Alygo Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 We have treated and rinsed our water tank but the water still smells disgusting, any tips? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowie Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 Hello Alygo: you don't say what make model and year van you have, and whether you removed the tank to clean it? And did you clean the pipe work? Regards Alan b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alygo Posted September 11, 2017 Author Share Posted September 11, 2017 We have a Dethleffs Premium Class. It has a double floor and we wouldnt consider removing tank and we didnt do the pipes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agaric Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 I always use puriclean fill the tank, pump it through all the pipes, then top up the tank and leave for 6 to 8 hours. Never had a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebishbus Posted September 12, 2017 Share Posted September 12, 2017 Is this your fresh or waste water tank ? Brian B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alygo Posted September 12, 2017 Author Share Posted September 12, 2017 Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorkist Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 If it is the waste water tank,Tank Fresh down all plugholes, flush down with water. Works for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 The only smell I've ever experienced is from the waste tank. Easily cured by using tank freshener as described above. You shouldn't get any smell from the fresh water tank unless the tank has been left fullish for a few months, especially in hot weather. Perhaps you're confusing smell with taste? Best to empty the fresh water tank and flush the pipes after each trip to prevent the growth of micro-organisms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulFiona Posted September 22, 2017 Share Posted September 22, 2017 We picked up our Orian Dorado about 6 weeks ago and found that the "habitation check" didn't check the waste water tank, which had been left half full by the previous owner.... on our first outing the smell was so bad it made Mrs W gag.... I work in waste water and can confirm that the effluent in the tank had gone septic... it also had enough solids in it to stop it draining from the tank when the tap was opened. To remedy the problem, I had to take the tap off and back-flush the tank with a hosepipe... this released enough of the gunge to allow it to drain... thick black sludgy water, directly onto my drive... the smell was incredible !!! After that I poured half a bottle of bleach down it, and then, after seeking some advice, 6 litres of cheap Coke. I flushed it again after that to remove the last of the black flaky residue, and so far it now doesn't smell at all...... Probably doesn't help you much, but I got that off my chest :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted September 23, 2017 Share Posted September 23, 2017 There used to be an on-line entry relating to motorhome waste-water tank cleaning that listed various products that might be employed. This entry now seems to have disappeared (I think it was on a personal website) but the potential effectiveness of each product related to how acidic or alkaline it was. Coca-Cola contains phosphoric acid http://www.coca-cola.co.uk/faq/why-is-phosphoric-acid-used-in-coca-cola-drinks-diet-coke-coke-zero but the percentage must be minimal or it would burn out a drinker’s innards. Logically, if one filled a waste-water tank with Coke, the phosphoric acid should have some cleaning effect. But if the tank - and, equally important, the pipework that feeds to it - are badly contaminated, Coke will have as much chance of removing the contamination as Boris Johnson of winning the London Marathon. For a badly contaminated tank, initially using bleach is the time-honoured method and, after that, milder cleaners should keep the tank smell-free. Smell-traps (example here) https://www.caravanaccessoryshop.co.uk/product/waste-pipe-smell-trap-28mm/2814?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7p3p3ea61gIVzYKyCh3EwgsyEAQYBSABEgIEmPD_BwE should prevent odours from the tank entering a motorhome’s interior, but retro-fitting such traps is not always practicable. Past discussions here http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Grey-waste-tank/46407/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witzend Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 I notice a lot of people after washing clothes tipping the water around bushes or directly down a drain when it would do more good going down the sink and thru the waste tank which I only empty when at least 1/2 full and after a long drive so its been sloshed around and takes out a lot of sediment from the tank. The drain tank always needs to be closed not left draining into a container as this allows any solids to settle and stay in the tank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted September 27, 2017 Share Posted September 27, 2017 You could always do both - tip the washing-up water down the sink so that it goes into the waste-water tank, then, after driving to the next stop, use a bucket to drain the tank and chuck the water into the bushes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Collings Posted October 1, 2017 Share Posted October 1, 2017 There is little point in cleaning a grey tank because the next time you wash up the cooking utensils some food debris will go into the tank and start decomposing and smelling. If smells are getting into the vehicle it beacause of a poor piping layout or lack of the P traps that stop smells wafting indoors at home. If its the smell during draining try a clothes peg on the nose. Growing up 70 years ago in a farming area with its attendant smells has its advantages . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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