Spear/bore water flushing

[KGW3]

Anyone use Bore or spear water to flush outboards ? Certainly doesn't hurt the garden and it's not salty. Beter than nothing I suppose.

[Roughasguts]

Is the water high in calcium, that would make it pretty hard water, not the best for washing the car or sitting in a hot water system.

[SgBFish]

KGWS.
Thats a good question. It may not have salt (sodium Chloride) but it may have high calcium or other salts or maybe even Sulpur.

May pay to have it tested first. I don't know how this will effect your warrantee.
Scott

[PADDLES]

don't know where you are kgw3 so i can't guess the quality of your spear water, but i use spear water to wash the trailer and also the 4wd but haven't used it to flush the outboard as yet. we're up at beachmere and we got our spear water tested at a place at narangba and they said it was just over the drinking water limit for salt and it was slightly over for ph (slightly acidic) plus also had some metals in it (manganese i think). they said that it wouldn't be suitable for drinking or use in household appliances because the acid content would corrode stuff, but they could make me up a treatment plant to make it all good. now this being said, i know some guys who live at moreton and they use the spear water for flushing outboards and have no problems at all as far as i know. i won't use it to wash our nice car, but have no problems with using it on the old 4wd.

[KGW3]

Thanx for the replies. We are at Labrador. Water looks ok..

[saurian]

Kgw3, some bore water is high in minerals etc ...
If you use it elsewhere , check for stains or water marks .
ie; around tap, on walls, fences, colourbond sheets etc....
If it is leaving white powder residue I'd be looking elsewhere as that residue could end up in cooling galleries etc ...
I know of 40 hp honda's in northern freshwater rivers getting blocked up from living in high limestone content water.
If your borewater is drinking quality , i'd put it through the motor.
I'm afraid or lucky that water isn't a problem up here, so I don't have your problem.
Thus - " SPEAR WATER ???" What does this mean guys , is it greywater ???
Ta

[PADDLES]

it means a sand spear saurian, it only goes down about 6m into wet sand where a bore goes heaps deeper. it's basically a filter on the end of a 6m length of 60mm pipe that get's pushed into the sand. they pump water into the end of a smaller length of 90mm pipe and then work it into the sand as the water forces itself out from underneath the bottom end of the pipe blowing sand out of the way. they then use the 60mm bit inside the 90mm bit to got the full 6m depth pull it out, put on the filter, chuck it back in and then hook it up to a pump and away you go, water at the flick of a switch. pretty handy in these days of water restrictions.

[saurian]

Paddles , Thanks for the info, spear sounds fine for the garden.
I have got a bore so no need for spear. ( no town water)
Ta

[KGW3]

There is a bit of brown "rust" on the footpath, and it's not drinkable, but its better than the muddy and salty water in the Broadwater and does a nice job on the car, so I'll be flushing with it for sure.
This fresh water flushing is , i think a bit hyped up, as you see permantly moored boats run for many years that never see a drop of drinking water.