Where can I buy this Borax, Ross? I`ve never heard of it. Thanks
20 mule team
What was the Western that Ronald Reagan hosted whose sponsor was 20 mule team borax? Borax can be found in the cleaner section of your grocery store. Bleach is not going to hurt you. When I worked in a Widerness Program with Juvenille Delinquents we treated our drinking water while backpacking with clorox.
What was the Western that Ronald Reagan hosted whose sponsor was 20 mule team borax? Borax can be found in the cleaner section of your grocery store. Bleach is not going to hurt you. When I worked in a Widerness Program with Juvenille Delinquents we treated our drinking water while backpacking with clorox.
Borax
You can find borax usually in supermarkets in the cleaning section, I think I've also seen it in hardware stores. Here's a common brand: http://www.20muleteamlaundry.com/index.cfm?page_id=56 As far as the bleach, after a few flushes of the water system, it wont hurt you (after all chlorine is in your tap water). You don't really need to taste it anyway, if you just pour some water in a cup, you would be able to smell it in there. One concern is if you have aluminum tanks, you do want to rinse it out pretty well since chlorine is corrosive. I wouldn't use bleach in the bilge, it may harm some of the sensitive components of your pump. Manny Edited to add - JohnnyMac posted his reply while I was still typing mine out. Great minds think alike!
You can find borax usually in supermarkets in the cleaning section, I think I've also seen it in hardware stores. Here's a common brand: http://www.20muleteamlaundry.com/index.cfm?page_id=56 As far as the bleach, after a few flushes of the water system, it wont hurt you (after all chlorine is in your tap water). You don't really need to taste it anyway, if you just pour some water in a cup, you would be able to smell it in there. One concern is if you have aluminum tanks, you do want to rinse it out pretty well since chlorine is corrosive. I wouldn't use bleach in the bilge, it may harm some of the sensitive components of your pump. Manny Edited to add - JohnnyMac posted his reply while I was still typing mine out. Great minds think alike!
The operative word in Ross' reply is clean ...
A wet dirty bilge is a dark stagnant pond...a real "primordial soup." And it behaves like one, growing a variety of molds, fungi and bacteria—some that thrive in dark stagnant water, others that just like damp dark places. The warmer the weather and water, the faster they grow. Add some dead and decaying sea water micro-organisms, dirt, food particles, rain water, wash water, hot weather and humidity, plus a little oil or diesel, and you have a real primordial soup…no wonder it stinks! Most people’s approach to bilge cleaning consists only of throwing some bilge cleaner/and or bleach into that soup when it starts to stink and calling it done. I’ve never understood why they think that’s all there is to it. You wouldn’t just add some detergent or Borax to a bathtub full of dirty bath water or a sinkful of dirty dishwater, swish it around, then just pull the plug and expect the tub or sink to be clean without thoroughly rinsing it...so why would anyone think it’s possible to clean a bilge without rinsing all the dirty water out of it? Just pouring something into the bilge to try to kill off the "critters" that are growing in it is a waste of time, effort and cleaning product...'cuz unless you actually clean the whole bilge--every nook and cranny--and then flush ALL the dirty water out, the most that'll do is get rid of whatever is loose to go out the bilge pump. Any that are left will just multiply again into a smelly soup. The only cleaning product you really need is detergent and plenty of clean water. A power washer is the best tool for bilge cleaning 'cuz it gets detergent and then plenty of clean rinse water into all the places you can't reach by hand...and power washers require a LOT less elbow grease to accomplish a lot more than can be done manually. Clean your bilges, sumps and chain locker--really CLEAN 'em--once a year and you won't have to wonder whether you're starting any new life forms...and you'll be amazed at how much better your whole boat will smell. As for your fresh water system, search the archives for "Fresh Water Maintenance" (or check out the link below) for directions to recomission it. Do it annually as part of spring recommissioning to keep your fresh water tasting and smelling as good as any coming out of a faucet on land. If that doesn't suit you, install a filter. Just remember that a filter is in addition to system maintenance, not substitute for it.
A wet dirty bilge is a dark stagnant pond...a real "primordial soup." And it behaves like one, growing a variety of molds, fungi and bacteria—some that thrive in dark stagnant water, others that just like damp dark places. The warmer the weather and water, the faster they grow. Add some dead and decaying sea water micro-organisms, dirt, food particles, rain water, wash water, hot weather and humidity, plus a little oil or diesel, and you have a real primordial soup…no wonder it stinks! Most people’s approach to bilge cleaning consists only of throwing some bilge cleaner/and or bleach into that soup when it starts to stink and calling it done. I’ve never understood why they think that’s all there is to it. You wouldn’t just add some detergent or Borax to a bathtub full of dirty bath water or a sinkful of dirty dishwater, swish it around, then just pull the plug and expect the tub or sink to be clean without thoroughly rinsing it...so why would anyone think it’s possible to clean a bilge without rinsing all the dirty water out of it? Just pouring something into the bilge to try to kill off the "critters" that are growing in it is a waste of time, effort and cleaning product...'cuz unless you actually clean the whole bilge--every nook and cranny--and then flush ALL the dirty water out, the most that'll do is get rid of whatever is loose to go out the bilge pump. Any that are left will just multiply again into a smelly soup. The only cleaning product you really need is detergent and plenty of clean water. A power washer is the best tool for bilge cleaning 'cuz it gets detergent and then plenty of clean rinse water into all the places you can't reach by hand...and power washers require a LOT less elbow grease to accomplish a lot more than can be done manually. Clean your bilges, sumps and chain locker--really CLEAN 'em--once a year and you won't have to wonder whether you're starting any new life forms...and you'll be amazed at how much better your whole boat will smell. As for your fresh water system, search the archives for "Fresh Water Maintenance" (or check out the link below) for directions to recomission it. Do it annually as part of spring recommissioning to keep your fresh water tasting and smelling as good as any coming out of a faucet on land. If that doesn't suit you, install a filter. Just remember that a filter is in addition to system maintenance, not substitute for it.
A little borax inhibits the growth of all things that might
sprout in the bilge. Cleaning as Peggie has stated is NOT rinsing. It is draining and scrubbing and removing everything that can be removed. Be as fussy with the details of cleaning the bilge as you are with the outside of the boat that everyone can see. I like a long handle brush and a bucket of water with detergent in it. Chlorox isn't necessary and is unpleasant to work with in the confines of the bilge. A little borax is less than a 1/2 cup in a couple of gallons of water.
sprout in the bilge. Cleaning as Peggie has stated is NOT rinsing. It is draining and scrubbing and removing everything that can be removed. Be as fussy with the details of cleaning the bilge as you are with the outside of the boat that everyone can see. I like a long handle brush and a bucket of water with detergent in it. Chlorox isn't necessary and is unpleasant to work with in the confines of the bilge. A little borax is less than a 1/2 cup in a couple of gallons of water.
I'm with Peggie
My bilge is so clean and dry that you could eat out of it, though it would be mighty awkward.
My bilge is so clean and dry that you could eat out of it, though it would be mighty awkward.
It's both, Ross...
Cleaning, THEN rinsing. All the cleaning in the world will not leave you with a clean bilge if you just pump the dirty water out and call it done. Try scrubbing the bejabbers out of your kitcen sink, then just drain the dirty water without rinsing...and see how clean the sink is.
Cleaning, THEN rinsing. All the cleaning in the world will not leave you with a clean bilge if you just pump the dirty water out and call it done. Try scrubbing the bejabbers out of your kitcen sink, then just drain the dirty water without rinsing...and see how clean the sink is.
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