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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2020 20:11:17 GMT
Well firstly apologies, I've posted this topic in that Other Forum That Shall Not Be Mentioned, but its a bit novel so I'm half expecting to get slaughtered. Hey ho I guess. But I think this one might really be worth some thought, so I wanted to ask here and get people's thoughts. I've just watched a video by a youtuber called Alan Denman and I have to say I think he's cracked the whole water 'thing'.
Now this won't be for everyone of course, a lot will be happy to carry on getting all their water from the waterpoints, and saving themselves a few bob- and why not?
So, one of the compromises I had accepted was that I'm going to have to be pretty frugal with the normal 100 to 120 gallons of water in a boat's tank.
My understanding is that this will mean taking fairly hasty 'navy' showers, and even those not every single day. Washing clothes would not be as easy or frequent as I might like, and washing dishes would also have to be carefully done. In short, I would become a grubby little neanderthal- a dirty boater. I dont want to be a dirty boater. I'm not excessively precious about it, but you know...
So anyway, this guy has had a system installed that he says will filter hundreds of litres of canal water per day, to a more pure level than domestic tap water.
I don't know the cost (yet), but I suspect it was quite a bit. I'll let you know about that when I know.
But that said, the key components (the filters and a pump) are all things that are now available from lots of suppliers, and it doesn't seem to need major skills to install a basic kit.
His system is semi-automatic and tops itself up whenever the tank runs low, but you could install a more manual system for under £300 that would get you all the showering water you could want.
So looking at this, filtration looks like a tempting prospect- unlimited clean water, shower as many times a day as you want in the hot summers, full hot baths in the evenings- and they claim its even drinkable. And all for a few hundred quid and a bit of elbow grease?
Is filtration the new black, or am I being a complete muppet, and I might die of Dirty Canal Disease?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2020 20:29:04 GMT
Bloke I know has acquired all his domestic water from the Thames using filtration for the last 20 years.
That includes servicing his woman and their two daughters who were both born on the boat and are now in their teens. Off grid no mains water supply.
He got his system from one of the water companies. It does need regular dealing with and he does drink large volumes of beer products.
I would suggest if you can not provide the required AC power and Guinness input, which is considerable bearing in mind the minute size of a narrow boat, it might be worth reconsidering and possibly thinking about buying an ex MFV and putting a 4,500 litre water tank on it..
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2020 20:37:56 GMT
Bloke I know has acquired all his domestic water from the Thames using filtration for the last 20 years. That includes servicing his woman and their two daughters who were both born on the boat and are now in their teens. Off grid no mains water supply. .. Wow, so they've drunk pretty much only Thames water their entire lives? Do the daughters still only have one head each? But I cant afford an MFV with a huge tank- and would it be able to cruise around the midlands? I think for me it has to be narrowboat (although I am worried I'll be tempted by the madness of a Viking 32cc if I'm not very careful), and that pretty means a 100 gallon tank. I know it seems a bit crazy, and certainly the canal water looks gross as f**k- but look at what sewage plants deal with, and they make tap water. I think this one might be a goer
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Post by Mr Stabby on Apr 14, 2020 20:44:58 GMT
I've never had a problem filling the water tank from water points.
I'd also say that any filtration system would find Thames water far easier to cope with than canal water.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2020 20:46:24 GMT
It's definitely feasible but I think the filter change thing is going to kick in on canals.
Not tried it myself as have either been moving enough or on a mooring and a dedicated soap dodger but I wonder if too little attention is paid to the initial intake of water. It seems to me that something other than just filtration could be used. Perhaps a gravity separation thing.
Not looked into it but it's an interesting and slightly ironic problem.
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Post by naughtyfox on Apr 14, 2020 20:47:33 GMT
So, one of the compromises I had accepted was that I'm going to have to be pretty frugal with the normal 100 to 120 gallons of water in a boat's tank. We have a short 40-foot narrowboat with an in-built water tank at the front. Steel walls, of course. Painted with water tank potable paint (once every 4 years for painting is OK - maybe longer). We counted it contains around 850 litres of water. The two of us have had showers every day for a week, that's 14 showers, without the water running out. I'm in the shower for about 10 minutes. We have counted the time it takes for the water tank to empty (from full) with one kitchen tap fully open - 1 hour 38 minutes. We don't drink the water from the tank - we drink bottled water and then re-fill those bottles from drinking water taps.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2020 20:50:44 GMT
Bloke is talking about moving out of a house onto a narrow boat.
