There are special tank cleaning products you can purchase from Caravan accessories places I actually purchased mine at a Caravan show, and now each time I come home from a trip I flush my water tanks out with filtered water and allow them to dry our prior to replacing drain cap.
The use vinegar will kill off bugs and algae but you need to flush thoroughly .
There is also an argument that it's best to store your van with full tanks but I have serious reservations about that approach
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In a previous van we managed to get some contaminated water and my wife became very ill with Gardia infection and ended up at hospital. She was so ill I thought I would lose her !
We were told the best and simplest way to clean tanks is to place one cup of White King or any similar bleach into each tank, fill with fresh water, then turn pump on and open each tap in turn till you can smell the bleach, then top up tanks again and leave overnight. By running the tap it fills all pipework up with the bleach and water.
Next day drain off the tanks and flush out with fresh water, never had any problems since we undertook this regime. when all said and done bleach is just chlorine like what water is treated with anyway. In dilution it is harmless and freshens and disinfects the tanks and pipework cheaply.
No need for fancy expensive concoctions which are probably bleach or chlorine based anyway.
As an added precaution we filter all drinking water through a twin undersink filter with dedicated faucet so minimise any potential risk now of the problem again.
Hi Campers, Yes I am always a bit concerned about water quality in our van. My DH makes his own wine and cleans his bottles with a campden tablet. He drops one of these tablets in the van tank before we go away and leaves it, then day before, he empties the tank completely and then fills with fresh water... Works for us so far... Cheap and quick too... Jay-Jay
Hi, when we purchased our van ( used) it still had water in the tank which was a bit ordinary from sitting around too long not being used
I drained it , then put a good capful of White King in and refilled and let it sit for a day, then drained it again and now it's clean as a whistle :)
We are very fussy about what water goes into our tanks, always only clean water and I have a 0.5 micron filter to make sure. Always use the filter when filling tanks.
any creek or dam water only gets pumped in from a bucket(not into the tanks though) and always via that filter to protect the pump.
frank
-- Edited by KFT on Saturday 1st of November 2014 11:44:02 AM
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Kathy and Frank currently at Home near Quirindi NSW
OK Gitsho,,, it's easy. Get table salt and add say 500 grams to 1/4 to 1/2 a tank of water and go for a drive to slosh it all around,,,, stop and drain tanks whilst sludge etc is in solution, ie before it settles again.
Repeat till your water is good and clear.
Cheers Baz
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