christabelle22 Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 What is the best way and product to clean out the water tanks etc in my motorhome? ideas would be much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktesis Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Go to http://zappysblog.com/ he sells an excellent product based on his experience from working with a large water company. It's cheap and the instructions on how to use it are very easy to follow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 If your motorhome has a Truma water heater do not use anything containing Chlorine to clean/disinfect the system. The Truma heaters have stainless steel jackets and chlorine corrodes the steel. Elsan produce two products, both stated to be chlorine free. Fresh Water Tank Clean is for initial sterilising, and Elsil is a silver iode based purification agent claimed (from memory) to keep drinking water sterile for up to six months. Obtainable from motorhome and caravan accessory shops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Over the last 5 years I have used baby bottle cleaner on an annual clean in my Truma boiler. The cleaner is in the water overnight and then wrinsed out the next day. Although I appreciate Truma state that chlorine base cleaner should not be use I would consider a high concentration over a prolonged period may cause corrosion. At the moment my boiler has not turned into a sieve but I live in trepidation. Has anybody actually seen a boiler damaged by baby bottle cleaner used as above? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 I use white wine vinegar as recommended by Truma it's cheap (about 30p/litre in French supermarkets) for descaling the boiler 2-3 litres should do it, no after taste left in the water tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art338 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Like many owners, I never clean out the fresh water tank. Ours does have a large screw cap and is easy to get my hands in if needed. But I do drain all water and open all taps and vents every time the van is not used for a couple of weeks, so that fresh air is free to circulate. One of the most important cleansing deeds to me is that I pour lots of boiling water down the sink(s) after every trip away. You will be surprised what hangs in the piping !! art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Yep we are ones that never (well maybe 3 or 4 times in 20 years) clean out our water tank -and we are still here!! Looking into the tank it looks quite clean. I like Art keep the sinks clean and put a mixture of bicarb and vinegar down, leave for say 1/2 hour then pour on boiling water. I am a great believer that a few germs are good for us. Sue Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Wel Art ans Sue you have instilled me with confidence not to clean my water system as I do. The reason I did start to clean it was that I had heard of a friend of a friend of a friend who had heard of somebody catching Legionaires disease through not cleaning their system. I am now in a quandry whether to worry about catching Legionaires disease or my boiler turning into a colander. I have just come to believing that gassing is impossible even though a friend of a friend of a friend heard it had happened. Am I neurotic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art338 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 You must of course do as you decide, not what we do or suggest. Its simply that we all have differnt views on what is best for us. Regarding Legionares, I cannot comment other than I believe its associated with revolving water vapour more than kitchen sinks and tanks. art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 You must never use any Milton type products to clean your system if it contains stainless or aluminium it will corrode it eventually. The recommended cleanser that used to be stated by Carver as the only suitable cleaner in their water heaters has been discontinued and replaced by http://www.goodlifehomebrew.com/vwp-cleanser-and-sterilser-400g.php this is said to be safe for use with any known material and is food safe if used as described and is used in the home brew hobby. Bas P.S. There have been many failures over the years of both Carver heat exchangers and the stainless steel tie rod, some early others later, normally put down to use of chlorine based products, can't speak of Truma's as I haven't seen any facts on them. Our Carver is still going strong after 13 years of use (he said crossing fingers) and using the approved cleaning products. Edit to add P.S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 You will appreciate that my posting was made light heartedly. As stated I have no doubt my boiler will corrode "eventually" but after how many years with the treatment it is given, 10, 20years or even longer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Since the chlorine free product Truma originally recommended (Certisil) was not produced or marketed by Truma (so they did not gain from its use), I would assume they had genuine reasons for making the recommendation. Certisil is, so far as I know, now unobtainable in UK. They do now market Aqua Star 1+2, so their disenterest may now appear more suspect, but the advice remains