Sterilising the fresh water tank (1 Viewer)

Suesouthern

Free Member
Jul 18, 2020
15
5
Funster No
73,159
MH
Pilote G600
Exp
I’m a newbie
Hi all, another daft newbie question. We currently empty our fresh water tank after every trip and then refill with fresh water. How often should we sterilise the fresh water tank ? What should we use and how do you actually do it ? Sorry for the layers of this question Sue
 
Oct 6, 2019
197
730
Funster No
64,966
MH
Carthago
Exp
Since 2017
We drink from our tank, empty after every trip. The only thing I do is descale the boiler and flush the system through with white wine vinegar once a year.
What concentration do you use please Lenny ?
 
Upvote 0
Aug 15, 2014
2,574
3,444
Exiled in Yorkshire
Funster No
32,840
MH
Pilote 600L
Exp
Since 2006
Citric acid crystals bought from Wilko, empty into the fresh water tank then go for a 20 min drive at the start of the season then leave it for 2 hours.
Drain via the taps into the waste tank, leave another 2 hours then drain into the gully at home.
3 jobs for the price of one, always use bottled water for drinking though, each to their own (y)
 
Upvote 0

Tircoeds

Free Member
Aug 29, 2020
5
13
Wales mun ;-)
Funster No
75,184
MH
Sprinter 313 Cdi
Exp
Newbie
A really stupid question now then, if I were to add some cleaning agent ( white vinegar etc ), how on earth would I get it into the water system. I have an inlet into the van which I connect to a hozelock type fitting .?
 
Upvote 0
Aug 15, 2014
2,574
3,444
Exiled in Yorkshire
Funster No
32,840
MH
Pilote 600L
Exp
Since 2006
Depends on what van you have l suppose, l can access my fresh water tank as it is under a settee.
Perhaps best to say what make of van you own (y)

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0

Lenny HB

LIFE MEMBER
Oct 18, 2007
52,684
147,586
On the coast in West Sussex
Funster No
658
MH
Hymer B678 DL
Exp
Since 2008 & many years tugging
A really stupid question now then, if I were to add some cleaning agent ( white vinegar etc ), how on earth would I get it into the water system. I have an inlet into the van which I connect to a hozelock type fitting .?
Unscrew the inspection hatch on the tank & pour in.
 
Upvote 0

Riverbankannie

LIFE MEMBER
Mar 11, 2016
10,432
60,964
Bristol
Funster No
41,967
MH
IH 630 RL PVC
Exp
12
A really stupid question now then, if I were to add some cleaning agent ( white vinegar etc ), how on earth would I get it into the water system. I have an inlet into the van which I connect to a hozelock type fitting .?
Not a stupid question. I would make up a short length of hose with a hozelock type fitting on one end and stick a funnel on the other end. Introduce the cleaning mixture through the funnel.
 
Upvote 0

PeteH

Free Member
Nov 22, 2007
6,853
9,029
East Riding of Yorkshire
Funster No
900
MH
Rapido, 999M.
Exp
18+yrs plus 25+Towing
Cannot speak for everyone, but to Clean/Descale the heater. I have a redundant Pump, one on which the pressure switch has failed. Bye passed the switch and with some hose I can connect to the M-H System after disconnecting the In-line Filter from the M-H pump I pump it from a 5Gallon Container into the heater. Access to the tank itself is by lifting the seat and removing 2 screwed covers.

The Pump BTW, is also useful in that if I run out of water on site too far from a tap for my hose. I can "borrow" a container or aqua-roll, and pump water into the "van!. You`d be surprised how many tuggers on campsite have 2 aqua-rolls and a bit of "please may I borrow" will get use of one!. More especially if you return it full!.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

PrettyandFluffy

Free Member
May 17, 2019
141
290
Derbyshire, UK
Funster No
60,893
MH
Pilote G730
Exp
About 5 years
We don't drink the tap water in our MoHo, we keep a large water bottle (8l) solely for drinking water - and it's useful en route, if travelling empty. Tea, coffee etc are fine as the water has been boiled. We drain the freshwater tank when the MoHo isn't in use. I am very prone to stomach upsets and this system has always been fine.
 
Upvote 0

kevenh

Free Member
Jun 1, 2019
3,319
11,801
Thatcham
Funster No
61,329
MH
Compass C-Class
Exp
I'm a Progressing Newbie
A really stupid question now then, if I were to add some cleaning agent ( white vinegar etc ), how on earth would I get it into the water system. I have an inlet into the van which I connect to a hozelock type fitting .?
Not a stupid question at all.
Our water tank is boxed into the wardrobe.
There’s an access panel for getting to the dump valve on the side.
So I can’t get to the top & sides 🤔

I’ll try harder if there’s an expectation I should be able too 😳
 
Upvote 0

kevenh

Free Member
Jun 1, 2019
3,319
11,801
Thatcham
Funster No
61,329
MH
Compass C-Class
Exp
I'm a Progressing Newbie
Sorry. There’s more.
So to get puriclean into our tank we make it into a solution 1st in a jug to pour into the filling point
Then add more water with a hose to fill the tank!

