bolero boy Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 We've had our current MH two years and we have always drunk the water from the MH cold tap, rarely as a glass of wter but always for tea/coffee along with teeth cleaning. We've never been ill or anything like that but the water has a chemical type taste to it. We use the MH very regularly (away 26 weeks last year) and, with us using the shower in the MH, we refill the cold tank a lot so there is a constant turn over of water. This issue has, according to SWMBO who also has the more sensitive tase buds, been going on since we had it. I changed the hose to a new one (food grade) to see if it made a difference but no. I drained/washed the tank out but no difference. I tested the water by reaching into the tank after filling and filled a cup, the taste was not right so it must be a 'contaminated' tank as this water didnt even reach the tap. I even asked the dealer to 'sterilize' the tank at its recent service, but no change (I have no proof that they actually did any thing............the tank was full but they needed to do this to recalubrate and test pump pressure for the shower). I have read all the previous posts retrieved by a search (about 7) and opinion (like everything on this forum) is polarised. I am more than happy to drink tap water (if it tasted OK) as we are almost constantly turning over the supply anyway. However, I really cant be doing with filling up bottles and keeping them (where??) in the MH, just for drinking. We tried it this week for a couple of days with a jug, I spent all my life traipsing to the outside tap to fill up! SO............I've researched Trumas latest products (as mooted in the searched threads) and will be trying Aquastar 1&2 to clean and purify the tank and pipes followed by a regular dose of Aquastar 3 to keep the water nice and fresh. Any other suggestions before I just go with above plan? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolly1965 Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 out MH has a taste but now we use a filter jug and all is ok. We've tried cleaning the tank and changing hoses but can't seem to get rid of the taste. By the way we fill the filter jug from the MH tap I don't drink water - fish have sex in it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankkia Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 I have just, today, fitted a Nature Pure tap to our new 'van. Took about an hour to fit ( part of that was searching the garage for the right size bit to drill the hole in the work surface. We have had nature pure on the last 3 'vans and there is never a bad taste and it does what it says on the box :- Takes away bad smells, taste and all the nasty things that get into water. It aint cheap, at around £200, but as we travel all over Europe and fill with water at taps where you may wonder if the last user was naughty enough to rinse his cassette out under it, it does give you an added sense of security. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 bolero boy - 2012-05-21 9:44 PM ...Any other suggestions before I just go with above plan? Thanks. Presumably, when you 'cup sampled' the water in the tank, the water had been in the tank for enough time after filling for it to become tainted? Otherwise you'd be sampling straight tap water. Logically, based on your sampling findings and that the problem has always been present, your diagnosis that it's the tank itself that's causing the unpleasant taste must be correct. If the Truma Aquastar products don't provide a cure (and, again logically, if it's the tank's plastic material that's the culprit it would be optimistic to expect an Aquastar fix), then, realistically, you'll need to use a water-filter or carry drinking water in bottles. My wife's an obsessive tea addict and, for taste reasons, prefers - even at home - to use bottled water for tea/coffee. We go abroad with 3 x 1.5litre bottles of water that are then refilled from aire/campsite taps. Water from our motorhome's fresh-water tank is not used for drinking, though it's used for everything else. Our Hobby has adequate convenient storage for the water bottles, but I can well understand the wish not to carry spare bottles and the irritation of refilling them if the motorhome is used a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 We always use bottled tap water or purchased water if travelling, for tea/coffee and drinking......would not drink tank water. 5 litres of water 50 cents (40p) in Spain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaleg Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 2lts for 17p in Sainsburys/Asda/Tesco dearer in Lidl and Aldi though and extortionate in the co-op Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Bolly1965 - 2012-05-21 9:47 PM out MH has a taste but now we use a filter jug and all is ok. We've tried cleaning the tank and changing hoses but can't seem to get rid of the taste. By the way we fill the filter jug from the MH tap I don't drink water - fish have sex in it! Likewise works for us too. One theory is the minerals in the water react with the plastics, so sometimes it is tainted other times OK depending on where you fill up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DESCO Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Frankkia - 2012-05-21 10:05 PM I have just, today, fitted a Nature Pure tap to our new 'van. Took about an hour to fit ( part of that was searching the garage for the right size bit to drill the hole in the work surface. We have had nature pure on the last 3 'vans and there is never a bad taste and it does what it says on the box :- Takes away bad smells, taste and all the nasty things that get into water. It aint cheap, at around £200, but as we travel all over Europe and fill with water at taps where you may wonder if the last user was naughty enough to rinse his cassette out under it, it does give you an added sense of security. Totally agree, my wife is very taste conscious in water used in different teas and used one for years with never a problem, now have a filter fitted that came with our Hobby so now do not use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retread24800 Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Would have thought that a Whale in-line filter immediately before your kitchen tap would answer and at £20 a lot cheaper than other suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Very often simply refilling the tank with fresh tapolene, letting it stand overnight and draining it out two or three times can be enough to purge the tank as the natural effect of chlorinated tap water certainly helps - and that is free - apart from the water used! Are you aware that tap water quality and chlorination, particularly after heavy rain, can vary and can have a dramatic effect on taste in the home as well as in the van and a comparative tap and van water taste test will rule this in or out? In over 40 years of motor homing we have never needed any sort of fancy filter, but everyone's taste is different and some folk love 'em? