Clean down routine - any tips and what to do with water?

[PaulC70]

Hi all, so back from a shakedown trip which went well, instead of a night locally we went to the Outer Hebrides on a 10 day jaunt
Now I'm home I spent yesterday evening unpacking the motorhome and todays job is hoovering and the only thing that's phasing me is what to do with the 30 or so litres of fresh water in the tank?
I'm assuming I should drain it after every trip? should I use anything to clean out the grey waste tank each time? Im sure I read someone on here using some puriclean or similar down the sink then using the remaining fresh to add to the grey and have a drive around then drain the grey?

Anyone got any other tips?

 

[M-J]

I would empty the fresh unless you plan to use it again in the next few days, as for cleaning I do our fresh water system a couple of times a year with puriclean. The grey waste gets a bit of a clean at the same time but I also put a bit of tankfresh in the grey tank every now and again (via the sink plug holes)

 

[HugoBNB]

We don't bother draining down the fresh water (we tend to try to run home with about 20l) if we are going away again within 2-3 weeks. We drain and back flush the grey tank and leave the drain valve open every time so it can vent. We stick a mesh over the outlet pipe to prevent any insect visitors. When we charge the fresh up again we use Puriclean. We tend to drink bottled water anyway.
Except in the winter months when we totally drain down, fresh and grey every time to prevent frost damage. Pleased you enjoyed your trip. Was it busy up there?

 

[berni109]

Depends on how long before next use.
Few weeks and we leave fresh it in and just drain the rest of tanks.
Grey tank is best dosed up with your favoured cleaner before a good long drive - around the block wont help much.

 

[Landy Andy]

I never drain my water tank. There is no point as you can’t remove it all, unless you get in there with a cloth and dry it out. I fill mine up if anything that way it’s ready to go away next time, and less surface area for any bugs to grow. The waste tank I drain, and just leave open to the elements and we’ve never had any smells from it.

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[Lenny HB]

Always drain down after each trip unless going away again in a few days. The chlorine put in tap water to purify it disperses after a few days so I want to be drinking fresh water.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Im sure I read someone on here using some puriclean or similar down the sink then using the remaining fresh to add to the grey and have a drive around then drain the grey?

That may have been me- BUT I only do that once a year at the beginning of the season. Once up and running, I leave any fresh in the tank but sometimes use it up just to flush through the grey waste. I do use a 5 litre water bottle for fresh drinking water every day though. So the tank is just used for washing and washing up.
So glad that you enjoyed your shakedown trip.
I use a pair of big washing baskets to carry stuff from house to van and back. Saves time and effort, one basket with bedding to wash, one with personal items, clothes toiletries medicines etc and another return trip for the food that needs to be loaded/removed.

 

[PaulC70]

We only tend to drink bottled for the kettle etc too so we only use the fresh tank for showering and dishes.
Hoping to do a quick one night in a fortnight so will leave the fresh thats in there for that anyway. I'll get hold of some tank fresh and thanks for the tips on leaving it open, not thought about that but makes sense as does dosing it before a long run. Thanks for the advice everyone.

. Pleased you enjoyed your trip. Was it busy up there?

Not madly, saw plenty of campers and motorhomes but not what i would call busy to be honest.

 

[hja]

We flush and clean both tanks once a year.
Always empty grey water either at site or once we are home.
Fresh water depends on when we are away next - if not going to be away for 2/3 weeks we drain the fresh water tank but NOT the boiler. Only drain boiler in winter/v.cold weather.
Water in boiler is going to be heated and used for washing selves and dishes so I think that "hanging around" is OK. Just not happy with fresh water sitting in the tank for long, so we drain it. We do use tank water for drinking, cooking etc.
I may well drain the fresh via the grey tank. In this van it is easier to empty the grey than the fresh, and it flushes through the grey tank as bit.

 

[Guigsy]

After each trip, we empty the grey. Then run a few litres more fresh through the taps to flush and empty some more. It gets most of the dregs out.

If we're not using the van for a few weeks, we'll also empty the fresh. But we don't drink from it, so we're not that fussy.

A couple of times per year, we'll put Puriclean in the fill point and top the tank off. Leave it for a day. Then empty the fresh into the grey. Leave it for a day. Then flush everything through with fresh.