The questions were:
- How to treat the water before filling up the tank at the dock
Of the points made by others, putting aside just using a hose, there seems to exist two major views: (1) Filter the city water against debris without removing the chlorine, (2) Filter the city water with carbon activated filter to clean the water and remove most of the chlorine.
- How to treat the water in the tank if it isn't used
Some recommended to periodically add a little bit of chlorine (guess work) to the water in the boat tank
- How to treat the water after it leaves the tank and before it is used (I do not drink the water from the fresh water tank)
- If you need truly potable water to drink, then you should add some chlorine bleach to each fill up
- Use drink safe hose at the dock
- If you have an ice maker you should add a UV filter just before the icemaker
- Use Starbrite water conditioner to the tank every time you add water plus a cup of bleach every couple of fill ups
- Try to consume water from the water heater tank as it tends to smell first
- Install an inline carbon water filter on the inlet of the ice maker
- Avoid using chlorine/bleach into the fresh water tank as it will eventually cause all rubber seals/drain check valves to turn hard and fail
- Cycle the water tank every 4-6 weeks, at that time add a bit of water freshener
- Use Sweet Water from West Marine
- Add 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide to the tank, may be 2-3oz per full tank
I established the following routine that worked well for me and do not require adding any chemical elements:
1) While using city water from Miami Beach, I do not filter it, I just add a pressure regulator to avoid stresses, 2) Every 4-6 weeks I use the water, mostly to wash the boat, and then fill up the tank,
3) When traveling and connecting a hose to a unknown Marina, I put a carbon filter plus a pressure regulator in series with the hose. I do not have an ice maker or drink from the boat water. If I had an ice maker I would add a carbon filter nearby the ice maker to filter the water coming from the tank.
Please share the procedure you follow to our own benefit.