How do you sterilise your waste water tank before laying up?

RustyRuss

RustyRuss

Joined
Sep 9, 2019
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Runcorn
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63,956
MH
Autotrail Apache 632
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Since Sept 2019
We’ve just put Bob, our MoHo, back into it’s storage site for the winter. I’m likely to bring it back home for a few “mods” over the Crimbo period and I’m wondering what all you other funsters do to sterilise the waste water tank? All I did yesterday was let the 25% full waste water down the sewage manhole at home, shut the outlet, drain the fresh water and empty the hot water heater. When I bring it home at Crimbo I have a 20ish mile drive with plenty of twists n turns to get anything in the tanks to slosh around. Any and all advice appreciated!

Cheers!

Russ
 
Dishwasher tablets work well. They are also very good at cleaning your waste pipes from the sink and shower. Ivdd Ed found themselves very effective
 
I use Aqua Midi tablets. Make sure you run the treated water through the taps until you can taste/smell the chemical has filled the pipes. Dissolve the tablets first in hot water if you can before adding it to the water tank. They take much longer to dissolve in cold water.

I leave our van lke this for long periods even over the winter but then we don't get hard frosts down here very often. :)
 
As above no point in cleaning your tank if it’s going in storage for it’s winter holiday, just open taps and when first used then clean it.
 
Thanks guys!

Russ
 
Reckon one of those guys in the lab know the answer to that one Russ 🤣🤣
 
Did you open all of your taps as well, I don’t sterilise I just give it a rinse out before filling

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I put two caps of bleach down the drain and leave it.
 
a large bottle of cheap cola down the plug holes does a prett good job of detoxing the pipes and waste tank
 
Cola? That’s an interesting idea. I’ve seen what a job it does on copper coins.

Thanks for that Stuart.

Russ

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I would think cola in a tank will just attract flies, wasps, ants, and then dry to some sticky mess like it does in the bottom of a glass. I also would be concerned about it stripping any protective lacquer off the level gauge probes.
 
Every couple of years. Or should I say, when I remember, I put dishwasher cleaning tablets into the waste water tank. Note, not dishwasher tablets but the cleaning tablets. Dissolve them and pout it down the drains in the kitchen and the bathroom. Also, I use the Cola method for killing the smells. On a hot day in Greece the tank can really stink. A bottle of cheap cola really does freshen it up and we have never seen any problems.
 
Put some Milton (diluted as per instructions) in the fresh water tank and pull it through the pipes and let it go in to the waster tank. Have a drive around to swish the waste tank, then drain down and leave the taps open. We do our twice per year.
 
Clean the system in the new year. The only thing we do is take the MH out to the garden centre every couple of weeks, if it’s dry.

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Last edited:
OG1 said:
Clean the system in the new year. The only thing we do is take the MH out to the garden centre every couple of weeks, if it’s dry.
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Fenwicks do a product for tank cleaning, fresh and waste in one product. No idea how good shave only used flushing with fresh water in the waste tank direct in the top access. Seems to work for me. I suppose the issue might be about cleaning the level sensor which is not easy to get at.
 
Landy Andy said:
I don’t. I leave the drain tap open and that’s it.
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If you leave the drain tap open, you run the risk of slugs entering the tank (moisture). When I have opened a closed tap once in the past and a small slug got flushed out of it, so beware.
 
Woodburner said:
Put some Milton (diluted as per instructions) in the fresh water tank and pull it through the pipes and let it go in to the waster tank. Have a drive around to swish the waste tank, then drain down and leave the taps open. We do our twice per year.
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Be careful - I've heard stories that he chlorine in Milton can ruin the boiler if left too long.
 
Quarter tank of water and a bottle of bleach then go for a drive.
 
Clean the system in the new year. Take the van to the garden centre every couple off weeks, have a cup of coffee. Just hope next year will be better. I hope.

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I don't bother with sterilisation but used to put disinfectant into the waste when I noticed that the waste water was unusually pongy.
What you have done is almost sufficient: make sure taps and shower head are left open and remove the bowl from the pump filter (if there is one).
Do something to remind you to close the switch and replace the filter bowl when you're ready to go again.
 
RustyRuss said:
We’ve just put Bob, our MoHo, back into it’s storage site for the winter. I’m likely to bring it back home for a few “mods” over the Crimbo period and I’m wondering what all you other funsters do to sterilise the waste water tank? All I did yesterday was let the 25% full waste water down the sewage manhole at home, shut the outlet, drain the fresh water and empty the hot water heater. When I bring it home at Crimbo I have a 20ish mile drive with plenty of twists n turns to get anything in the tanks to slosh around. Any and all advice appreciated!

Cheers!

Russ
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I have put lime cordial down pipes. Acitic acid
 
Haven't had the Winter lay up yet, but we do the 'driving slosh wash' and have added some Bio Washing Liquid down the sink, bathroom sink and shower drains [it' also used in the toilet cassette, just more frequently!] and then add around 10 litres of fresh water across the 3 drainage points.

Steve & Elaine

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