Yes we know he is mental.
I think he knows this as well.
It's more useful to discuss how he can potentially deal with this transition or put him off completely.
I wonder sometimes if the toileting has been factored in here.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2020 20:55:03 GMT
So, one of the compromises I had accepted was that I'm going to have to be pretty frugal with the normal 100 to 120 gallons of water in a boat's tank. We have a short 40-foot narrowboat with an in-built water tank at the front. Steel walls, of course. Painted with water tank potable paint (once every 4 years for painting is OK - maybe longer). We counted it contains around 850 litres of water. The two of us have had showers every day for a week, that's 14 showers, without the water running out. I'm in the shower for about 10 minutes. We have counted the time it takes for the water tank to empty (from full) with one kitchen tap fully open - 1 hour 38 minutes. We don't drink the water from the tank - we drink bottled water and then re-fill those bottles from drinking water taps. This equates to 14 showers of 7 min duration (at kitchen tap rate) plus no other water use for the week.
Just to put some perspective on things.....
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2020 20:56:57 GMT
Bloke is talking about moving out of a house onto a narrow boat. ... I wonder sometimes if the toileting has been factored in here. Mr M, the practicalities of the toileting is never far from my inquiring mind... I'm psyching myself to even cope with the discussion, let alone the reality I am, as Scotty was so so fond of saying, doomed
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2020 21:01:31 GMT
So, one of the compromises I had accepted was that I'm going to have to be pretty frugal with the normal 100 to 120 gallons of water in a boat's tank. We have a short 40-foot narrowboat with an in-built water tank at the front. Steel walls, of course. Painted with water tank potable paint (once every 4 years for painting is OK - maybe longer). We counted it contains around 850 litres of water. The two of us have had showers every day for a week, that's 14 showers, without the water running out. I'm in the shower for about 10 minutes. We have counted the time it takes for the water tank to empty (from full) with one kitchen tap fully open - 1 hour 38 minutes. We don't drink the water from the tank - we drink bottled water and then re-fill those bottles from drinking water taps. To be fair Mr Fox, that is a pretty exceptional tank capacity you've got there A couple of the tanks I've seen are so small that the boat builders appear to have forgotten that the human body needs to occasionally come into contact with water. Its like those modern houses that have tiny living rooms. They look great when the salesman shows you around, but if more than two people stand in the room, its so crowded you get an attack of involuntary pseudo-claustrophobia. Which I've just invented, but it is a thing.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2020 21:02:55 GMT
Not sure you are doomed you just need to look at the toileting.
Nothing ever happens on boats other then the toileting. It sounds odd and there arrr other priorities but the toileting is the basic issue unless you are happy to shit in a bag.
I know it doesn't really come down to shitting in a bag but the principle exists.
Suitcase or reservoir under the bed and complex ventilation and pumping arrangements is the name of the game.
