Food grade hose

[Buckman]

Is it really necessary to use the expensive food grade hose with caravans? It is said that normal garden hoses leak impurities into the water? After all when you top up the aquaroll from the site tap, on a number of sites the supply to the tap is a normal garden hose.

 

[otherclive]

Is it really necessary to use the expensive food grade hose with caravans? It is said that normal garden hoses leak impurities into the water? After all when you top up the aquaroll from the site tap, on a number of sites the supply to the tap is a normal garden hose.

There was a report issued recently that 1 litre of bottled water contained 250000 plastic particles from micro to nano sizes. Using your own bottles still shows plastic particles from the body of the bottle and the cap. In parallel archaeologists have found plastic particles on early remains several metres below ground level. So they are getting everywhere. Using food grade hose will have less nasty chemical constituents in its materials. But the micro and nano particles will still get you. Stick to wine or spirits, or fetch your water from a tap using a glass bottle 😂😂😂

Plastic particles in bottled water

Researchers developed an imaging technique that detected thousands of tiny bits of plastic in common single-use bottles of water.

www.nih.gov

Scientists uncover evidence that microplastics are contaminating archaeological remains

Researchers have for the first time discovered evidence of microplastic contamination in archaeological soil samples.

www.york.ac.uk

 

[Buckman]

Stick to wine or spirits, or fetch your water from a tap using a glass bottle 😂😂😂

Good advice and wish I could follow that advice. I am a beer person and do not like drinking sugar flavoured vinegar and I am not fond of spirits. LOL!

However not much point in using a glass bottle if the pipe to the water tap is normal garden hose. LOL!

 

[otherclive]

Good advice and wish I could follow that advice. I am a beer person and do not like drinking sugar flavoured vinegar and I am not fond of spirits. LOL!

However not much point in using a glass bottle if the pipe to the water tap is normal garden hose. LOL!

I meant the site tap which should have food grade hose supplying it. I think there may come a time when we move back to lead pipework (TIC).

 

[Buckman]

I meant the site tap which should have food grade hose supplying it. I think there may come a time when we move back to lead pipework (TIC).

Generally what is used nowadays to supply water to a household? Is it a type of PVC pipe?

 

[otherclive]

Generally what is used nowadays to supply water to a household? Is it a type of PVC pipe?

No idea does it matter as it will have to meet water regulations.

 

[Sam Vimes]

Typically Blue MDPE.

 

[JTQ]

Generally what is used nowadays to supply water to a household? Is it a type of PVC pipe?

No, polyethylene is used by the utility; what's used onsite is anybody's guess.

Edit: as already stated.

 

[otherclive]

No, polyethylene is used by the utility; what's used onsite is anybody's guess.

Even the water supply to a dog excercise field we use is standard blue piping.

 

[JTQ]

Even the water supply to a dog excercise field we use is standard blue piping.

As it should be.

 

[Sam Vimes]

I had a water connection made a few years back. Despite paying a lot for the connection I had to do most of the work.

The main pipe from the pumping station was Black MDPE. From there to my boundary box and the house, Blue MDPE.

Scottish Water had no idea where the main feed was and we only found it when the digger went through it.

 

[otherclive]

As it should be.

I was only trying to assuage Buckman’s concerns. 🤣

 

[ProfJohnL]

The problem arose for several perceived reasons:-

1 Garden hoses need to be able to continually flex and they need to have chemical plasticisers embedded in the materials to keep the flexible.

2 The grades of plastic used are often slightly porous to enable the placticiers to work, but this can also mean the plasticisers will progressively leach out into the water that passes through These can be harmful if consumed. It also means unwanted bacteria or other agents can easily begin to lodge in the inner surface of the hose and take hold.

3 The plastics used in garden hoses are often recycled material, and may contain types of plastics contaminated with hazardous materials which can be dissolved or carried out by flowing water.

4 Some of the chemicals used to colour the hoses and fittings can contain materials like Cadmium (yellow) which is highly toxic. These can also be dissolved or carried out by flowing water.

Food grade hoses are guaranteed to not to contain dangerous materials and will be manufactured to potable water standards.

The hoses used inside a caravan will have standing water in them most of the time, this gives more time for agents to be leached into the water. They are also subjected to much wider temperature swings and assume an warmer average temperature which can encourage growth of some algae's and other unwanted agents. This is why internal pipework should be food grade.

