Drinking water tank - cleaning tank

[FredFlintstone]

Hi,
Would it be recommended to add some sort of cleaning agent to the clean water tank / system to ensure water is safe to drink - if so, please can you recommend what to use?

As the van is not new and hasn't been used for a while (not sure how long TBH, poss 18 months or so) thinking of taking steps to clean the tank & system - any recommendations?

Thanks

 

[IainB]

We clean our tank once a year using Puriclean Water Treatment. Easy to do. Dissolve the required amount in some water add to the tank, top up the tank with more water, run some water through the system to the waste tank and leave to soak for a few hours (longer if necessary). Take the van for a spin to swill the water about the tanks (and loosen any debris), drain both tanks. Top up the tank with fresh water and run some through to the waste tank, then drain both tanks, repeat to be sure all cleaning agent is removed. Depending on how contaminated your tank is you might want to repeat the cleaning agent process before you flush with clean water. Other cleaning agents are available, but suggest avoiding Milton as it's not good for stainless steel sinks. Hope this helps.

 

[Sad]

As @IainB but I have started using Elsan Fresh Water Tank Cleaner from the club shop

 

[BeeBee]

We clean our tank once a year using Puriclean Water Treatment. Easy to do. Dissolve the required amount in some water add to the tank, top up the tank with more water, run some water through the system to the waste tank and leave to soak for a few hours (longer if necessary). Take the van for a spin to swill the water about the tanks (and loosen any debris), drain both tanks. Top up the tank with fresh water and run some through to the waste tank, then drain both tanks, repeat to be sure all cleaning agent is removed. Depending on how contaminated your tank is you might want to repeat the cleaning agent process before you flush with clean water. Other cleaning agents are available, but suggest avoiding Milton as it's not good for stainless steel sinks. Hope this helps.

We’ve used Puriclean for the past 4years, as suggested once a year. Works very well .

 

[Hawthorn37]

A few threads cover this.

New cali:cleaning/filling water tank

Hi We have a new Ocean (3 weeks old) and are really excited about it. We have spent one overnight so far and off on a longer trip too soon. I would like some advice about cleaning/preparing the water tank prior to filling and general maintenance i.e.how often you tend to clean/flush it between...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

How long to keep your drinking water .

Hi, can't see this discussed, but could be important. How long do you keep your water tank water. I hadn't really thaught about it. I always drain when we get home, and refill before going off. But last summer, we were in France, and it was hot. Our tank lasted 4 days, and we refilled when...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

Watertank - best cleaning solution for water

Hi all, I haven’t used my watertank at all this year. It intend to fill it up for drinking. Anyone any recommendations of the best way to clean thank from potential bacteria? Thanks Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

vwcaliforniaclub.com

We used Milton about 3 x year, and flush out and refill with fresh water each trip.

 

[Alan Andrews]

We never drink the water out of the van tap. We only use the water for washing.

You can buy 5ltr fresh drinking water from Tesco etc for around £1. The container is reusable, and the right size to fit inside the cubby hole space at the end of the rear seat drawer. We have now removed the plastic cover to make this space more accessible. We replace the water as we travel.

Yes we still use a water cleaner in the main tank once a year.

 

[dspuk]

As @Hawthorn37 says, lots of chat on this in search.

As @Alan Andrews says - we do the same now. We have a 10L collpsable container from Amazon that fits in the Spacemate during the day and between the front seats on the night. Not for any reason to not use the taps - we just just find it easier day to day and the full 10L easily lasts us a weekend away.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09WR4SSSY/?tag=eliteelect-21

We might switch back to onboard water one day but used this setup for the whole NC500.

We have used Puriclean, again, Amazon, costs virtually nothing.

 

[Kayleigh]

We never drink the water out of the van tap. We only use the water for washing.

You can buy 5ltr fresh drinking water from Tesco etc for around £1. The container is reusable, and the right size to fit inside the cubby hole space at the end of the rear seat drawer. We have now removed the plastic cover to make this space more accessible. We replace the water as we travel.

Yes we still use a water cleaner in the main tank once a year.

I was going to ask the question…
Do people actually drink from the fresh water tank?

 

[dspuk]

I was going to ask the question…
Do people actually drink from the fresh water tank?

Of course.

 

[WelshGas]

I was going to ask the question…
Do people actually drink from the fresh water tank?

YES.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

I was going to ask the question…
Do people actually drink from the fresh water tank?

Of course.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

Hi,
Would it be recommended to add some sort of cleaning agent to the clean water tank / system to ensure water is safe to drink - if so, please can you recommend what to use?

As the van is not new and hasn't been used for a while (not sure how long TBH, poss 18 months or so) thinking of taking steps to clean the tank & system - any recommendations?

