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How to clean your fresh water system?

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  • 25-03-2007 7:13pm
    #1
    peasant
    Registered Users Posts: 17,819 ✭✭✭✭


    Another coming out of hibernation topic :D

    Having parked your camper for a long time, how do (do you at all?) clean your water tanks and pipes?

    Me, Ive got myself a five liter canister of "Sterichlor" from the next farmers co-op. Of that I put a good swig into each of my tanks and then fill them about half with water. Then I put on the pump and run all taps (including the boiler, on cold) until the stinky chlorine sits in every pipe.
    Then I take the yoke for a little drive down a bumpy road ...the swishing water in the tanks should clean out all the corners, once I get back home I drain the tanks and let the water sit in the pipes over night. The following day, I empty the pipes, while at the same time running fresh water into the tanks. I run the taps one after the other (not forgetting the water from the boiler) until the stink of chlorine disappears and only fresh water runs through ...done.

    Done it this way for years and so far haven't come down with any illnesses.

    During the year, if I know that I won't be using water for a while, I also drain the tanks and flush all pipes for a while when filling them up again before the next trip.

    What do you do?


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    #2
    dollydishmop
    Registered Users Posts: 561 ✭✭✭dollydishmop


    We use dairy bleach. Probably also availaible from a famer's co-op.

    A cup full of the dairy bleach (far more than you need, but makes you feel happier putting a good glug in :D ) in the tank then fill-up with water.
    Once the tank is full, run it through your taps for 30 seconds or so, enough to know the pipes etc have the fluid sitting in them.

    We then leave for 20 mins or so...a little drive around for Peasants reasons is a very good idea.

    Then we drain the tank, and flush through at least twice. For an extra flush, I'll run the hose tap for a few minutes, whilst letting the water out. Again, when tank is full of clean water, run the camper taps to rinse the pipes etc out too.

    Then, if you're in a hurry, you're good to go. The bleach smell is minimal, but some bicarb of soda will neutralise that if so desired. Just fill up and go camping.

    If you have more time available, park up overnight, and leave the tank open...the bleach smell will blow off all by itself.

    Job done.

    This doesn't take long...an hour max, so if the tanks haven't been used for a while mid-season, it doesn't take long to freshen things up again.

    A quick note to anyone considering using Milton....if you have *ANY* metal fixings within your water system, Milton will react with them, leave residue on them, and possibly corrode them...don't believe me, stick a metal spoon or similar in some dilute Milton for half an hour or so ;)


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