Cleaning fresh water tanks ?

On my former van I was able to open a large inspection cap on the top of the fresh water tank ! I would use sterilising tablets and after emptying I could give the inside of the tank a good wipe out. I would do this at the start of the new season after the tank had been drained down for the winter. On my "new" van, a Harmony there is no easy way to get at the inside of the tank, what do others do to insure a clean water supply.

Hi there,

All we do is:

o  Drain the tank then flush it through for ten minutes with plenty of water via the fill line.

o  Let it empty and close the drain valve.

o  Chuck in a couple of Milton Tablets and then fill the tank to overflowing.

o  Leave it for 24 hours and "BINGO!" ready for another year of use.

We then just chuck a couple of Milton Tablets into the tank about once every three or four refills.

No gastric problems or skin problem using this system for the last fifty years in a variety of caravans, boats and motorhomes!   

Hope this helps.   

Best regards,
 

Sounds like great advice, will Milton fluid do the same job?

Claytaa wrote:Sounds like great advice, will Milton fluid do the same job?

Provided you get the concentration right. Milton works well, as generations of babies can testify.

Even Steradent tablets will do!

But you must flush the system thoroughly: I gather that a bleach-based agent can attack metals (such as the aluminium in a water heater etc.) There are non-bleach based products available. I believe Puriclean is an example. But of course it costs much more.

Like Dutto, I've been using Milton and / or Steradent tablets as a sterilising agent at the beginning of the year - and not had any problems. (Even after my son-in law inadvertently added diesel to the water tank - but that's another story!)

Dutto wrote:Hi there,

All we do is:

o  Drain the tank then flush it through for ten minutes with plenty of water via the fill line.

o  Let it empty and close the drain valve.

o  Chuck in a couple of Milton Tablets and then fill the tank to overflowing.

o  Leave it for 24 hours and "BINGO!" ready for another year of use.

We then just chuck a couple of Milton Tablets into the tank about once every three or four refills.

No gastric problems or skin problem using this system for the last fifty years in a variety of caravans, boats and motorhomes!   

Hope this helps.   

Best regards,
 

Did you not say in a previous post on this subject..
Milton is a "chloride" based product and chlorine is not recommended for use with stainless steels as it causes "stress corrosion cracking".

Best regards,

Ian

Reference:

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broadwayelduo wrote:

Dutto wrote:
………………..

We then just chuck a couple of Milton Tablets into the tank about once every three or four refills.

No gastric problems or skin problem using this system for the last fifty years in a variety of caravans, boats and motorhomes!   

……………….

Did you not say in a previous post on this subject..
Milton is a "chloride" based product and chlorine is not recommended for use with stainless steels as it causes "stress corrosion cracking".

Best regards,

Ian

Reference:

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Ian,

I certainly did and I stand by the fact that chlorine products should not be used to sterilise fresh-water systems with stainless steel water heaters for the very reason you state.

However, I also stated that I still threw a couple of Milton Tablets into the fresh-water tank every so often to sterilise it.

Check out:

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I have checked the current status of Milton Tablets in "Petal" and I'm afraid that my "every three or four re-fills" comment was way off the mark.

Sorry.   

We are actually using Spanish "baby-bottle steriliser" tablets that are equivalent to Milton Tablets.  We haven't been in Spain since December 2012, the box originally contained 24 Tablets and we still have 10 left.

So, in view of the fact that we have lived onboard for about six months since buying the tablets, I think it must be "every eight to ten" refills or even longer.  

It's good to know that someone actually reads my Posts, even if they can't remember all of their contents.          

Best regards,
  
Ian