Fresh Water

[dochiley]

Without wanting to set off any folk who are pedantic or super cautious I wonder what you do to keep your Fresh Water Storage "fresh".

I seem to recollect adding Milton (of the baby bottles) when we first got our MH and were dead keen. Since then we have just drained down each winter, left it empty until the spring, filled up, set off and hoped for the best. So far so good.

Is this a wise strategy?

 

[David and Sally]

Don't use Milton. The boiler does not like it.

Use Aquatabs, Aquasol or similar.

Some don't use anything. I prefer caution.

 

[pappajohn]

That's all I ever did... But I've drank from streams, rivers and lakes.
Depends on your stomach...... Some here seem to have rather delicate stomachs and sterilise at every opportunity.

 

[Yorick]

Just keep it full of beer. Job jobbed

 

[pappajohn]

Just keep it full of beer. Job jobbed

Nah... Beer lines need regular cleaning. Tastes crap if you don't.

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[Reallyretired]

Just keep it topped up with fresh water whenever you can that will kill off any nasties. Don't use Milton.

 

[Yorick]

Nah... Beer lines need regular cleaning. Tastes crap if you don't.

Not if you drink it fast enough


And obviously keep it chilled.

 

[Robert Clark]

What you’re doing now is quite sufficient

Just drain the tank down over winter and fill with fresh water before your next trip

 

[dochiley]

Great, thanks, looks like we might survive with our low tech solution (excuse the pun!)

 

[DaveandJen]

We normally do a yearly flash of the clean water tank and pipework at the start of the spring season with the product below and happy to recommend.

Amazon product ASIN B009YXX4OS

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[PeteH]

Annual Clean/De-scale of the system, Weak(ish) solution of Water/Clear Vinegar (Citric Acid, Bulk packs of crystals on E-Bay?) fill tank allow to stand pump into system including boiler (Trauma) for at least 30 min (descale). Meantime drain tank, and re-fill, used tank contents to flush boiler until taste is clear. Change inline filter and test. Drain Tank/System if required. Job done.

 

[andynkim]

Don’t do anything, water from tap has chlorine added this will keep pipes and tank clean.
Always drink from tank never had a problem.

 

[Wild Brambles]

Well I don't lay up my van, so I don't have a long term storage problem. I am concerned about plastic pollution in my drinking and cooking water though. I tend to keep it in plastic bottles that I refill from clean sources. I try to keep these out of sunlight, but I an still concerned that I may be keeping the bottles for too long. I buy cheap water for drinking from supermarkets, and I feel that £1 for 5 litres is worth the expense, but I refill these from garages and other similar sources for cooking and cleaning. I don't want to use glass bottles for obvious reasons, but I'm thinking of securing bubble wrap around some to avoid the plastic pollution.

 

[Nigel L]

Never put anything in our tank other than fresh water. We try and use the van all year round, but always drain down between each trip. Fill up before setting off and if we get low and carn’t find a tap, then into the nearest supermarket. 2 litres for .17p, so 20 lites only £1-70.
Never drink directly from the tank, as take a couple of 5 litre containers filled up from home, and then the 2 litres bottles from supermarkets if required.

 

[Googlebot]

Sterilise ours once a year, drink straight from it.

I do however only fill with clean water, a mate when off grid will collect awning run off from rain, streams etc. He only drinks bottled water.

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[138go]

We drink bottled water, no need to faff about with anything in the tank.

 

[nicholsong]

As per OP - just straight from fresh water in tank, no form of sterilisation.

In my boat 30 years ago I used to add Potasium Permanganate which kills everything, including humans, but that needs a lot of flushing out till there is no sign of purple colour.

You should have seen the Boots' pharmacists face when I asked to buy it. But after a sensible conversation as to why I wanted it he did sell it to me. Still on the boat, as only a few grains are needed. Thinks, must tell my friend the new owner of the boat about it.

 

[PeteH]

Just a thought, Most "tap" water is treated anyway, so the likelihood of contamination is very low. In fact running the hot shower below 60C is probably more dangerous, Shower heads are a favourite breeding ground for Legionella.

 

[138go]

We fill up on some of the aires in France and Spain, that's enough to make you buy bottled water. I recently saw an English guy with the fresh water hose actually inside his toilet cassette. You might say it's okay, you can use your own hose but this hose appeared to be surgically welded to the fresh water tap.