The plastic pipes used by the water companies and put into buildings are nowhere near as flexible as garden hoses, and they are made to the higher potable water standards

Whilst using a graden type hose on a water barrel filling station is not advisable, but becasue of its short length and the fact water will not be left standing in the pipe, the risks of contamination mentioned above are very low.

 

[Deejuk]

Just to add to all this. We replaced our water pipes with food grade hoses in our 1993 Sprite just recently but the better half still insists on us filling a large PET bottle for drinking water even though the water comes from the same tap on site. So in more ways than one, it was pointless using food-grade hoses in the first place.

So if you want to save a pound of three use any hose and fill a large bottle like we do, but personally I would do it properly you never know what could be lurking in hose pipe type of stuff.

 

[JTQ]

but the better half still insists on us filling a large PET bottle for drinking water even though the water comes from the same tap on site.

Wise council IMO, as it is not just where the potable water comes from, the health risks includes where else it might have been since being drawn.
In our caravans & Mhs that includes routing through pipes that are frequently neither totally dry of completely filled with water, together with commonly used pipes that are not 100% obscure.
That setting supports bio activity, much harmless, some not quite so.

 

[Deejuk]

I do have to agree now you've stated it so clearly. That said my partner is a mental health nurse so always best to agree no matter what they say lol.

But back on the point, the large 3-litre bottle we use for drinking water is sanitised before every trip so we know it's squeaky clean, if water has been sat in the van for a while residue and all sorts could have started to lodge in the pipes so who knows? So yeh I 100% agree a separate water container for drinking is a safe bet

 

[Paullus1959]

I stayed at a site a few years back and was allocated an overflow pitch due to an overbooking. The water supply to that pitch came through approximately 100m of very old-looking yellow garden hose which crossed a field and was completely exposed to scorching sunshine. The water was unpotable and it smelt so strongly of chemicals that it wasn't even suitable for washing up or showering with. There were also black particles in the water. I pointed this out to the owner who give him credit, replaced it with food grade hose and the water supply was fine afterwards.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

We tried the blue food grade hose and found that it tainted the water supply leaving a nasty taste in the mouth even after boiling it.
Threw it out and replaced it with brewery standard beer pipes, problem solved 👍

 

[Mr Plodd]

I have used a standard garden hose with motorhome and caravans for about 15 years. I am still here!
Stop and think how many days you actually use a hose to supply water to your caravan as a percentage of a year.

 

[JTQ]

I have used a standard garden hose with motorhome and caravans for about 15 years. I am still here!
Stop and think how many days you actually use a hose to supply water to your caravan as a percentage of a year.

I don't think with all carcinogens it has to be linked to the number of occasions you expose yourself to them.
The more times you do, clearly the greater the chances of falling on that one unlucky occasion.

 

[otherclive]

I don't think with all carcinogens it has to be linked to the number of occasions you expose yourself to them.
The more times you do, clearly the greater the chances of falling on that one unlucky occasion.

The exposure to various contaminants over years is progressive. There will not be one “gotcha” moment apart from perhaps something like mesothelioma were a single asbestos fibre can initiate the condition, but it still creeps up on you over time.

 

[ProfJohnL]

I have used a standard garden hose with motorhome and caravans for about 15 years. I am still here!
Stop and think how many days you actually use a hose to supply water to your caravan as a percentage of a year.

I stand by my #13 post. I have to agree that the risk is lowered becasue of the comparatively short time you may use a caravan/motorhome, but its not advisable.

 

[Lutz]

Frankly, I don't much care what hoses are in the caravan or those used to fill the tank because we only used bottled water for drinking purposes anyway. Ever since legionella was discovered in the mains water supply we don't even drink water out of the taps at home, either.

 

[JTQ]

Ever since legionella was discovered in the mains water supply we don't even drink water out of the taps at home, either.

That presumably is a German issue having legionella in the mains supply?
Here thankfully it has to best of my knowledge not been an issue in the mains, but in post mains storage systems.

 

[Lutz]

That presumably is a German issue having legionella in the mains supply?
Here thankfully it has to best of my knowledge not been an issue in the mains, but in post mains storage systems.

It may be specific to the water supply within the place where we live, but it was cause for concern nevertheless and it could just as well apply to the water in the freshwater tank in the caravan.