water containers...... a serious question(s)

dawa · Guru

water containers...... a serious question(s)

Happywanderer · The Master

Dawa, are you talking about a water tank on your van or water container you carry.
If a water tank you can use baking soda (bicarb) in the tank, can leave it in there if a small amount or can give it a clean out and refill.
If carry containers I would think you could give them a wash out with bicarb as well before refilling.
I have both, rinse my bottles between each refill.

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Milton (used for cleaning baby bottles) is the go for cleaning jerry cans. I've used it when a jerry can looked a bit greenish inside.

dawa · Guru

I haven't put water in the camper water tank.....bit scary that in view of other things since I bought it.

I mainly have containers......will buy some carb soda and use as u say between fill-ups......can't be too careful really

thanknyou

Dawa

Ron and Shirley · Senior Member

Agree a clean out with Bi carb or Milton, however if your collecting and storing water, particularly if not a town supply, then Katadyn Micropure maybe what you are after. See http://tinyurl.com/7zhtbc3

We have a container of the powder and use about 1g per 100litres. Not cheap, but lasts a long while.

We purchased from BCF, but most camping stores will have it.

Beth54 · Guru

I used Milton in May on my water tank and it just smelt like bleach. Does anyone know what's in it? It costs more than bleach so I reckon I won't buy it again. I'll just use the bicarb.

billeeeeeee · Guru

Howdyeeeee ,Nomads, well the answer to water problems,is this,,,dont drink water, b like Me, I only drink Pepic Max, hehe, if thats any help Dawa, The only problem is that it makes the hairs in My nose grow extremely fast.....Well stay excited Nomads, PS,,, seen a guy with a full Moustache growing out of His nose awhile ago..........hope to catch U out there in the play ground, Dawa..........Billeeeeeeeeeeeee

Keith19837 · Senior Member

Beth54 wrote:
I used Milton in May on my water tank and it just smelt like bleach. Does anyone know what's in it? It costs more than bleach so I reckon I won't buy it again. I'll just use the bicarb.

I can't remember which particular baby bottle cleaning brand it was; but back in the '80s I was looking at the composition of (Milton's or similar). It looked rather familiar. I then looked at the composition of Domestos and found it to be identical but at twice the strengths of the baby bottle stuff. I started using weak Domestos in my boat tanks (Which are collapsible and therefore easily removed/replaced) to clean them. I thoroughly rinse afterward and find it O.K. I do the same with the MH and backflush (fitted hard tanks). Soda bic is great stuff but found it left a slight residue (I probably didn't disolve it properly). Soda bic is also great for cleaning the fridge, reconditioning car batteries, cleaning silver, cleaning teeth and everything except baking because that's the one thing they don't advertise it for (LOL). For what it's worth.

Happywanderer · The Master

Great for bad indigestion as well. Dissolve some in water and drink. You will belch up that wind very quickly.

ibbo · Senior Member

dawa wrote:
One of my biggest things is enough clean drinking water. Health problem means I need to drink lots.
My question is ; Do I need to 'clean' these containers from time to time?
If so .......what is the best thing to use?
My first thought was a solution using bleach but that then may contaminate the water container.
hygeine in all things is a must for campers as I feel sickness/infection is some thing to be aware of.
I try to have at least 50 ltrs of drinking water as I head to my next camp.
Rainwater if possible but town water if it tastes OK.
catch rainwater on wet days of course.
Dawa
Dawa,I only drink boiled water.Not bottled or other commercial water.I boil the water myself,bottle my needs and know that it is safe.

03_troopy · Guru

For heavy cleaning of removable tanks or jerry cans Plain uncented cheapie brand dishwasher powder for cleaning. Let it soak in there for a day or two, agitating as often as you can. Flush out with fresh water a couple of times before filling with clean water. Works a treat on homebrew gear too.

jetj · Guru

I stick to bicarb, I wouldn't use bleach. In fact try to use bicarb and vinegar for cleaning lots of things.

wendyv · Guru

I think Milton/baby bottle cleaners have sodium metabisulphate as main chemical. I know the driver uses a solution of that to sterilize his beer bottles before filling in a fresh brew.
With your rainwater collection - I wouldn't treat it chemically, just boil it before use - if you are not sure how clean the collecting vessel/surface was.

dawa · Guru

another silly answer to a serious question

ibbo · Senior Member

dawa wrote:
another silly answer to a serious question
Just what was the silly answer?.

dawa · Guru

First of all I would like to thank all of you for your answers about water containers. A biggie for me as I drink only water.

Now I have another question and again regarding water.
Have no idea when there was last water in the camper tank or even if it holds water.
How do I flush this tank?
Is there a tap/plug to empty same?

Clean water is so essential for me.
Dawa

Loki · Senior Member

The following is from the blog http://longlucas.bravehost.com/watertanks.html, who was making a water tank for his camper - it was a 100 litre tank. I have used the bleach & iodine to treat my water when unsure and have never had a problem - I adjust for the amount of water being treated. Bleach is essentially chlorine gas pumped through water, then put in bottle: when left to the open air the chlorine will release itself. The chap is a university physics lecturer.

"...it is the easy entry point for those two teaspoons of liquid bleach and an eye dropper of iodine. Water filters, humbug, and besides they might become a health hazzard. There was never an upset tummy or an unpleasant taste with this method for twenty years on the boat. Water was stored in the tanks there for ages and collected in all sorts of places in our travels. The boat tanks were fibreglass, but well away from any sunlight penetration in the bilge. No worries with sunlight and algal growth with stainless...."

