How often should the freshwater tank be cleaned?

[Sixty-nine Chevy]

Hi all

We have just cleaned (with Elsan's Fresh Water Tank Cleaner) our freshwater tank and then drained it down for our first winter with a campervan. Our next big trip is planned for February, but we may want to have the odd single-night run out before then. If we put in some water for such short trips, should we then be using cleaner again before draining down? Or can we just clean the freshwater tank less frequently, say a couple of times a year or even quarterly? Any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated.

Merry Christmas

Ian.

 

[Richard n Ann]

I do ours once a year in the spring before first use.

 

[DBK]

Never deliberately cleaned ours with a specific cleaner. I always drain the tank if it isn't going to be used for say a week. I also use water sterilising tablets a few times a year as we seem to have a habit of picking up contaminated water. These will do the same job.

But if you only fill up with water in the UK and civilised countries in Europe then even the sterilising tablets won't be necessary. The chlorine in the supply should do the job but over time if stagnant the bugs will take over - hence the need to drain the tank if not being used.

 

[TinaLes]

I think we may be different to most in that we dont drink the water from the fresh tank in the van, we simply take a foodsafe type 4 litre water jerry can/bottles X2, which we refill from the fresh water tap.

This all started when we had the caravan using an Aquaroll, and since having the van we have carried on doing the same, as the water is always safe and does not taste of anything that it shouldn't.

It also allows us to travel with less water in the main tank, so less payload used and more fuel saved, however there are many that would never go on a trip without filling their large water tanks up before leaving, we are all different I guess.
We have also bought 2 litre bottles of supermarket spring water, which we freeze before leaving home, and place in the vans FF, this helps get the FF down to lower temps quicker, and is useful if going on ferries or the chunnel at keeping the stuff in the fridge safe with no power or gas turned on, while crossing.

I also drain the fresh tank as soon as we get home, and leave the drain tap open.
Still learning new tricks even after two years with MH.
LES

 

[Mikeco]

Never clean ours, the van is used throughout the year so the water is not stood for long, any water for drinking comes through the water filter.

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[Marty Gilly and Pup]

Occasionally clean and sterilised but just carry a 5 litre ordinary water bottle obtainable from all good supermarkets for anything that we drink. Takes days to empty and most departs via the loo I suspect.

 

[Jonno1103]

We only use our van 5 or 6 times a year and always use a freshwater tank cleaner before every use, turn the pump & boiler on and draw it through all of the taps and the toilet flush. This is done for most of the 100 litres then the tank is flushed twice and the process repeated allowing the water to stand in the tank(s) for several hours before flushing for the final time. We also do the same with the Aquaroll and filler hose.

On site we always add 5-10ml of ELSIL per tank fill.

Periodic use of hot water systems are a great breeding ground for some real nasties as within the heater coils they become more resistant to heat over time... so are cold water systems used in warm countries especially inside inboard fitted plastic holding tanks.

The water in itself is usually not the culprit, it's the biofilm within the tanks, pipework & fittings which is particularly resistant to removal.

I do appreciate that for most people it's about context but after spending 3 weeks in Concorci hospital in Valencia being intravenously feed and watered due to Legionella, I'm never taking the chance again!

 

[rosalan]

Drinking water? You do realise that fish swim and live in water.
Historically we British only drank 'small beer', seeing water as dangerous.
If by necessity someone passing requires a drink of water, we would boil it of course but as this is such a faff, we more than likely would offer a beer.
As for sterilising the stuff, I am naturally fearful of the consequences.

 

[peterc10]

We (I) clean it once a year in the spring using food grade citric acid. Clean all the pipes as well by pumping some up from the tank. After a couple of hours i run all the taps to fill up the grey tank and let that soak to for a while. Then flush through a couple of cycles with plain water.

We use the water for drinking cooking and washing and have never had any problems. But we do use a microbrial filter for all drinking and cooking water.

 

[Lenny HB]

Always drain ours down after every trip, the only cleaning it gets is white wine vinegar when I descale the boiler once a year.

