Ballast tank odor

[Boblee]

Phillip

You must be younger than me as I have never been convinced that we should have changed to metric.
We now have a system where we have to use both and that is not likely to change, very little was metric prior to changeover and we are still paying the price of trying to match existing gear.
There was as little reason to change to metric as there was to change to international wiring codes (european).
We are far more closely aligned to England and America than any european country.
I have no problem with French as I am of part French descent but they can stick their metrics.
Back to the subject of Clorine (as you seem so knowledgeable on the subject), would there in your opinion be any cleansing effect by filling tanks with treated tap water? or would that not give you the "shock effect".
Also what would in your opinion be the required micron rating of a filter to eliminate harmful bugs, impurities if that is possible.

[Phillip]

Subject of Chlorine:

I believe you would have to use a final .2 micron filter, as any bacteria is to big to pass through it.
I don't use one as i believe they clog-up too quickly in my application
They are NOT a Daementatious Earth (sp!) filter as although they are good, they are not that good.

This would save a lot of headaches and money if you are needing 'clean' water on a large scale, but if you start with dirty water, then you have to pre-filter first.

I don't believe there is any sanitizing benefit by cleaning with tap water.

To clean my working tanks when they are empty, I hose down the walls etc to remove any 'dirt' etc.
I then use a 15L Back-pack sprayer (garden type sprayer) filled with about 1litre of Chlorine to about 10L of water and spray it around all the walls, roof, covering everything....very quickly....to what we call "run-off" levels....then when the back pack is empty....I very quickly flush it out, then hose out the tank....washing everything off and out. I then try to leave it empty for a day or so.
Not sure if it is the 'right' way to go, but it sure as hull is effective. My tanks have never suffered any degredation. I have 2 plastic and 2 fibreglass tanks.

Another point.
A lot of these bugs do not survive in 'dry' situations....in other words if the ballast tank was empty and dry and ventilated, maybe most of your problems are solved.

As for bugs getting in the rear open vent, then why not get a piece of the wifes curtain mesh.....you know....the white lacy stuff.....put it around the vent and hold it on with a big rubber band or duck-take. Lets air in...keeps bugs out.
We buy this lacy stuff to cover our seedlings when propogating....lets in the light, keeps out the bugs and vermin.....takes a year to rot. Cheap too.

Remember, I am not an expert in this situation....I have just learnt over many years to control my problems.
Cheers
Phillip

[kmclemore]

A lot of these bugs do not survive in 'dry' situations....in other words if the ballast tank was empty and dry and ventilated, maybe most of your problems are solved.
Phillip

That's my method. Leave it open, let'er dry out.

[kziadie]

I must have some hardy bugs as my boat lives on the trailer with the tank empty. Normally I leave the transom valve open and the vent closed (the bilge gets really stink if I dont). In April, when I launched and filled the tank for the first time this season the smell was still there from last year! Sometimes I wonder if something crawled in there and died but I keep telling myself that it would have been flushed out when I drain the tank.

Kelly

[Frank C]

... Sometimes I wonder if something crawled in there and died but I keep telling myself that it would have been flushed out when I drain the tank.

Not necessarily true. A small critter might be lodged in some corner of the tank. I leave my valve open by just a sliver. Every waterfront 'harbors' rats, so I've always been a bit cautious about the 'yawning' appearance of that 'cave.' We don't have a big issue with wasps here, but in your area I'd sure be cautious of that too.

I think you could shop Hm Depot for a std drain grate that inserts into PVC drain pipes, but those slots would be too large to block the wasps. I suppose the earlier posted mesh idea would be the only guarantee.

Bilge blowers aren't terribly costly. If you provide a constant battery charger, a bilge blower could be mated to the ballast valve & constantly "exhaust" from the tank. The airstream might defeat the winged critters.

[kziadie]

hmmm... I have some fiberglass mesh that works great for keeping leaves out of the motor well drain, if I can find some kind of ring that would fit around the valve I could probably make up a screen pretty easily. Hardest part would be remembering to take it off before I launch

It is what it is, and I will try the bleach to solve my immediate problems. I am currently travelling a lot and probably wont get out on the water for another 3 weeks or so but I will report back on what happened.

Kelly

[bastonjock]

id still like to come up with a more eco friendly system other than dumping chlorine in the tank.

If i want to sterilise my landing net that i use for carp fishing,i preferr not to drop it in to disinfectant,my preferred method is to dry it in sunlight as this kills all of the bugs.

Perhaps the answer is to drain the tanks and to put in a UV tube,even if this way it reduces the odour to a level that is unnoticeable.

[Catigale]

I like when people think of the environment, but the impact of some bleach in your ballast tank once in a while is a tiny piece of your ecological footprint....

[Phillip]

UV
Will UV sterilize the air in an empty tank?
I understand UV to be used by passing water with nil particle load over the UV light. eg the fish tank....the water is being circulated around the UV light, after it has been filtered. Is that right?

Chlorine and the enviroment.
I think you misunderstand chlorine.
To start with, it has many applications, and those involved with the plastic/chemical/heavy industries etc is a totally different game to you using a 6% household bleach.
The stuff they let you have is idiot-proof, and if you know what the chemical process is, then there is no issue.
Letting rip with a burst of methane in the morning may have more effect on the enviroment that oxidised chlorine.
Your wifes nail polish remover definitely has more effect.
Just use as per instructions and everything will be fine.

I will give you the chemical process of making/workings/degredation of chlorine if you wish.

Cheers
Phillip
PS: I enjoyed the discussion on the French/American etc.
2 of my Grandparents were French. When they left France in late 1800, other members of the family went to Canada. Grandad always told us kids to remember our Canadian cousins were Kinooks....don't know what it meant, but never forgotten it.
Knowing Grandad, it was probably a wind-up.

[Phillip]

Slow Sand Filtration
It just occured to me, while we are discussing water sanitizing, if any of you ever need to clean water to potable standards without the benefit of having chlorine or electricty available, I could put up plans and instructions on making a small simple slow sand filter.

I guess if you have a holiday hut in the hills where safe drinking water is not available, or leaves at getting in to a tank, or animal poop may be in the water, or something like that, it may be worth knowing how to overcome the situation easily and cheaply.
Its a brilliant system.
Let me know.
Don't want to waste anyones time.
Cheers
Phillip

[Mikebe]

I've been putting between 8 - 16 ounces of clorox in my tank. I remember calculating that around 2 cups was about right when I was looking into this. Anyway, that's what I've been using...

[Nickyd]

I usually dump a bottle of hydrogen peroxide in the tank. so far no problems.

[Divecoz]

I usually dump a bottle of hydrogen peroxide in the tank. so far no problems.

No reason why that shouldnt work quite well. Bacacil and other pool treatments are nothing but a form of Hydrogen Peroxide.

[kziadie]

Anybody know if Peroxide is any more or less friendly than Chlorine for the environment?

Kelly

[Divecoz]

As others have stated. I just cannot imagine where a pint a quart even a gallon of Chlorine or Peroxide diluted with 140 gallons of water is going to be a problem. Its not like you will have numerous folks lining up to do this one after another day after day all day long. Remember too it going to have set in the tank for how long ? I cannot imagine there will be much chlorine left in solution when you dump it out.
Still have concerns about dumping it? Dump it over a larger area while under power.