duetto owner Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 got another question just when I thought I had mastered the basics. on camping away our 70 litre water lasts 1-2 days thats OK. But cannot go away again till hosp scans sorted so having regular day trips out but do not use so much water. How long should I leave fresh water in the tank before changing it. [for drinking purposes] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkc Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Hi duetto owner, We never drink from the tank but use a separate freshly filled 5 litre container. As long as you keep topping the tank up frequently you should be ok for general usage, but check the tank now and again for sand and other debris, and drain as required. Regards PKC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 We never used to drink from the tank in our previous van, which was old and "pre-loved," but having bought a new one we drink from it now. Not sure of a "time limit" on the water though, as we tend to use ours quite a lot, but if it was parked for a couple of weeks I'd probably drain and refill it before using it for cold drinks. Boiled for tea etc, it should be OK for longer, and of course for washing and showering it doesn't matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corky 8 Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 We drink from our fresh water tank ,and have done so in all the Motrhomes we have had, I have always steralise the fresh water tank on my M/H at the begining of the every season ,the longest we tend to leave water in the tank unused is a week, less time if its from the Highlands or any peaty water supply, its so easy to drain off , I dont think any harm would come of anyone drinking water as old as a month providing no contaminents have got in, I have drank from an Army bouser which we knew the water had been in it for well over a month and no harm came to us, I know its sealed but how long has bottled water stood before you open it ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoHomer Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 We also take drinking water from a separate container refilled daily. Tank water used for washing, teeth cleaning etc. I always drain the tank and system after every trip. Before leaving for the next trip I flush through from the mains, refill and leave the system overnight in the hope that our (excessively) chlorinated tap water will cleanse the system. (I did use a proprietary caravan water system steriliser once but it left a taint that lasted months). I then drain most of the water off before leaving and refill on arrival at site. I used to keep the tank topped up whilst away but now let it run low before refilling, which improves "turnover" of tank water. Why do I do all this? Water left standing in the tank will eventually become unfit for consumption, timescale dependant on things like purity of the water itself (some remote sites are supplied from private boreholes or springs which might not be quite as sterile as mains water), general cleanliness of the system to start with, ambient temperature/humidity etc. Even with the tank/system drained so far as practicable there will still be some residual dampness/water within which could lead to bugs developing before next use, hence the flushing. Sounds like hassle I suppose but the only real prob is an occasional need to help the pump prime on the initial fill after draining. Theoretically you could just boil all your tank water before consumption (happens anyway for hot drinks) but that would be (partial?) cure for any potential problem and I prefer prevention. Just careful, I suppose. Probably because I used to work with some ex Environmental Health Officers and they were REALLY careful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 hi duetto owner We currently use a 5 litre container for all our drinking water but have long considered having a Nature Pure water filter installed to eliminate this. It's a great little system that many motorhomers (and boat users) use and is chemical free. They are often at the major shows but there is more information here; http://www.generalecologyeurope.com/naturepure.html David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 If you buy bottled spring water the time limit is only a few days after opening so I would not trust tank water for long. We always carry small easy to carry fresh water containers for drinking. Two litre plastic ex-milk containers actually, we usually have three or four in the van, and we put it through a filter jug too before we drink it. We are both nearly 80 so have to be a bit careful. Survived a life in the forces so don't want to get bumped off by a drop of water do I???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duetto owner Posted May 30, 2009 Author Share Posted May 30, 2009 thanks everyone I will give a weekly flush as a result of advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 The handbook for my current and last motorhome - both German - recommended emptying the fresh water tank after every trip and to never drink water more than 4 days old. Hence we tend to add water every couple of days when we are away. We rarely have more than 50l in the tank unless we are showering. I flush the entire system twice a year with either mild Milton or home brew cleansing chemicals. Milton gets mixed reports and needs to be used with care.If you are susceptible to stomach bugs, the separate water container or bottled water is sensible. However, ensure you keep the water in the container fresh, empty the container after use, and cleanse it at least once a year.For days out, we use a container because it is simply less hassle for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duetto owner Posted May 30, 2009 Author Share Posted May 30, 2009 brock thanks for the feedback Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J9withdogs Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 A nice cup of tea is also top priority so I use bottled water. 14p for a 2-litre bottle from Somerfield. 6 bottles fit perfectly in my cupboard and last a week. Just use the on-board tank for showering and washing-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 J9withdogs - 2009-05-30 6:44 PM A nice cup of tea is also top priority so I use bottled water. 14p for a 2-litre bottle from Somerfield. 6 bottles fit perfectly in my cupboard and last a week. Just use the on-board tank for showering and washing-up. I'm with you Janine. Very civilised. I wouldn't drink water out of a water tank at home, so why drink out of a tank when I'm away ? On club sites (in GB) we fill bottles from " drinking water" taps on site, and use that for a cuppa etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little-jack Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Motohomer Agree with you on this one- why take the risk with stale water, and why lug 50+ extr kilos around when fresh water is available at the next stop? little jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Momma Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 When we are in the UK or in European countries where the water is safe to drink we use the water tank water to drink from and have never had a problem. The longest periods we are away is usually no more than 3 weeks. I always drain the water tank and leave to stand until next trip. Before departing again I half fill tank and then flush through all the taps and shower and then fill up with fresh water ready to go. We are going to Spain this summer and after we use all our 'drinkable' water we will buy bottled for drinking and only use the water tank water for showers, washing up etc. We will then steralize the tank on return. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 We have had a current model Duetto for a year and before that an original model Duetto for 7 years and before that a caravan (with the same Aquaroll) for 23 years. We have travelled from the North Cape (4 times) to Tarifa. We drink and do all the other things (washing, cooking) from the supplied water tank. If the water 'tastes' we change it as and when. We have never been ill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike 202 Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 We always use 5L containers for our drinking water, however if your house has a water tank in the loft then have you ever drained it. Been away for a couple of months, do you drain the house fresh water tank?. I never do, so the motorhome tank is it ok? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 mike 202 - 2009-05-31 10:52 AM We always use 5L containers for our drinking water, however if your house has a water tank in the loft then have you ever drained it. Been away for a couple of months, do you drain the house fresh water tank?. I never do, so the motorhome tank is it ok? The water tank in your loft feeds the hot water system, it's not a 'fresh' water tank. The fresh, drinkable water to your cold tap comes straight from the mains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 malc d The 'fresh' water in your house might come direct from the mains, it does not in ours, it come from the (large) header tank. In the last 39 years it has proved quite OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike 202 Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Spospe, Mine is similar to yours, ground floor direct from mains, upstairs from large tank in roof thet also supplies hot water. I know that this is correct because of plumbing that I have done. House built 35 yrs ago, so probably does not meet current regs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkc Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 A few facts about tap and bottled water, and the likelihood of contracting Montezuma’s revenge, the Spanish quickstep, Et al. Tap water by law has to contain less than 100 bacteria per millilitre but normally contains much less, some bottled waters have been found to contain levels 1000 times higher. Some are benign, but some like Giardia,, Campylobacter or Cryptosporidium are not Also the environmental cost of bottling, transporting, and disposal of 22 million ton of the bottled stuff are immense, a point for those with so called green concerns. While it is true that water can contain metals such as, copper,(mainly from water from the hot tap,) or lead, which can affect your mental state, causing some to post the “ I know bu**er all, but I’m sure someone else does” kind of helpful comment, levels are way below the safe limit. What to do? I have found that a well known process involving distillation fermentation and sometimes triple filtration of yeast hops, grain etc, makes any water safe; unfortunately this also tends to affect your mental state. But if you do the maths, (never my strong subject) 100,000 bacteria per cc, times say 5 litres per day times 365, at the end of a year you have absorbed several kilograms of some really disgusting stuff. So, to my way of thinking it is better to drink beer and or spirits and act a bit silly, than to drink water and be full of cr*p. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 spospe - 2009-05-31 12:58 PM malc d The 'fresh' water in your house might come direct from the mains, it does not in ours, it come from the (large) header tank. In the last 39 years it has proved quite OK. Interesting to hear that - I thought it was against buiding regs. ( I'm still learning !) Maybe you've built up a better immunity over such a long period ? :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 malc d You may well be right about building regs (for modern houses), but ours is as described. It is also a matter of note that commercial buildings seem to use the same system and feed the cold water taps from a roof mounted tank. Given the throughput of water in a large office block, any water would only be in the tank for a short time. Aircraft have their water tanks filled from whatever is available where they happen to be when the need arrises. I cannot help but feel that there is considerable paranoia over this subject, much the same as over being gassed in fact. Off to France on Monday for six weeks; I just hope that I can drink the water ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Have a good trip ! ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 The water in our boat tank is often in there for months. Never yet had a problem in 20 Yrs and never sterilised the polythene tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 The water system in my 1987-built house is similar to spospe's and mike-202's, with a large (plastic) water tank in the loft feeding hot water taps and upstairs cold taps. This arrangement, until quite recently, was the norm for UK domestic plumbing. My neighbour's house uses the same arrangement and, when I came to change a leaking ball-valve on his loft tank a while ago, I noticed that the tank's cover wasn't fitted properly. When I took the cover off there were six drowned and decomposing mice, floating in the water. I asked if he drank the water and he said not, though he did admit to using it to clean his teeth and, of course, it was coming out of all the house's hot taps. As he's 80 next year, and fit as a flea, perhaps dead-mouse water has miraculous properties! Personally, I think the risk of motorcaravanners being affected by polluted water is exaggerated. Although we use bottled water for making drinks (my wife prefers the taste), we still use water from the motorhome's tank for showering, teeth cleaning and washing-up, and I'm sure some of this ends up in our stomachs. I do admit, however, to being cautious over the water supply I connect to and I normally give the tap a good cleaning before attaching the hose, just in case someone has earlier stuck the tap in the neck of his/her toilet cassette. I did see this cautious approach taken to extremes at a French aire de services, with a guy in what seemed to be a full bio-hazard suit cleaning everything - the tap and all his filling equipment - with a bleach solution before putting any water in his motorhome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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