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[Basildog]

I think we may be different to most in that we dont drink the water from the fresh tank in the van, we simply take a foodsafe type 4 litre water jerry can/bottles X2, which we refill from the fresh water tap.

This all started when we had the caravan using an Aquaroll, and since having the van we have carried on doing the same, as the water is always safe and does not taste of anything that it shouldn't.

It also allows us to travel with less water in the main tank, so less payload used and more fuel saved, however there are many that would never go on a trip without filling their large water tanks up before leaving, we are all different I guess.
We have also bought 2 litre bottles of supermarket spring water, which we freeze before leaving home, and place in the vans FF, this helps get the FF down to lower temps quicker, and is useful if going on ferries or the chunnel at keeping the stuff in the fridge safe with no power or gas turned on, while crossing.

I also drain the fresh tank as soon as we get home, and leave the drain tap open.
Still learning new tricks even after two years with MH.
LES

A Motorhome without full water tanks is a Caravan in my book ?
Totally useless for the way we use a van as we are allergic to sites ?
Full tanks to go home too as we might decide to stop somewhere or not bother going home ?
Fuel saving wouldn’t even be noticed on most vans they are ugly great bricks you are trying to force through the air not exactly aerodynamic ?

 

[TR5]

I've never found the need to clean the fresh water tank, and we drink from it. Sensible maintenance is all that should be required. I always drain it after use, and always flush with one tank full of fresh water before use, remembering that tap water is already treated with chlorine etc., so a flush through and drain once before use is all I have ever had to do.

 

[TerryL]

I tend to drain down my water tanks at the end of a trip, unless we intend to go away again in the near future. But even then I'll do a flush through with clean water before refilling. If I think about it I might run a sterilising agent through once a year but we've never had any problems. To be fair we don't drink straight out of the tank, we always have bottled water available for cold drinks.

As mentioned above, provided you don't let it get stagnant, the chlorination of tap water is usually enough to get rid of any "nasties".

 

[Jonno1103]

The water itself isn't the issue, it's the bio film left behind on all surfaces which isn't removed by just emptying or flushing. It also reacts with the plastic which over time releases polymers into the water... the sell by date on supermarket bottled water is for the bottle itself not the contents.

Plastic tanks of fresh water last about 48 hours before the chlorination is evaporated, it's lifespan is shorter in tanks with heaters or in warmer climes.

 

[ceejayt]

In 15 years and four vans never cleaned the water tank specifically. We have had a nature pure filter in every van and the most I have c=done is used some aqua tabs on occasion when the van has been stood for some time.

Never suffered any ill consequences

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[138go]

We only use the tank for washing up, hand washing etc. Therefore, there's no need to sterilise it.

 

[Spriddler]

I use Aquatabs sterilisers at each fill but I don't drink the water fresh from the tank as I have an (irrational?) anxiety that the Aquatabs sterilising properties would kill all the 'good' bacteria in my gut.
Well it would, wouldn't it?

 

[Phod's]

Recently replace the submersible pump and drained down to obviously do this and could wipe some scummy deposit from on the inside of the tank and only flushed and rinsed etc having used Elsil.......which is meant to protect the boiler, unlike Milton!!!
So I'll drain down totally after each use and refil as its quick and easy................but as for drinking water we carry a 3ltr container and I only drink sparkling so buy bottled (I know, I know!!!)..........we cook and shower with our tank water and have thankfully never experienced any problems.

 

[tonyidle]

Several methods suggested waste an awful lot of water! I only do ours when l notice limescale and then put just enough water / citric acid in to fill the boiler and pipes (2 or 3 gallons). I don't drink tapwater unless it's in tea & coffee anyway. I drive with a full tank & only drain any remaining if parked at home for more than a month or so. The last local-ish outbreak of Legionella was at Barrow-in-Furness when a number of people were struck down after inhaling vapour from an untreated aircon outlet on a LA building. It can get you no matter how hard you try to avoid it .

 

[Augusta08]

Bio Film gawd I never worried about that before.

I won't sleep tonight worrying about the biofilms I've drunk ignorant of the potential consequences.

Or could have a glass of wine and worry tomorrow.

