Gooey white stuff in fresh water strainer?

  • Thread starter Thread starter RM
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RM

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New used boat and been getting this white filmy/congealed type stuff in the strainer. Have flushed the tank a bunch of times and with bleach, and still coming out, any idea what this is and how to get rid of it? Eventually cloggs up the strainer.

Someone said is mineral deposits from well water?

Thanks for the help.
 
Perhaps aluminum hydroxide if the tank is alu ? Somewhat high ph dock water supplying the tank? I'd go pretty easy on the bleach as the yard that replaced my leaking alu water tank years ago mentioned they replace a heck of a lot of alu FW tanks that they said were corroded by bleach shocking. I believe poly is a better way to go for FW if by any chance you don't use that now.
 
some muni water systems inject a polymer based additive to minimize mineral deposit buildup in piping . . ..
 
I'll tell you exactly what it is because I had it. To me it looked like wet paper towels. But no way that was it. Turns out it's bacteria. It was explained to me by a Doc boater friend who was in charge of water supplies when in the navy. I have it at the beginning of each season. I have to shop vac the tank via the inspection port, spray it, shock it with bleach and water, and flush it. Some people get it and others don't and I'm beginning to suspect the pink antifreez might breed it somehow although I have no proof of that. If you don't have an inspection port to spray down and shopvac the tank then you are looking at cleaning your strainner multiple times before you're rid of it.
 
Prospective, yes that's it. Almost looks like wet paper...fun, bacteria. I've run 4-5 tanks through and cleaned the filter probably a half dozen times and keeps coming back. I've tried bleach twice and still there. Thought might be from the well water at the marina.

Actually have two tanks and only access is too small to vac. What do you "spray" it with? I'm afraid to go too strong on the bleach and damage seals, etc.

Thanks for the response.
 
What are your tanks made of, Aluminum by chance? These are bacteria liberal spraying with Bleach and water helps. I'd never use the pink stuff in anything but a Poly tank. Even then I prefer to have the Poly tanks drained. This used to be a huge issue for me when I had Aluminum fresh water tanks. Ever since switching to Poly tanks and filtering all water going into the tanks I have had no issues.
I'd suggest using carbon based filters on the output of the tanks. You'll find this "white stuff" clogs filters fast.
Bill
 
I have aluminum tanks as well. I am fortunate to have an inspection port so I can see it swirling around in there. Via the inspection port I spray the tank with a hose and slosh around a little bleechey water to clean it. Then I shop vac out the tank until I can't see anything floating around. Then I flush the remainder of the tank via the water pressure pump. RM, I don't think it's "coming back" so much as you just haven't gotten rid of it all yet. Be patient, keep running water and cleaning filter. Run the tank empty each time as the stuff floats and your pickup is at bottom of tank. If you can get a hose head into the tank try that to spray off the walls of the tank and dislodge anything that's hanging on. Once I get rid of it at beginning of season it doesn't come back all season long.
 
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