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 should do to make sure secure consuming water in your van.

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Cleansing your motorhome water tank

One factor I’ve at all times been acutely aware of is consuming water. Mr WB has spent quite a lot of time within the Center East, the place water just isn’t at all times secure to drink and he’s a bit of obsessive about ensuring we’ve got secure water.

No less than- I used to assume it was obsessive till he bought 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 assist you keep away from it in yours, you should clear your motorhome freshwater tanks frequently.

Why cleansing motorhome water tanks is necessary

Most water carries micro organism. When that water is saved 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 among the predominant considerations, however so is E-coli and a number of other different sorts of micro organism.

Sadly, you don’t must drink the water to turn into contaminated. Should you bathe from a contaminated tank, or use the water for cooking or rinsing meals, you’ll be able to 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 grime, particles and even bits from the hose you employ to refill the tank. All of this promotes micro organism and makes the water much less secure to eat.

You may as well by no means assure that the water you’re filling your tanks up with is secure to drink both. After we have 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!

Nevertheless, many individuals don’t wish to carry extra water for consuming, because it eats into area and payload, (1litre weighs 1kg) so retaining the water tank clear turns into a better precedence.

Is it secure 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 so forth, preferring to both filter the water earlier than consuming or boiling it for warm drinks. Listed below are some choices for filtered water:

Others are fairly joyful 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, tooth 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.

As of late you’ll be able to add inline water filters to your water system, though I don’t use one in my van, they’re changing into common. You’ll be able to try the Alde system right here however different techniques can be found.

How usually do you have to clear a motorhome water tank?

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

On the naked minimal it is best to clear it completely yearly and ALWAYS when it’s been stood for a number of 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 employ to wash your water tank will go away a residue, which you’ll then be consuming for some time each time you employ the water. That is why I don’t advocate a cup of bleach or bleach combination, except it’s both secure for human consumption otherwise you don’t plan to ever drink from the tank once more.

Then you should choose a product. There are a number of available on the market, and every have their execs 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 fully 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’ll be able to odor the cleaner), then shut
• Go away in a single day. Alternatively, you’ll be able to drive round for a short while, to get the combination into all corners. Simply remember you’re driving with a full tank and the automobile could also be heavier than you’re used to.
• Subsequent day, absolutely 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 toilet.
• Fully empty the freshwater tank, then refill with clear water and EMPTY absolutely once more by way of the faucets to wash out all of the pipes.
• By the tip, you shouldn’t be in a position to odor the cleansing product any extra. Should you can, refill and empty time and again till the faucet water now 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’ll be able to 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’ll be able to select from.

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

What’s Puriclean?

Puriclean is among 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 system which each cleans and sterilises in a single go, so no must do two remedies. It cleans your complete motorhome water system: tanks, pipes, pumps, hoses and faucets and may apparently even be used to “take away stains from many home gadgets corresponding to glassware, plastic tableware, tea and low pots and stainless-steel gadgets corresponding 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 tough to know when the tank is flushed, so I’d do it at the very least twice to take away all the system earlier than you employ 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 secure to drink or use in bathe.

Can you employ vinegar, bleach or acid to wash your water tank?

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

We’ve by no means completed 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 simply 4% acetic acid) however I query how efficient this could be!

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

Some folks additionally point out utilizing bleach. Once more, family bleach/ chlorine bleach will be hazardous if consumed and I don’t really feel the danger is value utilizing it, particularly when there are different merchandise available on the market which do a fantastic job. I strongly advocate you employ a kind of.

Should you do select to make use of bleach, remember it will probably injury stainless-steel, which many motorhome scorching water boilers are created from.

Do you should 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 making an attempt 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.

Find out how to take care of your motorhome water system whereas travelling

Listed below are some tricks to hold your water tank clear whereas on the street:

• Change the water frequently (at the very least each three/4 days).
• Should you 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.
• Should you’re motorhome wild tenting and wish to keep off-grid , you’ll be able to fill the tank full however make sure to add chemical compounds (we do that each time anyway, regardless of whether or not we’re wild tenting or on campsites).
• Use a correct meals grade hose to fill the water tank, and hold it devoted JUST for this process. Preserve the hose in a protecting bag to cease the ends coming involved with different issues. See our different motorhoming necessities right here.

Can you permit your motorhome with water in it?

Water doesn’t retailer effectively, though many plastic bottles say it should final for a number of years. However stagnant water will begin to get micro organism and slime very quickly- scarily rapidly. I at all times advocate 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 will be worrying, however utilizing a correct food-grade hose and cleansing out your system and tank frequently ought to hold every little thing secure.

Final replace on 2024-07-03 / Affiliate hyperlinks / Pictures from Amazon Product Promoting API

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