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0
Aug 15, 2014
2,574
3,444
Exiled in Yorkshire
Funster No
32,840
MH
Pilote 600L
Exp
Since 2006
Sorry. There’s more.
So to get puriclean into our tank we make it into a solution 1st in a jug to pour into the filling point
Then add more water with a hose to fill the tank!
I wouldnt fill the tank myself, make the solution up to whatever strength is required as you say, I would then half fill with water and take the van for a drive to let the water slosh around, then leave for however long is needed before drawing through the taps into the waste tank, then leaving it there for however long is required before draining into a gully.
 
Upvote 0

kevenh

Free Member
Jun 1, 2019
3,319
11,801
Thatcham
Funster No
61,329
MH
Compass C-Class
Exp
I'm a Progressing Newbie
I wouldnt fill the tank myself, make the solution up to whatever strength is required as you say, I would then half fill with water and take the van for a drive to let the water slosh around, then leave for however long is needed before drawing through the taps into the waste tank, then leaving it there for however long is required before draining into a gully.
Good point
I think either fill for static cleansing or part fill for sloshing around cleansing :)
More often than not I'd not leave the drive 'cept for a visit - but!! thinking about it, I could easily combine sloshing around cleansing with a daytrip that has water in a 5Lt container for the coffees, etc.

OK, next time I'll be a slosher for the clean water tank prep.
Cheers
 
Upvote 0

gwyntaxi

LIFE MEMBER
Jun 9, 2009
1,148
1,043
,Swansea
Funster No
7,041
MH
hymer starline 655
Exp
42yearscaravanning&motorhoming
Hi all, another daft newbie question. We currently empty our fresh water tank after every trip and then refill with fresh water. How often should we sterilise the fresh water tank ? What should we use and how do you actually do it ? Sorry for the layers of this question Sue
I always drain the freshwater tank after every trip don’t usually see the need to sterilise during the season as we have quite a decent chlorinated water supply so that keeps the system fresh enough, I drain off at the end of season I.e. around October drain completely then head for sun in January drain down completely on return and sterilise before start of the easter season I find that keeps the system quite fresh, don’t often use the tank for drinking water or tea/coffee but don’t mind the odd glass of it to take tablets or for some cooking. Hope this helps.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0
Aug 12, 2020
121
87
Chester
Funster No
74,327
MH
Van conversion.
Exp
Newbie
Upvote 0
Oct 29, 2012
887
1,043
essex
Funster No
23,489
MH
Rapido 9090df
Exp
20 years (unless you count my dads VW which makes it 52 years with a few gaps!!)
I use White Vinegar (mixed up from crystals) to clean and sterilise my water system. Anything with High levels of chlorine will attack some grades of Stainless steel. IF you have a heater it will be served by water from the tank. Unless you have a shut off valve to prevent the water from entering your heater, then the contents of the tank will be likely to enter the Heater. The low levels of chlorine in potable tap water will not seriously affect the heater, draining down when not in use will mitigate that even further.

As for not drinking water from the tank, that is a personal thing. In my case I have consumed water from Aqua rolls and tanks for the last 50 years. As a Marine Engineer, we had "potable" water tanks separate to the ships FW (washing) supply. Before the advent of vacuum distillers once the "washing" fresh water was gone, it was put on to Sea water. In later ships we had vacuum plants capable of making many tons of fresh per day from sea water, using the heat from the main engines.
descale on the morning watch (y)

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0

MisterB

LIFE MEMBER
Feb 25, 2018
5,750
12,795
Essex
Funster No
52,564
MH
Adria 670 SLT
Exp
enough to know i shouldnt touch things i know nothing about ....
I've read lots of posts on the subject of NOT using Milton, however if all you are doing is cleaning your tank and not the pipework, by adding Milton direct to the tank and then draining without turning the pump on AND then flushing the tank with clean water after, how much diluted Milton is likely to remain in sufficient quantity to create the chemical reaction? Of course I dont expect anyone to respond with a technically correct answer but in a practical sense, there cant be that much?

Put another way, after sterilising babies bottles, they are then rinsed through/washed out, isnt that a similar thing.

Ps I havent used Milton as I have an Alde system, but would if I had to, subject to a damn good full flush or two !!
 
Upvote 0
Aug 20, 2020
946
5,379
Cheshire
Funster No
74,740
MH
Lunar Home Car P59
Exp
I'm a newbie
Citric acid crystals bought from Wilko, empty into the fresh water tank

always use bottled water for drinking though, each to their own (y)

I used puriclean ,same method though I guess it's similar stuff.

I plan to use bottled water , for those eligible for a costco membership one of their biggest sellers is 40 x 500ml bottles of spring water for under £4

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0
Aug 12, 2020
121
87
Chester
Funster No
74,327
MH
Van conversion.
Exp
Newbie
I used puriclean ,same method though I guess it's similar stuff.

I plan to use bottled water , for those eligible for a costco membership one of their biggest sellers is 40 x 500ml bottles of spring water for under £4

The Costco 500ml water bottles are single-use plastics. Yes they should be recycled properly but in reality much will end up in landfill or ultimately end up in the sea as microplastics.

We use a separate food quality water jerrycan, to store fresh tap water and then a small Brita filter drinking bottle to get out any residual taste of plastic:
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-...0001&campid=5338547443&icep_item=352206430251

and


Works for us, and cheaper than Costco bottles!
 
Upvote 0

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Funsters who are viewing this thread

Back
Top