Cleansing your Motorhome Water Tank (the simple 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 protected ingesting water in your van.

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Cleansing your motorhome water tank

One factor I’ve all the time been aware of is ingesting water and ensuring it’s protected water.

So, to keep away from any state of affairs of nasties in our van, you should clear your motorhome freshwater tanks usually.

Why cleansing motorhome water tanks is vital

Most water carries micro organism. When that water is saved in a enclosed house (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 fundamental issues, 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. For those who 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 replenish 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 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 replenish!

Nonetheless, many individuals don’t wish to carry extra water for ingesting, because it eats into house and payload, (1litre weighs 1kg) so preserving 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 matter 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 warm drinks. Listed here are some choices for filtered water:

Others are fairly completely happy that it’s alright 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 after 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 turning into in style. You’ll be able to try the Alde system right here however different methods can be found.

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

The query of how typically you must clear your motorhome freshwater tank relies upon so much on how typically 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 plenty of time touring Europe in our motorhome.

On the naked minimal you must 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 scrub your water tank will depart a residue, which you’ll then be consuming for some time each time you employ the water. This is the reason I don’t suggest a cup of bleach or bleach combination, until it’s both protected 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 in the marketplace, and every have their professionals and cons (see beneath).

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 may 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 via 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 scent the cleaner), then shut
• Depart 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 car 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/ answer down the drains within the kitchen and toilet.
• Fully empty the freshwater tank, then refill with clear water and EMPTY totally once more via the faucets to scrub out all of the pipes.
• By the top, you shouldn’t be capable of scent the cleansing product any extra. For those who can, refill and empty repeatedly 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 in the event you’re going into winter storage you may 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 beneath product (BUT don’t put this in your recent water tank!):

Motorhome tank cleansing merchandise

Like most issues on the subject of cleansing your motorhome, there are a number of merchandise you’ll be able to select from.

Most of them work in very related methods, so it’s largely 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 system which each cleans and sterilises in a single go, so no have to do two therapies. It cleans all the motorhome water system: tanks, pipes, pumps, hoses and faucets and may apparently even be used to “take away stains from many home gadgets similar to glassware, plastic tableware, tea and occasional pots and chrome steel gadgets similar to vacuum flasks”.

One 400g tub cleans a tank of as much as 270 litres and the combination doesn’t scent, foam or hurt any elements within the water system. It may be tough to know when the tank is flushed, so I might do it not less than 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 replenish. It’s protected to drink or use in bathe.

Can you employ 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 carried out 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 may get a milder dose (vinegar is just 4% acetic acid) however I query how efficient this may be!

So no, I don’t suggest utilizing vinegar or citric acid to scrub your motorhome water tank. For those who 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 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 excellent job. I strongly suggest you employ a kind of.

For those who do select to make use of bleach, remember it might probably injury chrome steel, which many motorhome scorching water boilers are produced from.

Do you should sterilise a motorhome water tank?

Sterilising and cleansing a tank are related, 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.

How you can take care of your motorhome water system whereas travelling

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

• Change the water usually (not less than each three/4 days).
• For those who don’t naturally use this a lot water (in the event you’re travelling solo or naturally frugal), then simply fill the tank midway every time so it’s not standing within the tank too lengthy.
• For those who’re motorhome wild tenting and wish to keep off-grid , you’ll be able to fill the tank full however you’ll want 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 preserve it devoted JUST for this process. Maintain 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 permit your motorhome with water in it?

Water doesn’t retailer nicely, regardless that 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 all the time suggest you drain your water system down until you’re utilizing it once more inside every 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 usually ought to preserve the whole lot protected.

Final replace on 2025-03-19 / Affiliate hyperlinks / Photos from Amazon Product Promoting API

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