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[Lenny HB]

A Motorhome without full water tanks is a Caravan in my book ?
Totally useless for the way we use a van as we are allergic to sites ?
Full tanks to go home too as we might decide to stop somewhere or not bother going home ?
Fuel saving wouldn’t even be noticed on most vans they are ugly great bricks you are trying to force through the air not exactly aerodynamic ⚠?

Totally agree no point in having a Motorhome if you can't use it as intended.

 

[Caggsie1]

Been Mh since 2008, never felt need to sterilise until recently whe we acquired an aqua roll to fill water. Now use sterilised tabs in aqua roll. Can certainly smell the tabs which for some stupid reason makes me feel all ok. However, never drink from tanks.

 

[Bonkers the Dog]

Do we worry about our house system so much? I've never cleaned out my houses system in decade. You wouldn't believe what I've seen floating in Domestic tanks!

Do we worry to much? Yes, unless you are severely immuno-suppressed, 100 years old or completely ignore basic water management protocols we will all be OK. We have very good immune systems, it takes care of most things.

Saying that.... I've had the Pilote 9 months, its been used for 62 days in that time and carries a family of four on the road with a lot of water usage. The tanks are filled fresh every trip and drained and rinsed after. I don't let water lie and I leave the tank top open for it to breath and dry.

They are filled the morning of departure, never left full for longer than 10 hours and are replenished en route as required. I generally don't drink from the tank as I like it chilled from the fridge bottle, but tea and coffee are not a bother.

Just normal practice really.

I have cleaned our tank once, with citric acid, flushed the system and disinfected it. Not because I am particularly worried about pathogens, more so that it came from abroad and could have been in a dealers yard for a long time.

But remember, if you use the water from the tap for anything you are exposing yourself to possible contamination and infection due to atomised water from what ever you are doing!

There is no escape from the bugs! They will soon be our masters and overlords.

 

[Reallyretired]

Never normally clean the tank. Drain down when not using it and the chlorine in fresh water when refilling will get rid of any residual bugs. We use tank water for tea etc but bottled usually for drinking. We only use bottled water even for tea in Spain as much of the tap water has unpleasant taste, though probably perfectly safe.

 

[138go]

Earlier this year, in Spain, I saw a man using the Aire services on a campsite. He was using the fresh water hose to clean his toilet cassette, including putting the hose inside the cassette.

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[pandas]

We never use the on board water for drinking either in the UK or in Europe but empty the tank after every trip - do not use sterilisers as we had the impression some damage with the Truma boiler so thought best not to go there. We very rarely free camp so are never in a position when we need 190 odd litres of water to hand. I am not sure having the water tank full for travelling was the design intention of the motorhome manufacturers but some clearly you could take the view 'you can so why not'. Just some need to be mindful of the plated weight - 1L of water is around 1 kg so it could have a significant difference to what else you can carry. Related to the performance I am mindful that when I am carrying one of my young grandchildren up Helvellyn it seems a lot harder than when I haven't.

 

[TerryL]

Earlier this year, in Spain, I saw a man using the Aire services on a campsite. He was using the fresh water hose to clean his toilet cassette, including putting the hose inside the cassette.

That's why I always give any hose a good wash before using it and run off a few litres of water through it before it goes in my tank.
Filthy b-----s!

 

[thebriars]

Bio Film gawd I never worried about that before.

I won't sleep tonight worrying about the biofilms I've drunk ignorant of the potential consequences.

Or could have a glass of wine and worry tomorrow.

There's probably biofilms in your glass of wine too. Enjoy!

 

[peterc10]

Earlier this year, in Spain, I saw a man using the Aire services on a campsite. He was using the fresh water hose to clean his toilet cassette, including putting the hose inside the cassette.

My motto is to never trust a campsite (or Aire) hose. I always detach it and attach my own. Also disinfectant spray and wipe the tap and let it run for a few seconds as well. Seen too much abuse everywhere.

 

[TheAleMan]

Have never cleaned ours in over 12 years of ownership..never found the need to. Tank is not dirty..no algae or any staining at all. Tanks are both inboard and don't see any sunlight which obviously helps.