water tank project begun

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  • July 10, 2011 3:50 PM
    Message # 650072
    Anonymous
    I've cut away portions of the plywood on the bottom of the settee storage units and now have space to cut a few access ports. The plan is to clean and inspect inside to determine the extent of corrosion etc.

     I don't know what the white floaty, snowflake looking things are in my water but they have made even bathing with this water untenable. But that's not really the purpose of this post, it's to ask what is my water tank made of? Stainless? Aluminum? 

    I have removed the broken footpump from the galley (haven't cracked my ankle since) and all faucets are gone except seawater faucet. I won't divulge my plans for the new water system because...well...you might laugh! heheh, but, I think my idea is pure creative genius! Maybe I'll have most of it done in time for the Chesapeake rendezvous. Or maybe not, I tend towards serious procrastination. Oh, I'm also cutting a hole in the portion of the water tank that's visible from the bilge so that I can install an easily accessible drain valve. What ever were the designers thinking when they buried this water tank in the boats nether regions?! 

    When I get a little further along I will post some pics. Peace, Eric
  • July 11, 2011 9:27 AM
    Reply # 650692 on 650072
    Deleted user
    Let me know how this goes Eric.

    I think I may be cutting into my tank soon.

    Can you send me or post pics of you project along the way?
    Last modified: July 14, 2011 6:09 AM | Deleted user
  • July 13, 2011 11:12 AM
    Reply # 653526 on 650072
    Eric Olander wrote:I've cut away portions of the plywood on the bottom of the settee storage units and now have space to cut a few access ports. The plan is to clean and inspect inside to determine the extent of corrosion etc.

     I don't know what the white floaty, snowflake looking things are in my water but they have made even bathing with this water untenable. But that's not really the purpose of this post, it's to ask what is my water tank made of? Stainless? Aluminum? 

    I have removed the broken footpump from the galley (haven't cracked my ankle since) and all faucets are gone except seawater faucet. I won't divulge my plans for the new water system because...well...you might laugh! heheh, but, I think my idea is pure creative genius! Maybe I'll have most of it done in time for the Chesapeake rendezvous. Or maybe not, I tend towards serious procrastination. Oh, I'm also cutting a hole in the portion of the water tank that's visible from the bilge so that I can install an easily accessible drain valve. What ever were the designers thinking when they buried this water tank in the boats nether regions?! 

    When I get a little further along I will post some pics. Peace, Eric

    The white stuff is probably calcium deposits from the water.  You will find it in most aluminum cooking pots also.  The water tank is aluminum, which did not prove to be a good choice for water.  Works fine for diesel fuel, but not water.  Better polyethylene, or stainless.
  • August 29, 2011 3:59 PM
    Reply # 687635 on 650072
    Deleted user
    Did you remove you tank Eric?
  • February 18, 2012 3:04 PM
    Reply # 829012 on 650072
    Anonymous
    Tank Removal has begun. Here are some photos of the initial attack.

    lhttps://picasaweb.google.com/104900923407851606598/WaterTankIceBoxInsulationRemoval

    Last modified: February 18, 2012 3:06 PM | Anonymous
  • February 19, 2012 7:13 AM
    Reply # 829403 on 650072
    Deleted user
    Eric,
    I tried to look at your photos via the URL you showed but got this message:

    Sorry, that page was not found.

    Bummer.

    -Steve
  • February 19, 2012 11:52 AM
    Reply # 829570 on 829403
    Anonymous
    Stephen Yoder wrote:Eric,
    I tried to look at your photos via the URL you showed but got this message:

    Sorry, that page was not found.

    Bummer.

    -Steve
    Try it now Steve. I had forgotten to make the new pics public. I'll have pics of the finished project available in a month or so.
    Last modified: February 19, 2012 11:53 AM | Anonymous
  • February 20, 2012 7:33 AM
    Reply # 830202 on 650072
    Deleted user
    Thanks for fixing the link to the photos, Eric.  Very informative.  What they've told me is that I am absolutely NOT going to touch my tank unless I am absolutely certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there's a bad leak that is located in the lower half.  What a job!  It'd be really tough to do while living on the boat. Was removal of the icebox and its insulation necessary?  Or did you do it because it made the rest easier?

    I'm a rapt audience for this adventure.  Keep those notes and photos coming.

    -Steve
  • February 20, 2012 9:09 AM
    Reply # 830292 on 650072
    Anonymous
    Steve, removal of the icebox was not necessary in order to remove the water tank. My icebox was rarely used, and (in my opinion) a huge waste of space, so I ripped out the insulation, gaining about 3 cubic feet of storage space. The plan is to relocate my batteries to the icebox, and use the newly freed space in the engine compartment for living space for the kitty-cats, or maybe a cockpit locker.

     Although, the water tank removal is only partly finished, I can see that if one were to remove a section of the floor underneath the table, and the half inch plywood locker floors, the tank could then be cut into sections and pulled through the lockers. The big job is grinding the tank. I used up the one cut-off wheel I had in about 20 minutes. Cheap blade I guess. If my tank were aluminum I think it would go much faster. I wonder if the original owner had "special ordered" stainless?

    All in all, excluding the time spent working on the icebox demolition, I estimate the entire water tank removal could be done between breakfast and lunch :-)   

    Of course, now I have to design and fabricate a system which will hold a bunch of 2 1/2 gal water tanks, and three batteries, securely.

     Eric
    Last modified: February 21, 2012 8:49 AM | Anonymous
  • February 21, 2012 7:08 AM
    Reply # 831328 on 650072
    Deleted user
    Eric Olander wrote:
    "My icebox was rarely used, and (in my opinion) a huge waste of space, so I ripped out the insulation, gaining about 8 cubic feet of storage space. The plan is to relocate my batteries to the icebox,"

    So, Eric, what will/do you use for cold storage?  Are you going to install refrigeration somewhere or do you just do without?

    -Steve
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