This is the way i have used to clean water tanks,,,1 cupl Pool Chlorine per 100L tank leave for a few hrs then flush out until smell goes .Leave empty for 24hrs . Dont forget to flush again and also dont forget to flush pipes/ taps and filter if you have one. When you refill your water tanks add 1 teaspoon of Epsom Salts to the tank as you re fill this will stop bacteria growing in your tank.
Hope this will solve your problem , have had to use this method my self .
PS..never use Nappiesan in your water tank it is only to be used in toilet .
For drinking water tanks I use Milton baby bottle steriliser. I top up the water tank about half full or slightly more, empty a full bottle of Milton in the tank .Drive round the block and then empty the tank.
Whatever is left in the tank gets diluted so much when I refill I never get any after taste and I am told it is safe for babies after the bottles and teats are cleaned so should be OK for an old codger like me.
Your water tank at home has a much bigger of water in it than a R/V water tank, but in saying that water tanks at home some times need attention ,regarding QUALITY of the water. Years bygone the norm was to put Karro in the tank and it would sit on top of water to stop all the nasties getting into the water .Mozzzzzies are the worst affender regarding water.Even when filling your R/V water tank one should make sure none are hovering around trying to get in,as that is when problems could become even a bigger problem regarding your water quality.
Our water tanks at home have never been cleaned, we also don't use Kero, I can taste it and its horrible even with the small amount you put in. But our water is crystal clear and tastes great.
As for the van tanks, I would say Milton Antibactrial solution is the way to go, it sounds good to me.
The only thing useing Milton is that is not a long term solution to your problem ,that is why when cleaning a babies bottle the Milton solution has to be tipped out every day or so and replentished.
Always drain your water tanks ,when not useing,as some one mentioned elgae needs light to grow very true but it also loves sitting water.A lot of vans are built with large diameter clear plastic hoses in the water system as this is classed as food grade hose.and this is where a lot of the problem maybe coming from .Wrap black insulation tape around clear pipe. Some people i know spray paint them black ,but i have never used this method,so cannot coment on it's value ....I flush my tanks out once every six months ,so scale does not build up inside tanks as we live in it full time.
Hi Margaret, grumpy-j wrote the solution on page 4 about half way down. Empty the tank, mix 20 lt water with half a pack of bicarbonate, go for a drive. Empty and refill with fresh. He also suggested black hoses to prevent algae growth. Cheers. Wendy
When we started out caravanning over 13 years ago I consulted widely regarding the best method to maintain a clean and odour free water tankin the caravan. The old and bold GN's said drain the tank when not using it and fill it up before you leave. I followed this advice for about two years and always had to use a cleaning agent to get the tanks clean every 3 to 6 months. The navigator could taste the smell in her cup of tea. Not good news.
To keep SHE happy I did the reverse and maintained full tanks all the time while the caravan is sitting in the carport. I made sure all the water pipes were black, therefore keeping the light out. With the exception of one occasion when I filled up with suspect water in Queensland I have not had to use a cleaning agent since. I do, however, put in a tablespoon of vanilla extract (not essence) occasionally to keep the tank sweet.