dirty pipes

[wends64]

Earlier this year we took ownership of a 9 year old caravan as a replacement for one we lost in a storage compound fire. Although it had been thoroughly cleaned I still went through it until it was spotless, cleaned and sterilised all inlet and outlet pipes.

We used it for a long weekend and had problems with black bits coming out of taps. We had a new water hog so knew it wasn't that. We checked the standpipe by filling a clear jug directly from standpipe. We flushed the caravan pipes and sterilised them again but couldn't find the problem. Not wanting to waste any more of the weekend we disconnected it all and used water straight from the standpipe.

On returning home we took the blue whale water pipe and pump apart, we could just see inside the pipe and found some black muck. Not being able to access it fully we cut the pipe in half across ways. What we found was horific the inside diameter of the pipe had been reduced to about half, it was completely lined with a black slimey fungus like coating, running the entire length of the pipe. It wasn't hard and wiped off a bit at a time with a cloth. It was the same stuff as had been coming through the taps and we had been drinking.

The pipe/pump was replaced by the dealer who sold us the caravan, but is disgusting to think that we had been drinking what came through it. In our last caravan we had always hung the pump up over the shower hook when not using it. i presume the previous owners of this caravan had left it flat coiled in the kitchen sink where the mould built up. Cleaning and sterilising it with pipe cleaning/sterilising products had not done anything so how can this be avoided. How should you drain and store the pump.

Just to clarify it's a whale watermaster - the sort of pump which immerses in the water hog outside the caravan and plugs into the wall.

 

[ValA.]

We took our pump apart, when it stopped working, and found exactly the same problem. OH was so disgusted when he took the pump apart that he did just what you did and cut into the connection pipes to find exactly the same thick black slime.

We always stored our pump carefully in clean and dry conditions, and had the caravan and pump from new. Our van is now ten years old, but the pump problem was four years ago. We sterilised our system regularly, and I always tried to keep things immaculately clean. My feeling (and I've expressed it on this forum before) is that the water system in caravans is suspect because of this and now we NEVER drink water from the aquaroll. We fill our kettle directly from the campsite tap, and fill a jug for drinking water, which is kept in the fridge.

I've mentioned before that I really think the water systems ought to be tested to see exactly what moulds and bacteria are present in the system - either by the manufacturers or by magazines such as Practical Caravan. I suspect that all pumps might be just as bad inside, but as it's hidden no-one realises just what's going on!

For a few years before this I always had health problems on returning from France (where we spend our longest caravan trips) - so much so that I was referred to a consultant and had an MRI brain scan. No problems were found to explain my symptoms of acute nausea, and poor balance, plus other strange symptoms and it was put down to 'just one of those things' - but I haven't had problems at all since stopping drinking from the caravan water system.

 

[Dustydog]

We use our caravan regularly , including the winter and have not experienced this black slime build up yet.

Before and after each trip I always flush the entire system through using Milton solution. ALWAYS remove the two filters, one on the blue pipe into aquaroll and the in line filter if fitted when flushing.If left in the, filters will "hold" the Milton taste and thereafter your water will taste of Milton for ages .

Then ensure the blue pipe is thoroughly dried, eg airing cupboard at home.

The inline filter gets changed annually.

Rightly or wrongly we do drink from the caravan water system and have never been ill, (fingers crossed behind his back).

Val,

Do you think the water in France may have also have contributed to your problem?

Cheers

Dustydog

 

[ValA.]

Not the quality of French water, which is just as regulated as here, but we wondered whether the aquaroll standing around in sometimes very hot sunshine, heating up and then cooling off, might have been part of the problem. Still, I suppose this is no different to summer holidays in this country - and I now drink French campsite water straight from the campsite tap without any problems at all, so I can't imagine that this was really a contributing factor.

It would be interesting to strip down and cut into a few water pump pipes, though, to see how many have the same problem inside the pipes. It's not visible unless you cut the pipes, so isn't something you would notice unless you stripped the whole thing down.

I still think it's something which would interest readers, possibly provide some conclusive evidence one way or the other, and would certainly make an interesting article. Can I round up say 20 people who would sacrifice their water pumps in the cause of science and write an article for Practical Caravan??? Smiley, jokey icon thingy!

 

[Dustydog]

Count me in Val.

I've also thought about the mains adaptor. I used it in Edinburgh 4 weeks ago. The first time in 14 months! I've never washed it out or sterilised it OMG? YUK!!