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Derek Uzzell - 2012-05-22 8:59 AM We go abroad with 3 x 1.5litre bottles of water that are then refilled from aire/campsite taps. Water from our motorhome's fresh-water tank is not used for drinking, though it's used for everything else. Our Hobby has adequate convenient storage for the water bottles, but I can well understand the wish not to carry spare bottles and the irritation of refilling them if the motorhome is used a lot. We have similier routine to this, we make sure to fill all bottles when leaving a site with 'good' water in case at the next stop the water is not so good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike P Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Quite often the chlorine in the water will react with the plasticisers in the tank material causing a chemical/TCP flavour. This also happens in beer pipes when licensees get a bit too enthusiastic with line cleaning. A company called Proton produce a product called "Guardian" which they say rectifies this. Basically it is sodium metabisulphite (Campden tablets), so if you feel you must drink the water out of your m/h tank (which I wouldn't) then you could try dissolving a handful of Campden tablets in water, adding it to the tank and then filling brim full and leaving it to soak for a day or two before draining & refilling. Mike P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinklystarfish Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Filters and purifiers are different beasts. As Frankkia wrote, a fixed purifier, or something portable like a Katadyn is probably going to be the only long term solution for those with a highly developed sense of taste, plus there is the obvious benefit of the removal of any nasties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 JudgeMental - 2012-05-22 9:26 AM We always use bottled tap water or purchased water if travelling, for tea/coffee and drinking......would not drink tank water. 5 litres of water 50 cents (40p) in Spain When I last checked, the sodium levels in cheap water in mainland europe was always higher than the more higher cost bottled waters. This may be of some concern to certain folks, it is to me. We never buy bottled water in the UK or use filters/purifiers. I clean the fresh water tank twice annually with "Citroxx Bio" and have no problems with taste. Simples Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 starvin marvin - 2012-05-23 1:08 PM JudgeMental - 2012-05-22 9:26 AM We always use bottled tap water or purchased water if travelling, for tea/coffee and drinking......would not drink tank water. 5 litres of water 50 cents (40p) in Spain When I last checked, the sodium levels in cheap water in mainland europe was always higher than the more higher cost bottled waters. This may be of some concern to certain folks, it is to me. We never buy bottled water in the UK or use filters/purifiers. I clean the fresh water tank twice annually with "Citroxx Bio" and have no problems with taste. Simples so high sodium good? we use tap water for drinking, but from a smaller food standard container that is all. That is both here and France (the garden of Kent :D) and other northern european countries..I dont think the med countries water that good or drinkable...I have dodgy kidneys so wont risk it, cheap spirits another matter!lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 Retread24800 - 2012-05-22 11:10 AM Would have thought that a Whale in-line filter immediately before your kitchen tap would answer and at £20 a lot cheaper than other suggestions.This looks a good idea/solution. Thanks to all for the comments, I will be trying the Aquastar treatment first and see if it clears the taste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 Derek Uzzell - 2012-05-22 8:59 AM bolero boy - 2012-05-21 9:44 PM ...Any other suggestions before I just go with above plan? Thanks. Presumably, when you 'cup sampled' the water in the tank, the water had been in the tank for enough time after filling for it to become tainted? Otherwise you'd be sampling straight tap water. Logically, based on your sampling findings and that the problem has always been present, your diagnosis that it's the tank itself that's causing the unpleasant taste must be correct. If the Truma Aquastar products don't provide a cure (and, again logically, if it's the tank's plastic material that's the culprit it would be optimistic to expect an Aquastar fix), then, realistically, you'll need to use a water-filter or carry drinking water in bottles. My wife's an obsessive tea addict and, for taste reasons, prefers - even at home - to use bottled water for tea/coffee. We go abroad with 3 x 1.5litre bottles of water that are then refilled from aire/campsite taps. Water from our motorhome's fresh-water tank is not used for drinking, though it's used for everything else. Our Hobby has adequate convenient storage for the water bottles, but I can well understand the wish not to carry spare bottles and the irritation of refilling them if the motorhome is used a lot.Hi Derek, yes the cup sample was taken on a day I didnt top up the tank so the water had been in the tank for at least a full day. I'm guessing that this was sufficient time to allow the 'taste' to permeate all water. As I said, I will try the Aquastar before our next trip (next week) before moving on to any further solutions if required. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 An alternative to the rather expensive Truma product is (from memory! :-)) Elsan Fresh Water Tank Clean. This is claimed to do a similar job in removing any trace of bacterial coating and neutralising chemical taint from the tank. Caravan or motorhome accessory shops should have it in stock. We use it in ours, though we only drink the water boiled, and don't have a taint problem we have noticed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 Thanks Brian, i got the Aquastar 1&2 on eBay for £18.49 delivered so I didnt think that was too expensive, we will see................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Might be of interest Here I seem to recall from some work I was dong many years ago in new water mains that , that some inert materials can "leach" clorine out of water and make it smell and taste off. Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 Thanks Tony. The Aquastar arrived today and I will give it a try tomorrow. We are away in the van towards the end of the week so i will give an update. Thanks again all, really good stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted June 5, 2012 Author Share Posted June 5, 2012 Just to close this one off, for those interested the Aquastar really is a star. The treatment worked well with even my wife (and her tea-loving pal) admitting that the system was now OK! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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