constant. It is well documented that chlorine corrodes stainless steel. Prior to introducing Aqua Star, Truma did advise that Milton could be used in their water heaters, subject to the Milton instructions for strength of solution, and contact time, being strictly observed, and to the water heater being thoroughly flushed out immediately afterwards. The provisos underline the risk. Do as you will, but bear in mind that replacing these heaters costs well over £1,000. Whether one needs to sterilise depends, in part, how the water is used. If it is only ever drunk after being boiled, is not used for cleaning salads etc, or for cleaning teeth, and if it is consumed quickly, within say 3-4 days of filling the tank, the risk is minimal - assuming clean, treated, mains water is used to fill. Under any other circumstances it would be wiser to sterilise the tank and system at least before the first fill of the year, and definitely before its first fill when new. It would also be wise to drain off the system whenever the van is not in use, and to fill with fresh mains water before every trip. Failing that, use products containing silver iodes, such as Elsil, to preserve the water free of organic contaminants over longer periods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 sshortcircuit - 2011-08-09 7:50 AM Over the last 5 years I have used baby bottle cleaner on an annual clean in my Truma boiler. The cleaner is in the water overnight and then wrinsed out the next day. Although I appreciate Truma state that chlorine base cleaner should not be use I would consider a high concentration over a prolonged period may cause corrosion. At the moment my boiler has not turned into a sieve but I live in trepidation. Has anybody actually seen a boiler damaged by baby bottle cleaner used as above? YES, using Milton baby bottle cleaner fluid destroyed the Boiler tank and Element in my Carver(truma) water heater. I had used it for 2 or 3 years, always rinsing well after use. The element was corroded through (Bang !) and the tank had a 'pinhole' leak, on the inside it was much worse, small bits of calcium had absorbed the chlorine then 'eaten' their way through the plastic liner AND the alluminium boiler wall. Don't chance it ! :-( Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Although I can't claim experience of damage to a Boiler element due to Chlorine, I will still endorse Rayjsj's comments. Having seen to damage done by Chlorine IN TAP WATER, to high quality polished Stainless Steel components in a machine shop. ( The damage was attributed to Chlorine by a University test facility.) The quality was so impared that it lead to a customer rejecting the components & the machine shop stopped using tap water for the Suds pumps on their lathes & CNC machines, prefering to use distilled water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 My reply would be,why bother. We just keep a separate 2.5 litre small container for drinking water, which of course can be sterilized easily, I would never take the chance of drinking the on-board tank water, though no doubt many do. I do on an annual basis do the de-scale wine vinegar thing though. But I would love a permanent solution to stinky waste tanks, thinking if it would be practical to fabricate and put in sink type traps. :$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 I sterilize the tank with 'Home Brewers' sterilizer it's cheap,readily available (wilkinsons) and doesn't cause any damage or leave any 'taint' in the water. By chance my second hand van already had a 'nature pure' filter and tap fitted, and we are using that for our drinking water, just 'saving up' to replace the filter cartridge (£50 !!!) think that is better than 'toting' bottled water though. I think Branded Bottled water is a modern day CON. Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilf Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 1footinthegrave - 2011-08-10 7:37 AM My reply would be,why bother. We just keep a separate 2.5 litre small container for drinking water, which of course can be sterilized easily, I would never take the chance of drinking the on-board tank water, though no doubt many do. I do on an annual basis do the de-scale wine vinegar thing though. But I would love a permanent solution to stinky waste tanks, thinking if it would be practical to fabricate and put in sink type traps. :$ I agree with you 1footinthegrave, why bother I can think of much better things to do with my time than try to sterilise the on-board fresh water system. If you are on water meter all this filling and flushing costs you money and is a waste of water. For drinking water I have two, 3 litre mineral water plastic bottles with carrying handles at the neck. When the neck handles break just buy another, 76p plus water; at both Aldi and Lidl at the moment. Would I drink the water out of the on-board tank? NO, the same as I wouldn’t drink water from the hot tap of any domestic water system. Stinky waste tanks is another problem we all must suffer from! I only notice a smell after emptying the waste tank and driving off. The smell comes up through the plug holes; so I put the plugs in (all three shower, wash basin and sink) No smell. Problem solved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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