with what do you sterilise your water system

[saint-spoon]

Morning campers. I am off for my first foray of the new year at the end of the month and thought that as my water system had been drained and left open to the elephants over the exmas period that I would give it a wash through with something to kill off any bugs. Now I know that many of you don’t drink the water from your taps but we haven’t had any problems to date except for a funny taste that we got (possibly from the water supply) when we stopped in Littlehampton (CC site). I am also more than aware of the damage that solutions such as Milton can do to metals including stainless steel. Having read a previous thread on the subject (it’s from about three years ago) there is a lot of advice but things move on and there may well be a brilliant new innovation in caravan sterilisation that has arrived under my radar. So what do you use, are we still using Milton and following the 15 minute and two aquarolls full flush after wards or is there a better solution (excuse the pun).

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Having read a previous thread on the subject (it’s from about three years ago) there is a lot of advice but things move on and there may well be a brilliant new innovation in caravan sterilisation that has arrived under my radar.

No chance.

 

[Martin24]

We drink from the taps and maybe it's just that we've been lucky but I have never sterilised the water system in any way shape or form and we have never had any problems at all. I can say this for every caravan throughout my lifetime from about 6 months old to date.

 

[emmerson]

We drink from the taps and maybe it's just that we've been lucky but I have never sterilised the water system in any way shape or form and we have never had any problems at all. I can say this for every caravan throughout my lifetime from about 6 months old to date.

I've never bothered either.Its all water, it all comes from mostly the same place, I've never bought bottled water, and I've now passed my allotted span, so I don't see the need now!

 

[Woodentop]

If you want to clean it use Puriclense or Milton but flush it well afterwards to remove any tatse.

 

[Hutch]

I have used , Milton, Aqua tabs and last time Puriclean, about once a year, normally after coming home and looking at the dogs bowls (at home) and feeling the slime, but have gone without doing it for a year plus. Never had any problems bowel wise, and the only reason to buy bottled water is to put into a good Scotch, after all you don't want chlorinated water, in that.
Hutch.

 

[gravesyt]

same here Saint-spoon Milton then drink straight from the tap but white wine vinegar for the heating system but only do it once at the start of the season

 

[Hutch]

Season, What season, ? January to December, for some of us, up and away to Hertford on Wednesday for 4 nights, only coming home to give a friend a lift to the airport.
Hutch

 

[gravesyt]

I wish my youngest is 9 so needs schooling so my season starts feb til oct most wk end and school holidays and the best thing is she loves it and is always asking were to this week

 

[Hutch]

Sorry, Gravesyt, I have almost forgotten about , rug rats mine, now 31 and 33. Being a retiree at 63, life is good, and we can get away between hospital and Doctors qppontments. Pain of being part of The Old Farts Club.

He he. Great.
Hutch.

 

[intransient1]

Eh52, you only dilute a good scotch with another scotch, water indeed
As most vans now have water filters we should be pretty safe.
I have used the offerings from various companies bur this year I will be using a strong solution of bicarbonate of soda, it seems to work on most things without the chemicals.
Add to that a new water filter hopefully it will be fine.

 

[Mel]

Truma make some stuff called Aquastar that is for cleaning the water system. Haven't tried it myself so can't comment.
Mel

 

[Craigyoung]

only coming home to give a friend a lift to the airport.
Hutch

No taxis round your way like ??
We use Milton on ours to when we run the water off before we leave a site .

 

[emmerson]

I have to ask why sterilise? Do you all clean your pipes/taps at home?

 

[gravesyt]

for me it's peace of mind and only done when the van has been in starage for a while as bacteria could form in the water hog or pipe work , as for the home they are in constant use and are a seal unit not unlike the van as we leave the tapes open and drain down

 

[Craigyoung]

for me it's peace of mind and only done when the van has been in starage for a while as bacteria could form in the water hog or pipe work , as for the home they are in constant use and are a seal unit not unlike the van as we leave the tapes open and drain down

That's my thought exactly.

 

[Reevco]

When we bought our first caravan the water was green and the pipes had turned black inside I hate to think how many years the water had been laying in them, the job was far to much to ask of Milton so I had to find something with some muscle so I gave them a good flush through with a strong mix of chlorine followed with lots of clean fresh water, the pipes cleaned up loverly.

I have experimented and used lots of stuff in the past like Milton, Home brew steriliser and even used a weak mix of chlorine followed by a good flush out.

But I think Milton would be my first choice now.

 

[ProfJohnL]

I suggest you look to the brewing industry, where plastic pipes and aluminium kegs need to thoroughly cleaned and sterilised to keep the content free from contaminants, such as rouge yeasts, and pipes must be cleaned in such a way to prevent tainting.

Try googling
"sterilising beer kegs" and look down some of the solutions. Beware any that use the word 'Sanitize' are likely to be from USA and will mention products that will not be available here in the UK

 

[Bojeryng]

Milton or Puricleanse, whatever comes to hand, that reminds me to sterilise our containers as we are away in a couple of weeks

 

[saint-spoon]

I have to ask why sterilise? Do you all clean your pipes/taps at home?

There is a marked difference between your domestic supply at home and pockets of water sitting static in the pipes of your caravan for a month. Would you leave an opened bottle of water outside on your lawn for a month or two and then drink the contents? We last used the caravan at the end of November, it has sat still since then so around two months for any water that it left in the system to grow stuff. I have seen the inside of RN vessels’ water tanks when opened for cleaning and trust me, even after only taking water from the UK stuff grows, that is why there are rules and regulations and a whole manual on how to look after the potable water and its storage. I am sure that if you use the van every weekend the pipes get a flush through then there is no problem, however after I break of two months I reckon that it is not too much hassle to give it a bit of a clean through before drinking the water from it.

 

[Gozza]

Milton fluid, in the strength recommended on the bottle for washing vegetables, followed by a rinse. I do this at the start of every season, then let the milton-y water drain down into the Waste Hog and try to leave it there at least a week, but as long as I can.

Every time I fill the Aquaroll I put in a little Aquasol (I don't measure it but it's probably about 10cc) just to keep something clean running through the pipework. The only time we drink bottled water in the 'van is on our one trip a year to a site that has water from a bowser rather than a tap - and to be honest that's more about keeping the family happy rather than because I think it's necessary.

for me it's peace of mind and only done when the van has been in starage for a while as bacteria could form in the water hog or pipe work , as for the home they are in constant use and are a seal unit not unlike the van as we leave the tapes open and drain down

For me it's more about the fact that on our rare sunny days the aquaroll can get pretty warm as it's exposed to the sunlight - much warmer than the domestic supply coming through underground pipes is ever going to reach - and bacteria loves warm water.

 

[emmerson]

As I have said many times, to each his own, but its something I've never done, and I' not yet dead!

 

[Martin24]

As I have said many times, to each his own, but its something I've never done, and I' not yet dead!

That's me too.

 

[martindf3]

I'm 61 and I too have the appointment thing specially just at the moment for some reason . Interested in your comments . We got a 2009 van last year and I used Milton to do the onboard water tank . The water in Tea was awful ,so we used bottled water . Last weekend we went again and I made tea and drank the water . No taste .So I'm going to do what you did and stop worrying . As for whisky ..... I have used tepid water out of the kettle so have never experienced chlorine taste in whisky.