clean/sterilise water tank???

chrisblack

What do you guys use to clean/sterilise your water tanks??

I've drained the tank today and want to clean it out, but am not sure what to use...

It's been suggested that I can use bleach (diluted)... but when bleach is mentioned, are we talking domestos, or some cheap variety..

Also suggested has been Milton or pub line cleaner....

I've got some sodium hypochlorite (bleach??) that was given to us when we had our well bored... will that be suitable - Sterichlor is the brand name.. although there is an expiry date on it of 2004....

Thanks

Chris

peasant

Sterichlor is what I use, can be had for very little money at your next farmers co-op.

Good swig of that (1/2 glass or less) into the tank and into all pipes, taps, boiler, pump, leave to sit over night, drain and flush everything with about two tanks of fresh water.

I do that once a year at the start of the season ...so far I'm still alive


(If you're really good, you take the tank of Sterichlor solution for a little drive on a bumpy road before leaving it for the night. That way it'll surely hit even the darkest corner of your tank)


That's only sterilising though ...cleaning is different.

Haven't really cleaned my fresh water system yet ...but most of it is clear / seethrough and does look alright ...so I'm not bothered.


I've heard of people putting denture cleaning tablets in their water tanks for cleaning action.

chrisblack

Thanks Peasant. Do you drink the water from your tanks, or carry fresh water?

Chris

peasant

When I'm camping I drink beer

Tank water gets used for making coffe (i.e. boiled) showering, brushing teeth.
I don't really drink it it as such, but wouldn't have any worries doing so either.

The dogs drink it without complaining.

I empty the tanks (and pipes/taps) every time and refill with fresh water if there's more than a week between trips.

chrisblack

Done all the sterilising and draining etc... I decided to risk the out of date Sterichlor... It smelt pretty much like bleach/chlorine when I had added it to the water....

I've now got a problem, with what I can only assume is an airlock in the system somewhere...

All my taps are working, but the Thetford won't flush..

Is there a simple way of getting an airlock out of the system/thetford... or is there some sort of manual pump on a thetford system (like a diesel pump in an engine) to pump the water through... or is there somewhere I can attatch a tube and VERY CAREFULLY and cautiously suck the water through (obviously not my preferred option???

Thanks

Chris

*Kol*

chrisblack wrote: »

Done all the sterilising and draining etc... I decided to risk the out of date Sterichlor... It smelt pretty much like bleach/chlorine when I had added it to the water....

I've now got a problem, with what I can only assume is an airlock in the system somewhere...

All my taps are working, but the Thetford won't flush..

Is there a simple way of getting an airlock out of the system/thetford... or is there some sort of manual pump on a thetford system (like a diesel pump in an engine) to pump the water through... or is there somewhere I can attatch a tube and VERY CAREFULLY and cautiously suck the water through (obviously not my preferred option???

Thanks

Chris

Did you have the Thetford cassette removed? There is a switch near the cassette that stops the toilet flushing if the cassette is not installed fully. Maybe thats why the toilet is not flushing? Does the water pump start to run when you push the flush button?

chrisblack

Got it sussed - the Thetford has its own reservoir and is not connected in to the main water tanks. Quite be chance, it happened to run out of water on the same day I drained the system!
Chris

*Kol*

chrisblack wrote: »

Got it sussed - the Thetford has its own reservoir and is not connected in to the main water tanks. Quite be chance, it happened to run out of water on the same day I drained the system!
Chris

Interesting!! Where is the reservoir? Is it part of the cassette? Is it an electric flusher?

PS. Glad you didn't have to go down the road of sucking the water through the pipes!!

chrisblack

Hi Kol

The reservoir is contained within the Thetford unit and is filled by opening the door on the side of the van (where you pull out the unit to empty it) and removing a filler cap... straightforward really, once you know it is there!!! - the flush is electric.

Chris