To use Milton tablets / fluid or not

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I know this an old topic dating back to 2009 when I was just a nipper, but what is the current thinking, I used Puriclean but other's say they use Milton, will it really damage the metal parts of the boiler.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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I know this an old topic dating back to 2009 when I was just a nipper, but what is the current thinking, I used Puriclean but other's say they use Milton, will it really damage the metal parts of the boiler.
I used Milton in the old days but never left it in more than 30 minutes. There wasn’t much choice. But I then moved to Puriclean and if I was starting out afresh I’d go for Puriclean.

Using Milton could damage parts but it depends on the solution strength and exposure time and number of sterilisation cycles. Impossible to predict. So why not just use Puriclean with its recommendations for solution strength and sterilisation time. I only did mine twice a year.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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I know this an old topic dating back to 2009 when I was just a nipper, but what is the current thinking, I used Puriclean but other's say they use Milton, will it really damage the metal parts of the boiler.
There are chemicals in the likes of baby bottle sterilising fluids that can attack some metals, so its essential to follow the instructions regarding strength and exposure time. But also check the instructions for the water heater and any other metallic fittings regarding cleaning and sterilising.

Purilclean is probably the safest solution.
 
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Jan 20, 2023
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I find Puriclean works very well to remove the "plastic" taste (and smell!) from new caravan water pipes. We stop using ours in October and it can remain unused until the following Easter, if I don't steralise it again at Easter the plastic taste starts to reappear.
 
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I wonder if those who do not use any solution or method would be so sure if they saw the insides of the pipework and tanks and the algae growth.

I always used Puriclean. But found it left a taste. And when heated it could be smelt. So I developed a method. I made a strong solution and swirled it around the aquarols over about half an hour. I also filled the system up and left that.

I then did a proper job of swilling the system through.

But I only did this at the start of the season.

John
 
Feb 6, 2024
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The original poster is asking about puri clean or Milton. Not tablets or fluid.
As I said both products come as tablets or solution.
My question is - By using Milton will it damage the boiler or is it a myth?
I used Puriclean, but someone on another group chat was questioning what to use, I suggested Puriclean, other's say they use Milton, I just wanted to get current thoughts on whether Milton really shouldn't be used.

On a different note we haven't been using the aquaroll water supply for hot drinks, we take filtered brita water in a container from home, but I steralise that container with Milton before every visit, cos in tablet form it's so easy to use.
 
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I wonder if those who do not use any solution or method would be so sure if they saw the insides of the pipework and tanks and the algae growth.

I always used Puriclean. But found it left a taste. And when heated it could be smelt. So I developed a method. I made a strong solution and swirled it around the aquarols over about half an hour. I also filled the system up and left that.

I then did a proper job of swilling the system through.

But I only did this at the start of the season.

The advice I got was to leave the Puriclean in the pipes and aquarolls overnight and flush the system through until the water didn't feel filmy, but we don't drink it so I don't worry about taste.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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That is true, but the OP was asking which was the best option i.e. tablets or fluid.
Mik
My question is - By using Milton will it damage the boiler or is it a myth?
I used Puriclean, but someone on another group chat was questioning what to use, I suggested Puriclean, other's say they use Milton, I just wanted to get current thoughts on whether Milton really shouldn't be used.

On a different note we haven't been using the aquaroll water supply for hot drinks, we take filtered brita water in a container from home, but I steralise that container with Milton before every visit, cos in tablet form it's so easy to use.
Milton is absolutely fine for aquaroll as my kids are 50+ and their early years food and drink utensils were sterilised with Milton. Nappies too probably but I didn’t go there.
 
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Jun 20, 2005
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My dearest Forumites the title of this thread is:

To use Milton tablets / fluid or not​

The OP then introduced Puriclean.

Tablets or liquid?
I have found to my cost the tablets of both Milton and Puriclean do not dissolve 100%.

The resulting sediment has caused the micro filters in my taps and three way valves to block over a few seasons.
Milton tablets dissolved and Milton solution, if left more than 30 minutes in any vessel with stainless steel will result in corrosion.

Puriclean liquid is my chosen method these days.
But when it comes to the aquarolls which have stood still over the winter there’s always the remote chance some horrible bug has bred, legionnaires say, then it’s liquid Milton as it’s cheap
 
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Legionairres disease is normally caught via inhalation of small water droplets and more rarely by aspiration . It thrives at temperatures between 25-45 dec C with the optimum at 35 deg C. So it’s highly unlikely to affect anyone from an empty Aquaroll that has been stored in a caravan or even indoors.

Now not putting a good screen wash in your cars reservoir is a real risk factor. Fairy Liquid just went hack it 😂😂😂 (TIC)
 
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Are you saying legionnaires cannot exist in an aquaroll that has been stored over winter?

It can thrive in the ground, soil , or any damp area . Not dissimilar to pneumonia.

Anyway the point was and is simple.

I personally will not drink water from an aquaroll that has been stored for a period time .

Common sense tells me that any residual,water left inside may become contaminated with any number of bacteria or virus and it is therefore sensible to clean the aquaroll with the appropriate cleanser.
 
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While folks are discussing steralising water systems, it's also worth doing your Aquaroll filling pipe, the insides of those can sometimes make a sewer look clean! I fill mine with a steralising solution then prop it up in a "U"-shape in the garden (with both ends at the same height so it holds the liquid), then rinse after a couple of hours.

My Grandfather used to steralise his false teeth every day in bleach! How he managed to live to 90 escapes me.......
 
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Are you saying legionnaires cannot exist in an aquaroll that has been stored over winter?

It can thrive in the ground, soil , or any damp area . Not dissimilar to pneumonia.

Anyway the point was and is simple.

I personally will not drink water from an aquaroll that has been stored for a period time .

Common sense tells me that any residual,water left inside may become contaminated with any number of bacteria or virus and it is therefore sensible to clean the aquaroll with the appropriate cleanser.
Given its temperature range of 25-45 deg C for growth it’s highly unlikely to develop in an empty Aquaroll stored over winter. It’s spread by aerolised water or soil, the latter quite a rare source of infection, and has to be inhaled ( most common) or aspirated.

But whatever it’s still good practice to sterilise the water containers and system when having laid idle for a time. I did it twice a year.

As an aside our county council planned to remove water sprinklers from some social housing because of the risk of legionnaires to the occupants. . I took them to task via the local papers Letters page. The risk of the effects of a fire being far greater than the low risk of legionnaires from a sprinkler system. They then came back with the reason being if a sprinkler head should fail without a fire. There would be a risk to the occupants and repairer/maintenance teams. I pointed them in the direction of HSE guidance documents. When the Wiltshire CFO piled in the council took their short term money saving proposals off of the table.
 
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While folks are discussing steralising water systems, it's also worth doing your Aquaroll filling pipe, the insides of those can sometimes make a sewer look clean!
I had a truma pump fail so took the assembly to bits to replace the actual pump. The hose and cable that run inside the blue sleeve were pretty disgusting (as was the inside of the sleeve) even though I leave the pump in the aquaroll to soak for an hour or two when sterilising the system.
 
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I had a truma pump fail so took the assembly to bits to replace the actual pump. The hose and cable that run inside the blue sleeve were pretty disgusting (as was the inside of the sleeve) even though I leave the pump in the aquaroll to soak for an hour or two when sterilising the system.
Have you ever taken a childs school drinking bottle to bits, they grow black mould inside them.
 
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Last year we had a blocked water system. The fine mesh filters in the two three way taps to the pump were well gunged up even though they had been cleaned with Milton and latterly Puriclean. Yuk🤮🤮IMG_6105.jpegIMG_6107.jpeg
 
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