Filling fresh water tank

[blackhawkdown]

Rookie question. Need to fill up fresh water tank. Marina has a standard spigot at the slip where you connect a garden hose. Boat has a water fill cap on port side. How do you get water from the hose into the tank? Does the hose screw into the deck fitting? Is it that easy? HELP!!

 

[tpenfield]

No connection, you just set the garden hose in the opening. If it does not want to stay there then you will be designated hose holder

 

[H20Rat]

So two tips... You are supposed to use a special potable water hose (usually white), not a typical garden hose. Grew up drinking out of a regular old green hose and I'm fine, so take that with a grain of salt.

The other is that it might help to chop the boat end of the hose off. Sometimes the size of inlet is sized so that you have to hold the hose if it has a end, chop it off and you can shove it down the inlet.

 

[bobeast]

Regarding hoses. Do not under any circumstance use a rubber garden hose if you plan on drinking the water. Rubber will make a noticeable difference in the taste of the water and any coffee or tea you make with it. I found this out the hard way and had to flush my tank 3 times to get rid of the taste and smell.

Those white plastic hoses they sell in rv stores work great.

 

[cptbill]

Buy bottled water if your drink it (stale water form the tank is icky) but for everything else just stick any old hose in the opening and fill it up

 

[blackhawkdown]

When it’s suggested to flush the tank, how is that done? Just run the water until it’s empty or is there another way?

 

[Scott Danforth]

add a bit of bleach to the tank

here is a quick video https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=flushing+rv+water+system#kpvalbx=1

 

[garbageguy]

I have used a regular garden hose for years. The fitting at the end of the hose, that gets shoved into the fill neck on the boat, helps keep the hose in there (not sure what you're dealing with, pics would help you get more specific help). We bring drinking water, avoid drinking from the boat's water system for a number of reasons including the fact that fresh water from a recently filled container is better-known to be "clean" and tasteless.

 

[Lowlysubaruguy]

You actually do not want the hose to fit tightly into the fill port. Doing so creates higher pressure than your entire system should be exposed to. THe pumps in boats do not build the pressures some hoses have, my home water pressure hits about 85 PSI you can ballon your tank split its seams or create a failure at any of the plumbing components.

 

[MTboatguy]

They make an adapter that screws on the end of the hose, with a half inch PVC fill hose on it, it is what we use for RV's Once ever 4-5 months you want to shock the tank with a half cup of bleach, fill the tank and pour the bleach in, take a quick run around the lake, harbor, river or what have you, to mix, then let it sit for about an hour, then drain and flush a couple of times.

I also use Tank Fresh which is carried in RV and boat stores in my tank, which kills odors and rubber taste, also to stop any problems up front, buy a 25 foot white RV hose that is fresh water safe and you will never have a problem with weird/bad taste and odor.

Even though we all drank out of rubber garden hoses when we grew up, when that taste and odor is trapped in a holding tank, it takes on an unpleasant air to it and you don't want to get up in the morning expecting a good cup of coffee only to be put off by the rubber hose taste and smell.

 

[sillyhilley]

If your tank is plastic and water sits for awhile and you drink it.... may taste bad plus get some bugs you don’t want in your system. Bleach helps (1/4 pre 100 gal.) keeps the smell down. If you want to drink I would look into a filtration system. Bottle water is the easiest way for drinking...