Unless you are on the Nene where you can pump your shit in the river no problems.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2020 21:15:20 GMT
Not sure you are doomed you just need to look at the toileting. Nothing ever happens on boats other then the toileting. It sounds odd and there arrr other priorities but the toileting is the basic issue unless you are happy to shit in a bag. I know it doesn't really come down to shitting in a bag but the principle exists. Suitcase or reservoir under the bed and complex ventilation and pumping arrangements is the name of the game. Unless you are on the Nene where you can pump your shit in the river no problems. My dear magnetman ( that would be a great superhero name btw)- the topic of toilet activities, in all its gruesome glory, is one that I am very keen to explore. I have all sorts of novel ideas around this area of boat life- in fact it was going to be the next thing I asked about, until i saw this filtration system that seemed to offer unlimited off-grid water). I want to do toilets, I need to know what lies ahead. I have to know the true horror. But I fear our time is short this evening, and I reckon that deserves it own dreadful yet somehow entirely practical thread. I would ask that we all refrain from enjoying it though
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Post by Albion on Apr 14, 2020 21:35:56 GMT
Well firstly apologies, I've posted this topic in that Other Forum That Shall Not Be Mentioned, but its a bit novel so I'm half expecting to get slaughtered. Hey ho I guess. But I think this one might really be worth some thought, so I wanted to ask here and get people's thoughts. I've just watched a video by a youtuber called Alan Denman and I have to say I think he's cracked the whole water 'thing'. Now this won't be for everyone of course, a lot will be happy to carry on getting all their water from the waterpoints, and saving themselves a few bob- and why not? So, one of the compromises I had accepted was that I'm going to have to be pretty frugal with the normal 100 to 120 gallons of water in a boat's tank. My understanding is that this will mean taking fairly hasty 'navy' showers, and even those not every single day. Washing clothes would not be as easy or frequent as I might like, and washing dishes would also have to be carefully done. In short, I would become a grubby little neanderthal- a dirty boater. I dont want to be a dirty boater. I'm not excessively precious about it, but you know... So anyway, this guy has had a system installed that he says will filter hundreds of litres of canal water per day, to a more pure level than domestic tap water. I don't know the cost (yet), but I suspect it was quite a bit. I'll let you know about that when I know. But that said, the key components (the filters and a pump) are all things that are now available from lots of suppliers, and it doesn't seem to need major skills to install a basic kit. His system is semi-automatic and tops itself up whenever the tank runs low, but you could install a more manual system for under £300 that would get you all the showering water you could want. So looking at this, filtration looks like a tempting prospect- unlimited clean water, shower as many times a day as you want in the hot summers, full hot baths in the evenings- and they claim its even drinkable. And all for a few hundred quid and a bit of elbow grease? Is filtration the new black, or am I being a complete muppet, and I might die of Dirty Canal Disease? I have some experience of a filtration system that another boat, owned by French people, had on the French canals. The boat was a wide beam and so there was quite a bit of space under the decks compared to a UK narrow boat to instal the complete system. IIRC there were about 4 huge filters gradually reducing in strainer size. Then this was followed up by an Ultraviolet sterilising lamp system through which the filtered water passed in a glass tube. I drank a glass of the water and it was crystal clear and I am still here despite the source water coming from the French canals where your sewage is pumped straight into the canals rather than the system here. The requirement to UV treat all the water for drinking means that you will need power at all times that you are filtering/sterilising. I cannot remember what sort of flow rate the system was capable of delivering but I know that the French couple lived permanently on the boat, winter and summer. Roger
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Post by Mr Stabby on Apr 14, 2020 21:40:34 GMT
We have a short 40-foot narrowboat with an in-built water tank at the front. Steel walls, of course. Painted with water tank potable paint (once every 4 years for painting is OK - maybe longer). We counted it contains around 850 litres of water. The two of us have had showers every day for a week, that's 14 showers, without the water running out. I'm in the shower for about 10 minutes. We have counted the time it takes for the water tank to empty (from full) with one kitchen tap fully open - 1 hour 38 minutes. We don't drink the water from the tank - we drink bottled water and then re-fill those bottles from drinking water taps. This equates to 14 showers of 7 min duration (at kitchen tap rate) plus no other water use for the week.
Just to put some perspective on things.....
I think the thing is that if you live on a boat you have to get over the idea that a shower and a change of clothes is something you have to have every day. I do when I am working because one has to keep up appearances but in lockdown or when cruising, once every three days is more than enough. I may stink a bit but my girlfriend Shania is very tolerant and uncomplaining. When you live aboard you quickly learn to treat everything as a precious resource, not just water but the means of heating it too.
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Post by Telemachus on Apr 14, 2020 21:55:39 GMT
Water points are plentiful almost everywhere, so I don’t see a problem. We can last at least a week between fill ups, and it would be longer except the washing machine uses a fair bit. In that week we will have passed many water points. Having a gauge or at least some means of measuring the amount of water in the tank is good because it means you aren’t fretting about it and stopping to fill up unnecessarily.
There are various things in urban canal water, some you can filter out, some you can’t. Different kettle of fish from river or sea water.
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