Fresh water system deep-clean!

[Scuttle]

Hi All,

Not sure the best place for this?

My van has been sitting for a few months with water still in its cold water tank (for the tap over the sink - not running).

Whats the best way to clean it? beer line cleaner or something?

 

[T6ChrisO]

Just any water tank cleaner will do (on amazon for example).

Add to tank (as directed on bottle), leave it for 24hrs, go for a quick drive to 'slosh' it around (optional), drain tank (or open tap), fill tank with fresh water, flush/drain system again and you're done

 

[Bav]

Just be aware that a lot of the sterilising fluids are chlorinated and will corrode anything metallic in your water system if left in the system too long. Personally, I would drain after a couple of hours (after driving around to slosh the stuff around).

 

[Scuttle]

will that get the lines to the tap aswell (running it through the tap) ?

 

[T6ChrisO]

yes

 

[Scuttle]

Driving to slosh it around didn't even occur to me thanks!

 

[Pete C]

We use Milton to sterilise the water system.

Pete

 

[Nigpd]

Puriclean is the right stuff to use.

Milton has a good go at stainless steel, so is not recommended

 

[Bav]

Puriclean is the right stuff to use.

Milton has a good go at stainless steel, so is not recommended

The COSSH sheet for Puriclean shows that, like Milton, it too is a chlorinated product, so the same precautions should be applied - i.e.. don't leave it in your water system too long.

 

[ksm1701]

I was looking into this a couple of weeks and after reading what other people used on here and other forums, I settled on this which seems to have done a good job:
Elsan Fresh Water Tank Clean

It comes on a 1 litre bottle and only requires 100ml to do our 19 litre water tank so should last.

 

[AndieH]

Elsan or Purisol? Thoughts? One chlorine based and the other not.

 

[Lubrown]

Elsan or Purisol? Thoughts? One chlorine based and the other not.

Can’t comment on Elsan but I have used Purisol for a few years and not noticed any ill effects so far. The pump still works like normal, the tap hasn’t rusted, seems fine to me.

 

[CAB]

You've left water in the tank for the past few months?

In Newcastle?

In winter?

What were you thinking of?

 

[Salty Spuds]

Had our van 7 years, never cleaned the system, still alive.

 

[interbear]

Good thread as I need to do this. Fluid ordered! However, any clever ideas or tips on how best to easily get these water tank cleaning fluids into the campervan water tank? On ours we fill the water tank via a hose into a port at the rear of the van.

 

[Bav]

Good thread as I need to do this. Fluid ordered! However, any clever ideas or tips on how best to easily get these water tank cleaning fluids into the campervan water tank? On ours we fill the water tank via a hose into a port at the rear of the van.

Remove the Hoselock attachment at the far (tap) end of the hosepipe, pour in cleaning fluid of choice, reattach attachment, fill tank.

I had the same question the first time I came to do it!

 

[Lubrown]

Good thread as I need to do this. Fluid ordered! However, any clever ideas or tips on how best to easily get these water tank cleaning fluids into the campervan water tank? On ours we fill the water tank via a hose into a port at the rear of the van.

While our van has a port on the side I never use that… I guess because we don’t have a drive so have never bothered to buy a hose, that we would keep for drinking water (the garden hose is left out in full sun so goes mouldy inside over time), that’s long enough to reach the road.

Thankfully our tank has a port in the top as well - so water and the occasional dose of cleaning fluid goes in that way - might be worth checking if yours is accessible this way?

 

[AndieH]

Good thread as I need to do this. Fluid ordered! However, any clever ideas or tips on how best to easily get these water tank cleaning fluids into the campervan water tank? On ours we fill the water tank via a hose into a port at the rear of the van.

Funnel or get yourself a food grade length of hose?

 

[Bav]

Funnel?

I'm presuming @interbear has got a Bullfinch inlet point, in which case a funnel won't fit.

 

[interbear]

Thanks all for the advice. I’m going to check exactly what water inlet port I have tomorrow.