Cleaning water tanks

[Old Techo]

Over the 15 years I have owned our caravan I have never needed to chemically clean the 60 litre fresh water tanks.

At the end of a trip I generally leave the tanks as is. Sometimes I drain them but mostly not.

Towards the end of our recent 9 week trip to Qld we noticed some 'floaties' in the tank water. We never use the tank water except for drinking when the local area water tastes like crap. The tanks were still about 60% full of our water from home and the 'floaties' only visible when a clear plastic bottle was filled and held up to the light.

Now back home my first thought was to add some bleach, like White King, whilst filling the tanks.

Has anyone a favourite product and method?

[glanyard]

Yes you can put White King in but then go for a drive to slosh the water around; that should help dislodge anything on the inside surface of the tank.
However you will need a lot of rinsing water after emptying, to get rid of the White King taste-chlorine.
glanyard

[Old Techo]

Thanks Glannie

How much is a 'lot' of rinsing water?

1, 2, 3, more, complete refills?

[inca]

Milton baby bottle steriliser is probably your best bet OT. Adapt the recommended formula to the tank size. I used it some years ago in the tank of our old Millard and worked well indeed without taste.

With the last couple of vans I have always topped up the tanks when we arrive home and empty them prior to refilling for the next trip.

In addition I run a 0.2 micron carbon filter in a canister hard mounted under the van and connected directly to the cold water line feeding the sink.This filters both tank and connected town water. When I remember and am feeling fit enough to climb under the van,I remove the filter, rinse,wrap it in Glad Wrap and store in the fridge till the next trip.

Regards Ian

[Old Techo]

Thanks Ian,

Yes, before a trip I always empty, then 100% refill, empty again, then fill again.

Those Milton tabs sound good. I see a pack of 30 for about 6 Shekels.

The instructions say 1 tab per 5 litres so 30 will make 150 litres and my tanks only hold 120

[jdog]

Sept 24, 2019 13:39:42 GMT 10 inca said:

Milton baby bottle steriliser is probably your best bet OT. 

Ditto with Ian for me OT.
I used the liquid version as opposed to the tabs.
cheers

[Old Techo]

Thanks JD,

Didn't know there was a liquid version. It has been 4 decades since I was involved with baby maintenance.

I just Googled 'Milton baby' and up popped the tabs at Woolies. I'll try a bit harder now

[Frank and Brenda]

I too used milton's sterilizer to clean my tanks
1/2 a pack (how ever many tabs that was) per tank did the trick
You're not sterilizing baby bottles so it doesn't need as much as recomended
I emptied the tanks, put the tabs in, refilled and left for a week, emptied, re-filled to rinse and filled again
That was when we bought the van, since then I simply refill when we get home and go as is, no problems on 5 years now

[dieseltojo]

Ordinary pool chlorine is the same as the tablet you buy at disposal or camping shops. One tea spoon into a full tank for a week is all you need then flush it out.

If you want to make use of the water don't pump it onto delicate veggies but grass is ok. Up north the warmth helps propagate growth of bacteria.

I try to keep the tanks as full as I can up north.   Same with diesel fuel tanks.

[Old Techo]

Thanks Frank and DT,

More options than I can shake a (dirty) stick at

[legendts]

We have had our van 16 years (from new) and always emptied and refilled them when we got home, emptied and refilled prior to leaving next time. The first 13 years was tank water and the last 3 with town water and so far haven’t had to treat them. We keep one 60l tank solely for drinking also.

[KeithB]

Sodium peroxide might be good too, because it leaves only pure oxygen and sodium carbonate, while chlorine bleach leaves a fair bit of caustic soda. Whitworths also have a product called Starbrite which takes any off taste out of water and is harmless.
Keith

[glanyard]

Sept 24, 2019 13:34:35 GMT 10 Old Techo said:

Thanks Glannie

How much is a 'lot' of rinsing water?

1, 2, 3, more, complete refills?

Until it tastes ok and not with a hint of chlorine.