Cleansing your Motorhome Water Tank (the straightforward approach)

Involved about cleansing your motorhome water tank? Wish to sterilise the freshwater tank in your camper or caravan? Right here’s what you might want to do to make sure protected ingesting water in your van.

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Cleansing your motorhome water tank

One factor I’ve at all times been aware of is ingesting water. Mr WB has spent a number of time within the Center East, the place water shouldn’t be at all times protected to drink and he’s slightly obsessive about ensuring we have now protected water.

A minimum of- I used to suppose it was obsessive till he received Legionnaire’s Illness!

Now, I ought to make it very clear that he did NOT get Legionnaires from our motorhome water tank, however it was from one other van, which isn’t used very a lot.

So, to keep away from the identical scenario in our van and show you how to keep away from it in yours, you might want to clear your motorhome freshwater tanks recurrently.

Why cleansing motorhome water tanks is vital

Most water carries micro organism. When that water is stored in a enclosed area (like a motorhome recent water tank) micro organism can multiply rapidly. This turns into even worse in heat temperatures. Legionella is likely one of the major considerations, however so is E-coli and a number of other different forms of micro organism.

Sadly, you don’t have to drink the water to turn into contaminated. If you happen to bathe from a contaminated tank, or use the water for cooking or rinsing meals, you possibly can turn into sick. Many of those result in lung situations, like pneumonia and COPD.

Additionally, over time, the recent water system in your motorhome, campervan or caravan turns into contaminated by dust, particles and even bits from the hose you utilize to refill the tank. All of this promotes micro organism and makes the water much less protected to eat.

It’s also possible to by no means assure that the water you’re filling your tanks up with is protected to drink both. After we had been motorhoming in Scotland, we spent a while on the Isle of Skye and it seems a sheep had died within the campsite water provide and had contaminated all of it! Thank goodness we didn’t refill!

Nonetheless, many individuals don’t wish to carry further water for ingesting, because it eats into area and payload, (1litre weighs 1kg) so protecting the water tank clear turns into the next precedence.

Is it protected to drink water out of your motorhome water tank?

This can be a subject which divides opinions massively. Many individuals solely use the water straight from their tanks for showers/ cooking and many others, preferring to both filter the water earlier than ingesting or boiling it for decent drinks. Listed here are some choices for filtered water:

Others are fairly blissful that it’s okay to drink and don’t fear about it in any respect.

Personally, I do drink from the water tank as I now have an inline filter within the chilly line fitted (so I don’t drink something from the water heater!), however for a few years we solely used our motorhome water tank for showers, enamel cleansing and washing up and used a Lifesaver Jerrycan to drink from, even once we’re going to boil it within the kettle.

Many individuals ask me if the water tastes bizarre with the filter, however no- I can’t style any distinction tbh.

Today you possibly can add inline water filters to your water system, though I don’t use one in my van, they’re changing into fashionable. You possibly can take a look at the Alde system right here however different programs can be found.

How usually must you clear a motorhome water tank?

The query of how usually it is best to clear your motorhome freshwater tank relies upon rather a lot on how usually you utilize it and the place you’re. Personally, we clear ours twice a 12 months, however that’s as a result of we spend a number of time touring Europe in our motorhome.

On the naked minimal it is best to clear it completely annually and ALWAYS when it’s been stood for just a few weeks or extra. That is when micro organism and biofilm can actually begin to develop contained in the tank and make the water harmful to drink.

How do you clear a freshwater tank on a motorhome?

The very first thing to recollect is that no matter you utilize to scrub your water tank will depart a residue, which you’ll then be consuming for some time each time you utilize the water. For this reason I don’t suggest a cup of bleach or bleach combination, except it’s both protected for human consumption otherwise you don’t plan to ever drink from the tank once more.

Then you might want to decide a product. There are a number of in the marketplace, and every have their professionals and cons (see under).

As soon as chosen, right here’s what you do:

• Shut all faucets and valves (together with the recent water tank drain and reduction valve)
• Add your chosen cleansing product (ie- Puriclean). Pour it into the recent water tank directly- you would possibly want a funnel.
• Fill system utterly with recent water from a hose or utilizing a bucket.
• Activate faucet FURTHEST away out of your recent water tank to get the answer all by way of your system. Let the water run from the faucets for 10-15 seconds after you hear the water pump (or till you possibly can odor the cleaner), then shut
• Depart in a single day. Alternatively, you possibly can drive round for a short while, to get the combination into all corners. Simply bear in mind you’re driving with a full tank and the automobile could also be heavier than you’re used to.
• Subsequent day, totally open all faucets, which permits the cleansing product to then run into your gray waste tank and clear that too. I additionally pour some cleansing product/ resolution down the drains within the kitchen and loo.
• Utterly empty the freshwater tank, then refill with clear water and EMPTY totally once more by way of the faucets to scrub out all of the pipes.
• By the top, you shouldn’t be capable of odor the cleansing product any extra. If you happen to can, refill and empty time and again till the faucet water not smells.
• It’s a good suggestion to vary your water filters now too, so the entire system is clear and able to go, though if you happen to’re going into winter storage you would possibly wish to wait till the brand new season.
• Moreover, you possibly can clear your gray waste tank and bathroom cassette/ black water tank with the under product (BUT don’t put this in your recent water tank!):