If I were to flush my tank, I would fill it with water and add a steriliser (bleach or Milton's), leave it for a few hours, then disconnect the outlet hose at the bottom to drain it (mine is 'accessible', by crawling under the van) - alternatvely I guess you just pump it all out through the sink. I'd then refill & drain until the water comes out clean, give it a final fill and add bleach & iodine in proportion to the amount of water.

Traveling in dry remote areas I stocked up with 10l spring water packs purchased from the grocery store as a contingency,

Hope this helps,
Anton

dawa · Guru

Anton...... thank you for your reply. Love your photos by the way.....awesome.
Dawa

Pam · Guru

Hi Dawa. Did you get the PM I sent you a couple of days ago?

Cruising Granny · Guru

I use one of those filter jugs for any water I consume. I change the filter every month. Although Adelaide has improved the water quality since I lived here in the 80's, I still don't trust it. Rainwater can be dodgy if it hasn't been clean for a while, or you don't know what's on the roof and in the gutters.
Just an aside, I filled my bottle at Carnarvon Gorge in the little creek which runs into the big creek. It was cool, sweet and clean and I suffered no ill effects drinking it straight from the creek.
There should be a plug on the bottom of the tank which will allow water to flow out.
Carb soda is effective and safe cleaning agent. No bad smells, and clean water.

jetj · Guru

Very true, I'm on tank water and my cat used to do her business on the roof.

dawa · Guru

ibbo wrote:
dawa wrote:
another silly answer to a serious question
Just what was the silly answer?.
Billy's answer as usual

Beth54 · Guru

dawa wrote:
ibbo wrote:
dawa wrote:
another silly answer to a serious question
Just what was the silly answer?.
Billy's answer as usual

wink disbelief

dawa · Guru

Pam wrote:
Hi Dawa. Did you get the PM I sent you a couple of days ago?

no

Pam · Guru

dawa wrote:
Pam wrote:
Hi Dawa. Did you get the PM I sent you a couple of days ago?
no

Hi Dawa,

Just in case you don't know already, you can access your PMs (private messages) by clicking on your user name. it should also be telling you that you have a message under your log in on the main forum page.

If you are using an Iphone or Ipad it might be a simplified version that does not show all features. I tend to view the forum on my Iphone but use my laptop to make comments etc.

Hope this helps you find my message.

Pam

oldbloke · Guru

Beth54 wrote:
I used Milton in May on my water tank and it just smelt like bleach. Does anyone know what's in it? It costs more than bleach so I reckon I won't buy it again. I'll just use the bicarb.

Just a source of chlorine.

Try domestos, same, same.

Mike Harding · Guru

oldbloke wrote:
Beth54 wrote:
I used Milton in May on my water tank and it just smelt like bleach. Does anyone know what's in it? It costs more than bleach so I reckon I won't buy it again. I'll just use the bicarb.

Just a source of chlorine.
Try domestos, same, same.

I don't think so; Milton is only sodium hypochlorite and a stabiliser Domestos (and most bleaches) have other stuff to make them smell nice and so on.

The cheap "own brand" bleaches are usually OK but I'd stay with Milton for water purification at 0.5ml Milton to 1L water (1:2000).

Also note Milton and bleach slowly turn to salt and become useless - write the purchase date on it and ditch it after 12 months - Milton has a use-by date on the container.

Wannabe nomad · Senior Member

Even my personal use water bottle has caused me to get sick. So I now regularly wash it and occasionally use Milton.
I only drink bottled water or tap water that has been filtered. I reckon rain water is to risky if you are susceptible

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Adelaide's water supply (and that of hundreds of other towns) is mostly pumped out of the River Murray. It is then treated with chlorine (as is 99% of all town water supplies in the world).

We treat our own water in the OKA by adding chlorine (liquid sodium hypochlorite) every time we add water to a tank. We then filter it just before use with a 0.5um active carbon filter. That filter will remove any remaining chlorine (which naturally breaks down over a few days anyhow) and we get better drinking water than we get at home.
Cheap household bleach (without any other additives) is liquid sodium hypochlorite. Add about 10 to 20ml per 100L of tank capacity. More if the water quality is questionable. Swimming pool liquid chorine is the same stuff, just twice the concentration.
To clean a tank, simply add extra chlorine and leave to slosh around it for a few hours and then flush. Never needed to do it, but that's OK if it makes you feel better.

Rain water tanks are fine for those who drink from them every day, but a visitor is likely to be upset by the strange bugs that live and breed there. Our chlorine and filtration technique is capable of making water from any source biologically safe. Both the chlorination AND the filtration are necessary steps. One is not sufficient without the other.
Cheers,
Peter

-- Edited by Peter_n_Margaret on Saturday 9th of January 2021 12:09:47 AM

Mobi Condo · Guru

Similar question back in 2005 when we bought our van, went to Vic Health.

Their answer was to boil all water for drinking or other internal ingestion, when in remote areas for 10 minutes at a "Rolling Boil", then cool and it would be safe.

Re tank cleaning, I found at Mitre10 a product called "Pour n'Go" water tank treatment, which is used at the 1:10 ratio when ever we fill our tanks, even with rain water caught off the van roof.

Uh! Oh! Serious APOLOGIES HERE!!!!

That ratio should be - 100ml of product to 1000Litres of water - in other words I put in 8ml to every 80 litres of water. I am getting stupid in my aging!

-- Edited by Mobi Condo on Saturday 9th of January 2021 11:47:13 AM