Fresh Water Tank Care

[trevtherev]

I recently posted a question regarding the waste tank and got some very useful replys I would appreciate some advice re. the fresh water tank. We do not use this for drinking water as we use a small container for this which is easy to keep fresh and clean. However the water inthe tank would be used for things such as cooking, washing and teeth cleaningetc. So my question is does this tank require regular sterilisation, should it be drained if the MH is not going to be used for a couple of weeks or so, also is ther a product that could be left in the tank to keep it fresh but does not make the water taste strange.
I was quite ill many years ago because of drinking water from a caravan water tank that not been cleaned out properly.

 

[Landy lover]

Much would depend on where you are filling from and how regularly you use the tank - mains water has a proportion of chlorine in it which has a sterilant effect and if the tank is used regularly then that should suffice but if it is left for extended periods then I use Milton but then you need to flush the system through to get rid of the taste it leaves. Some remote camp sites have spring water - although it would be passed for human consumption there would be no additives to it such as chlorine or fluoride

 

[Deleted member 29692]

You will get as many varied answers on this topic as anything else. Some people will tell you that you need to drain it and sterilise it at least twice a day and you should still never "risk" drinking from it.

Personally, we've never even drained it completely, never mind cleaned or sterilised it. We use the water from it for everything including drinking and have never had any problems.

 

[GJH]

My notes on our experiences Here.

 

[KJP]

Like you I don't drink water out of my tank, not even to clean my teeth but I do drain down the van after every trip, not sure about your van but I find my van is very easy to drain down so not a problem

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[Gellyneck]

Our regime for the fresh water tank.
Fill it when taking it out of storage. Use. Drain down when going back into storage.
If not using over winter for a couple of months flush out with Miltons and then as above.

 

[Robert Clark]

We always drink from our tank so am particular about hygene
At the beginning of the season I use tank cleaner and always empty the tank between trips.
I also carry some water purification liquid 'just in case'
I always flush my hose pipe out before filling the tank
And I NEVER fill the tank from a tap near a waste emptying point

 

[FM02MZO]

We use the van all year so I always clean the fresh water tank about four times a year using Puriclean, and every time I top the tank up I add one or two Aqua Tabs. The hose pipes and adapters also get the same treatment, and yes we do drink it.

 

[denisejoe]

We use our van all year and drink from it - but then it's nearly always boiled. We only use it cold to clean our teeth but never had any problems. We have a Nature Pure if we want to drink cold water which isn't very often!

Denise

 

[chaser]

Aqua tabs are not that expensive we usually put a couple in every other fill up or every time if the facility's look dodgy , Milton is not supposed to be used as it is said it rots any stainless steel in the system , boiler etc

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[denisejoe]

Milton also leaves a revolting bleachy taste no matter how much you try and flush it through!

Denise

 

[WAG2CRU]

As others have said clean the system every six months with Puriclean, others have mentioned aqua tabs but, I found they have a taste, this is using them in 500 litre tanks on a yacht, aqua sol, a liquid made by the same company, does not have an after taste.

 

[MikeandCarolyn]

I did use some sort of Tablets in early days,but found that most things left a taste-so,now I just drain after every trip and flush through before filling for next trip.
A 'trip' could be a couple of days or 3 mths-my regime is the same.
We use tank for everything except drinking-drinking is water from the same source but put into 2 x 1ltre plastic bottles that we keep in fridge.
Never had any probs that Immodium couldn't cure

 

[Tootles]

Having drunk out of various dubious streams, well's and water sources over the years, (without death), I'm happy to rely on chlorine, but we do have a drinking water container, so that 'over chlorination' dosent spoil our brews when mixing waters from various visited areas.

 

[Jim]

We drink straight from the tank. Never clean it out, and not too worried about the quality of the water going in. But we do use a filter

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[Wildbill]

We cleaned the tank when we first got the van use normal tap water use container sum drinking water for lyn and jay me I drink it right from the tank and we don't have a filter
when we go to the continent I am a bit more carful in places like Spain in remote locations but we haven ben for years now
bill