Cheers

Dustydog

 

[emmerson2]

Well, perhaps you are all correct, but in over 40 years caravanning, I've never sterilised my water system, and have drunk whatever comes throught the tap,unless it tasted horrible!

Perhaps I've just been lucky, or have a tough constitution, but I've never had any health problems either.

Also, I've never had black bits in the water, but I don't think I'll look, just in case!

However, as I've said so many times on this forum, to each his own.

 

[vauxhall2]

always clean out with milton once each year,never seen any black bits and water was always clean,BUT after the pump froze solid one morning it was a different tale.the sludge leaving the pump when it was defrosted had to be seen to be believed.do not leave milton in the system for more than one hour as it attacks stainless steel,like the water heater.

 

[TD42]

I have just removed the blue water feed from the whale imersion pump (aquaroll)& have to say that it is perfectly clean

I have to say that am a bit puzzled by Dustydog's & Val's post's

as My whale pump has a jubilee clip on the water feed hose at the pump end & simply pulls off the plug in end after taking the screws out & I was able to see through the length of the pipe

 

[TD42]

I have just removed the blue water feed from the whale imersion pump (aquaroll)& have to say that it is perfectly clean

I have to say that am a bit puzzled by Dustydog's & Val's post's

as My whale pump has a jubilee clip on the water feed hose at the pump end & simply pulls off the plug in end after taking the screws out & I was able to see through the length of the pipe

sorry Dustydog i meant to say Wends64 & Vals posts

 

[ValA.]

Tony, you may be lucky and not have a problem. Yes, you can see inside the pipe from the pump end, but it's not until you actually cut lengthways along the pipe that you can see the extent of the problem. OH did this because we'd have problems with our pump and on seeing the condition of the inside of the pump he wanted to investigate what the pipes themselves were like.

For those who've had 'black bits' in the flush tank of the loo, the slime is just like that, but thicker and blacker, and forms almost a 'skin' when peeled off the pump pipes.

I suppose every pump will be different, and we honestly thought ours was as clean as it could possibly be until we took it all apart.

 

[ValA.]

Tony, you may be lucky and not have a problem. Yes, you can see inside the pipe from the pump end, but it's not until you actually cut lengthways along the pipe that you can see the extent of the problem. OH did this because we'd have problems with our pump and on seeing the condition of the inside of the pump he wanted to investigate what the pipes themselves were like.

For those who've had 'black bits' in the flush tank of the loo, the slime is just like that, but thicker and blacker, and forms almost a 'skin' when peeled off the pump pipes.

I suppose every pump will be different, and we honestly thought ours was as clean as it could possibly be until we took it all apart.

Sorry, that should have been 'had' problems with the pump.

 

[TD42]

Val if you remove the pump plug in end(2 screws) & water pump end (jubilee clip)I would use a length of curtain wire or similer to form a pull through to clean out the pipe. this should work ok

 

[TD42]

Val if you remove the pump plug in end(2 screws) & water pump end (jubilee clip)I would use a length of curtain wire or similer to form a pull through to clean out the pipe. this should work ok

Although you can buy the blue double tube as a spare I think it was

 

[ValA.]

HI, and thanks Tony. My main point was to indicate that there may be a build up of this horrible stuff inside the pipes from the pump. Most people, I would have thought, don't ever think to check (such as Dustydog and Emmerson, for example)even if they do sterilise the water system.

We clean the inside of our pump and the pipes regularly now, having discovered this slime. Our problem was four or five years ago, really and now that my health has improved I'm not taking the risk of drinking aquaroll water again, however squeaky clean the pipes appear to be. It's not any inconvenience to use a separate water container in the fridge for drinking water, and on most French campsites there's a water tap near to your pitch, so I just pop out and fill up the kettle!

It may not affect those people who use a greater volume of water than us, as constantly drawing off water for a shower, for instance, may prevent the problem. We don't use our caravan shower, and so our aquaroll was previously mainly used for cooking, teeth cleaning, and drinking! We never used that much water anyway, so ours may have been standing around for longer than most people.

However, I'd still be interested to hear what sort of things people find if they strip the pump down and have a look inside the pipes.

 

[Dustydog]

I've checked the mains adaptor pipe and as far as I can see that is clean. I've given it it a thorough flush through with mains pressure water and all seems ok. It's now stretched out in the garden drying out.

The quaroll to caravan pipe is 2.75 years old. I've checked that again and it does seem very clean. No doubt the regular Milton flushing has helped.

I am certain this muck only builds up because the pipe is not stored / dried properly.

Cheers

Dustydog