CLEANING OF FRESH WATER STORAGE CONTAINERS.

[Mtbcol]

Hello all.
Can someone just confirm that what I'm doing to keep our water containers safe is "safe" please. After each trip (about a month between) I fill up the tap container with fresh tap water (19ltrs) and drop in about 5 tablets as shown. Leave this for a while then empty out and rinse twice with fresh tap water. I do this with the other two containers we fill out kitchen one with. I noticed this time the submersible pump and it hose was slightly slimy (not green). Also, as it's impossible to completely dry the containers in between trips, if I drop in one or maybe two of these tablets before filling for a trip, would this be ok? We usually only use the water for cooking and tea/coffee so it's always boiled anyway.
Thank you.
Colin.

 

[Derekoak]

If you empty your solution through your pumped tap pausing for an hour or so a couple of times you should clean the pump and pipes too. I am sure what you do is fine if you boil anyway.
The bottles we use for drinking water I use Milton fluid or a steradent tablet in a litre and shake leave shake transfer to another bottle. Rinse.

 

[Robmac]

We've used similar treatment on our boats water systems for many years without any problems.

 

[Wooie1958]

Puriclean, been using it on our motorhome water tank twice a year since new and the water is still as good today as it was new.

Our motorhome is now 15 years old and we drink water straight from the tap with no ill effects.

Pardon our interruption...

 

[Mtbcol]

Thank you gentlemen, that's great.
Just another query. We currently use brought bottled water for drinking (squash etc.) But in a bid to save money and reduce plastic waste we would like to use our home tap water for this as well. Question is, will it keep long enough for a 4 - 7 day break? Would it keep longer in our van fridge? It would be nice to be able to buy a few 300ml BPA free bottles for this instead of buying bottled water.
Thanks again.
Colin.

 

[trevskoda]

I carry two 10LTR camping containers for drinking water, only use my main tank for washing dishes and water to top the loo up.

 

[Mtbcol]

How long do they stay "fresh" for trev?

 

[Robmac]

Thank you gentlemen, that's great.
Just another query. We currently use brought bottled water for drinking (squash etc.) But in a bid to save money and reduce plastic waste we would like to use our home tap water for this as well. Question is, will it keep long enough for a 4 - 7 day break? Would it keep longer in our van fridge? It would be nice to be able to buy a few 300ml BPA free bottles for this instead of buying bottled water.
Thanks again.
Colin.

We use bottled tap water for cold drinks carried in 5 litre bottles.

Sometimes if we are away for more than a few days we stick one of them in the freezer until nearly frozen solid before we leave, it can then take a couple of days or so to thaw out and stay fresh and cold.

 

[Wooie1958]

Make sure you rinse the bottles out well then fill with tap water, keep them out of direct sunlight and they`ll be fine.

When we go away i fill our onboard 150L tank at home and also 6 X 2.272L ( 4 pints ) milk bottles that have been really well washed out with tap water.

They then get poured into the main tank as we use water and i put a cross on the top of the bottle which indicates " other " water that i source from garages, water taps etc. etc. etc. and this is used in our toilet header tank which is completely separate from the main tank.

At the end of the trip the 6 bottles get put in the recycling bins and i start collecting new milk bottles for the next trip.

This regime works for us

 

[Mtbcol]

Thanks again gents.

Happy now

 

[Derekoak]

Thank you gentlemen, that's great.
Just another query. We currently use brought bottled water for drinking (squash etc.) But in a bid to save money and reduce plastic waste we would like to use our home tap water for this as well. Question is, will it keep long enough for a 4 - 7 day break? Would it keep longer in our van fridge? It would be nice to be able to buy a few 300ml BPA free bottles for this instead of buying bottled water.
Thanks again.
Colin.

That will be fine we do not have a tank or plumbing just a sink and waste and 40 litres of water in 2 litre spring water bottles. 19 of them have lasted 4 years.
We fill from taps and springs and even high say 2000m up streams. If we have to use low stream water we add an elastic band as a signifier that it is for washing or washing up, or boiling. I sterilise the bottles as I said before.
Some we have drunk from a fortnight or more after they were filled. Water keeps if it is dark. We keep them in the dark. No stomach upsets in a decade although it may depend on your constitution.

 

[Mtbcol]

Thank you Derek

 

[Winger]

I’ve never known water to go bad, the container possibly after a long period of time. There is only a limited amount of water in the world so it’s all recycled

 

[GMJ]

Another vote for Puriclean here too.

It's a bespoke product made exactly for the job and safe to draw through your boiler too. Also really not expensive to buy either and readily available too.

 

[tidewatcher]

Used Puriclean on boats and now the camper, never had a problem. If using plastic bottles of tap water for drinking not boiled just try to keep them out of sunlight. That’s the reason fresh water pipes and tanks are not clear plastic. Remember at home the water has been hanging around for some time in supply and domestic pipe work and is still safe to drink.

 

[REC]

A lot of bottled water is from taps anyway...it is how it is stored...keep out of light and it will be fine. I use Milton tablets in our container and pipes at regular intervals too.

 

[Wooie1958]

A lot of bottled water is from taps anyway...it is how it is stored...keep out of light and it will be fine.

I saw the program, Del Boy, Rodney and Uncle Albert showed how it was done

 

[Moped]

We use an Aquaphor water filter with a 350litre filter, which lasts the whole of a 3 month trip, for drinking water from the MH fresh tank. Never had any bug issues when using this in France or Spain.

We never buy bottled water so the £6 cost per filter pays for itself several times over each trip.

We empty the fresh water tank and system at the end of each trip and have never sterilised the tank. Maybe we have hardened constitution and built up immunity to water bugs?

Whilst claimed to be safe for human consumption, my view is any form of sterilising solution can reduce your natural immunity in your stomach even if consumed in small quantities. Do you really want to kill of the billions of digestive microbes in your body?

The Aquaphor can of course be used by those who carry their water in containers.

 

[Richard Wasteney]

I’ve never known water to go bad, the container possibly after a long period of time. There is only a limited amount of water in the world so it’s all recycled

Indeed, there’s enough chlorine put in our tap water to make it keep for 6 months, I only clean out the tanks using home brew tablets if Mh been stood months

 

[Wooie1958]

1 x 400g tub of Puriclean that i posted in #4 does 2 cleans ( 200g each time ) of my main water tank and pipes.

Approx £8 - £9 a year isn`t a fortune and i look on it as part of my regular maintenance costs.