Thanks

The tank is in a cool space not in the sun and is unlikely to be contaminated.
Fill it 2/3 full, put in a little water cleaner. Drive around to splosh it about. Run a fair bit through the tap. Empty tank and then repeat with clean tap water maybe 3 times.

 

[RockinNRollin]

I would imagine if the tank is kept clean, it's fine for water for cooking with, washing and hot drinks (i.e. boiled water). I wouldn't drink the water as it is though, in the same way I wouldn't drink out of a water container that's been knocking around for a while with water in it. With a pump etc. I'd imagine it's difficult to get *completely* clean.

 

[Kayleigh]

Of course.

YES.

Of course.

It’s not something I had actually considered seeing as I’m currently a Beach owner. I always use stainless steel for drinking water, but will bear this in mind…

 

[Hawthorn37]

I would imagine if the tank is kept clean, it's fine for water for cooking with, washing and hot drinks (i.e. boiled water). I wouldn't drink the water as it is though, in the same way I wouldn't drink out of a water container that's been knocking around for a while with water in it. With a pump etc. I'd imagine it's difficult to get *completely* clean.

The onboard tank is designed with hygiene in mind, and designed to meet all your camping needs. That’s perhaps why there’s no storage space for secondary water containers.

It’s a simple tank design, no crevices that I can see from inspection and tge drawings, it’s made from food grade material that is stable and doesn’t absorb or emit taint. Likewise the submersible pump parts are also made from food grade material. I agree in not drinking from a container thats had water sitting in it for a long time and has not been cleaned. If you take sensible precautions in sanitising the tank and delivery pipework occasionally, I personally can see no adverse risks. If you think that this simple tank and pump is risky, you perhaps should visit a food / drink plant - very complex systems with loads of microbe opportunities.

 

[Hawthorn37]

I was going to ask the question…
Do people actually drink from the fresh water tank?

No problem, yes.

 

[AndrewCook680]

Yes we drink the water from kitchen tap in our GC680 - but I fitted a Guzzle H20 water filter (carbon) & UV steriliser unit to the cold water feed to kitchen tap from pump. Used this setup on our Hilux so moved it over the the GC.
And cleaned tank and pipe work with puriclean before installing the carbon filter block.
So hopefully drinking water is bug free

 

[The Tall Luthier]

In many houses in low pressure areas water sits in a black, barely sealed tank in the loft. Nobody ever thought about whether it was safe to drink and no one ever got ill from it.

Same for the van, sure throw in some cleaner, the same as you might for making beer or sterilising baby bottles and flush it through.

But you’re going to be just ok drinking the stuff cold.

To those buying gallons from Tescos, peace, but you’re just adding to a plastic mountain really. Not to mention valuable space.

But finally, there it’s no way in god’s green earth that VW, a super cash rich company, would install a tap in a motor home that was not completely safe. The potential law suits would mean that they would have put warning stickers up by now.

 

[Steve1]

No problem, yes.

Yes all the time.
I drain my fresh water between camping trips so it doesn't sit for weeks in there and once a year ish I use puriclean to clean it out.
While camping we use it like any normal tap including drinking water.

 

[Seamelody]

Agree, annual clean with pure clean, wash thru tap, into waste so it can then give that tank a clean then flush thru twice and refill for use.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ejmoore]

I was going to ask the question…
Do people actually drink from the fresh water tank?

No, not straight - only boiled up for tea. We keep a couple of bottles of tap water for drinking neat. But then we never bother disinfecting the fresh water tank.

 

[sbmcd]

We drink from the tank and have never treated it since we got in 2014 amazingly still alive we use the van a lot.

If you fill your tank with a chlorinated public water supply I can't see any reason to treat it.

 

[Wesel]

I was going to ask the question…
Do people actually drink from the fresh water tank?

We don't use it for drinking cold water, but for coffee or for brushing our teeth, among other things.
On the other hand, we drink the water that we keep in a 10-litre jerry can. The differences : the water stays there for less time, and what remains is emptied before refilling. Also, there is no vent hole, and as this jerrycan is transparent, if there were to be algae it would be visible. And finally, each time we disinfect the tank, we also disinfect the jerry can.

 

[HugoFar]

We use the van tank water for cooking, hot drinks and washing. We drink from a separate portable 15 litre water container. Works for us. Ours was bought at 9 years old, so no idea of use before that.

 

[peregrinus]

Same routine as many others.

We use the tap for cooking and washing, with a supermarket 5L bottle for drinks. We use supermarket baby bottle steriliser for the annual tank clean.

My tap pump has stopped working again (2nd time in 10 years) so I’ll be searching the forum for pump replacement.