Motorhome tank cleansing merchandise

Like most issues relating to cleansing your motorhome, there are a number of merchandise you possibly can select from.

Most of them work in very comparable methods, so it’s principally a matter of selecting the product which sounds finest to you.

What’s Puriclean?

Puriclean is likely one of the most well-known motorhome tank cleaners. It’s very easy to make use of and works very successfully to eradicate micro organism, viruses, bio-film, algae, and fungi.

It has a dual-purpose formulation which each cleans and sterilises in a single go, so no have to do two remedies. It cleans all the motorhome water system: tanks, pipes, pumps, hoses and faucets and might apparently even be used to “take away stains from many home objects akin to glassware, plastic tableware, tea and low pots and chrome steel objects akin to vacuum flasks”.

One 400g tub cleans a tank of as much as 270 litres and the combination doesn’t odor, foam or hurt any elements within the water system. It may be difficult to know when the tank is flushed, so I might do it at the least twice to take away all the formulation earlier than you utilize the tank usually.

Are Aquasol and Puriclean the identical factor?

NO. Aquasol and Puriclean are NOT the identical issues. Puriclean cleans and sterilises the tank, whereas Aquasol disinfects water while it’s within the tank ready for use.

We add Aquasol to our water EVERY time we refill. It’s protected to drink or use in bathe.

Can you utilize vinegar, bleach or acid to scrub your water tank?

I’ve seen some posts and movies on Youtube discuss utilizing citric or acetic acid to scrub a motorhome water tank because it restricts the expansion of micro organism and prevents algae rising.

We’ve by no means achieved this, purely as a result of the acetic acid we all know of is hazardous to eyes and pores and skin. Many individuals use it as a weed killer. You will get a milder dose (vinegar is just 4% acetic acid) however I query how efficient this could be!

So no, I don’t suggest utilizing vinegar or citric acid to scrub your motorhome water tank. If you happen to do select to, you’ll want one litre of cleansing vinegar for each 100 litres of water.

Some individuals additionally point out utilizing bleach. Once more, family bleach/ chlorine bleach could be hazardous if consumed and I don’t really feel the chance is price utilizing it, particularly when there are different merchandise in the marketplace which do an awesome job. I strongly suggest you utilize a kind of.

If you happen to do select to make use of bleach, bear in mind it could actually harm chrome steel, which many motorhome sizzling water boilers are constructed from.

Do you might want to sterilise a motorhome water tank?

Sterilising and cleansing a tank are comparable, however not fairly the identical factor. Cleansing is extra ‘washing out’, whereas sterilising is actively attempting to kill all of the micro organism.

One of many causes we like Puriclean is it cleans AND sterilises on the identical time, making the entire course of a lot simpler.

Learn how to take care of your motorhome water system whereas travelling

Listed here are some tricks to preserve your water tank clear whereas on the street:

• Change the water recurrently (at the least each three/4 days).
• If you happen to don’t naturally use this a lot water (if you happen to’re travelling solo or naturally frugal), then simply fill the tank midway every time so it’s not standing within the tank too lengthy.
• If you happen to’re motorhome wild tenting and wish to keep off-grid , you possibly can fill the tank full however be sure you add chemical substances (we do that each time anyway, irrespective of whether or not we’re wild tenting or on campsites).
• Use a correct meals grade hose to fill the water tank, and preserve it devoted JUST for this activity. Preserve the hose in a protecting bag to cease the ends coming in touch with different issues. See our different motorhoming necessities right here.

Can you allow your motorhome with water in it?

Water doesn’t retailer nicely, although many plastic bottles say it’ll final for just a few years. However stagnant water will begin to get micro organism and slime very quickly- scarily rapidly. I at all times suggest you drain your water system down except you’re utilizing it once more inside per week.

I hope you discovered these suggestions helpful. I do know the considered catching one thing nasty out of your motorhome water system could be worrying, however utilizing a correct food-grade hose and cleansing out your system and tank recurrently ought to preserve every thing protected.

Final replace on 2024-07-04 / Affiliate hyperlinks / Photographs from Amazon Product Promoting API

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