Sterilising the fresh water tank

[Suesouthern]

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

 

[Lusky]

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 ?

 

[Lenny HB]

What concentration do you use please Lenny ?

About 3 - 4Lt & 10 - 12 Lt water, enough to fill the boiler and fush the pipes through.

 

[TUCANO]

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

 

[Tircoeds]

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 .?

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[TUCANO]

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

 

[Lenny HB]

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.

 

[Riverbankannie]

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.

 

[PeteH]

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!.

 

[PrettyandFluffy]

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.

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[kevenh]

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

 

[kevenh]

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!

 

[TUCANO]

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.

 

[kevenh]

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

 

[gwyntaxi]

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.

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[Markman]

Stainless steel is subject to chloride induced stress corrosion cracking. The levels in normal tapwaterwill be below the threshold for CSSC:

https://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr902.pdf

 

[Markman]

Stainless steel is subject to chloride induced stress corrosion cracking. The levels in normal tapwaterwill be below the threshold for CSSC:

https://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr902.pdf

This is guidance from the HSE. For a shorter version see:

What is Chloride Stress Corrosion Cracking (CSCC)? - Definition from Corrosionpedia

Chloride Stress Corrosion Cracking CSCC Definition - Chloride stress corrosion cracking (C

www.corrosionpedia.com

.

 

[cranky]

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

 

[MisterB]

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 !!

 

[Terry242]

What concentration do you use please Lenny ?

Truma recommend 2lt per 10-12lt of water, run it through the system and leave for 5hrs.

Terry

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[Wack]

Citric acid crystals bought from Wilko, empty into the fresh water tank

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

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

 

[Markman]

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

Water Filter Bottles by BRITA - buy now

Enjoy the taste of pure, fresh water wherever you are with BRITA Water Filter Bottles. Buy now.

www.brita.co.uk

Works for us, and cheaper than Costco bottles!