Sterilising water tanks

[Chewbacka]

Ordinary thin Bleach (do not use thick) works fine and is cheap. Use 1% by volume ie 1ml per litre. Leave for 24hrs, drain & flush.

I think you mean 0.1% for 1ml per Litre. 1% sounds a bit strong to me.

 

Added - If you want to use bleach, this is worth a quick look.

http://www.community.gov.yk.ca/pdf/cleaning_disinfecting_water_holding_tank.pdf

Edited January 4, 2016 by Chewbacka

[NorthwichTrader]

Really interesting, Chewy! As I can get in and actually stand up in my tank, this could be a good option, leaving one of the other aforementioned products for my copper and Hep pipes!

 

Blast from the past then DH? Great forum!

Many thanks again, gents!

[Flyboy]

I think you mean 0.1% for 1ml per Litre. 1% sounds a bit strong to me.

 

Added - If you want to use bleach, this is worth a quick look.

http://www.community.gov.yk.ca/pdf/cleaning_disinfecting_water_holding_tank.pdf

You are quite correct 0.1% is correct. For a 500litre tank you would need 500ml of thin bleach.

Shurflo say :- mix into a solution, add to tank, open all taps & run until you detect the odour of chlorine. Leave for 4 hours, drain tank & refill with fresh water.

Edited January 5, 2016 by Flyboy

[DHutch]

What are you trying to achieve? The question that was asked to me.

 

I started the tread as it seemed to be what people did, and I was taking over the maintenance of the boat, but as long as your are putting fresh chlorinated water in and the tank is totally dark inside nothing can or will grow anyway.

 

Our boat and plastic tank is now 25 years old, used every year, left half full over winter, and all we ever do is run most of the tank out during the spring clean and refill with new water. Clean, tastes great, no body has ever got ill from it.

 

 

Daniel

[Phil Ambrose]

Or if you dragged the end of your hose across the towpath, then dropped it in the tank without thoroughly cleaning it first.

That's easily solved.........don't drag your hose over the towpath

?

Phil

[Chewbacka]

What are you trying to achieve? The question that was asked to me.

 

I started the tread as it seemed to be what people did, and I was taking over the maintenance of the boat, but as long as your are putting fresh chlorinated water in and the tank is totally dark inside nothing can or will grow anyway.

 

Our boat and plastic tank is now 25 years old, used every year, left half full over winter, and all we ever do is run most of the tank out during the spring clean and refill with new water. Clean, tastes great, no body has ever got ill from it.

 

 

Daniel

My boat is 4 years old, but the water runs a bit brown when the tank is almost empty, so later this year I shall open the tank and have a look. As part of that job I will flush the pipes through with a bit of bleach. But so far I have never sterilised the tank as per your thinking, but I am also very careful to keep the filler pipe clean. British utility water is pretty low risk, but if I was filling from a private bore hole I would sterilise every year.

[DHutch]

Sounds fair. We are always careful, try not to drop the hose, rinse the end always, run it through over side before putting it in the filler always. No sediment in the tank AT ALL after 20years.

 

Is your tank a a plastic one, stand alone, or integral. The brown might well be tjr start of some rust.

 

Daniel

[Sea Dog]

I think you mean 0.1% for 1ml per Litre. 1% sounds a bit strong to me.

 

Well there's my point about guessing with various household products versus using an inexpensive, intrinsically safe, purpose-made fresh water tank cleaner demonstrated very nicely, thank you.

 

Chewy just spotted a potential a 10 times overdose of poisonous bleach. Of course, if you use bleach you'll hopefully be sensible enough to flush til the nasty smell goes, so all you'll be risking is burning out your fresh water pump and bad-tasting tea, hence its not really a danger to health. You pays yer money and yer takes yer choice.

[George94]

When I replaced my steel tank with a plastic one I was horrified at the condition of the old one. The bottom was full of rust, though the water coming out of the tank was clear until the tank was almost empty; then it started to acquire a brownish twinge that rapidly got darker.

 

We didn't seem to suffer any ill-effects though. Iron, of course, is vital to the body.

[Chewbacka]

Sounds fair. We are always careful, try not to drop the hose, rinse the end always, run it through over side before putting it in the filler always. No sediment in the tank AT ALL after 20years.

 

Is your tank a a plastic one, stand alone, or integral. The brown might well be tjr start of some rust.

 

Daniel

My tank is integral and I suspect you are correct in that the brown stuff is rust, not good to look at but not toxic, so no rush to fix it.

[Neil Smith]

As others have said thin bleach is what I use in the plastic tank in my motor home.

 

Neil

[George94]

Just pour some Coca-Cola down it.

[DHutch]

My tank is integral and I suspect you are correct in that the brown stuff is rust, not good to look at but not toxic, so no rush to fix it.

Indeed. Or sterilise it ...

 

Vactan appears popular.

 

 

Daniel

[Woodsy]

As per previous threads, see link below for information contained within the Ship Captains Medical Guide for disinfecting FW tanks.

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=78282&p=1623198

[NorthwichTrader]

So very glad I asked this question. Many thanks again everyone!

[DaveR]

How many people clean and steralise their water tanks in the loft? Our house is now 45 years old and on the last check, a couple of days ago, the tanks were fine with some slight sediment in the bottom.

 

I do feel that, these days, we seem to get over concerned with keeping things too clean. Our imune system needs a bit of work now and again to keep it in good shape. Keep your water hose out of the cut and off the tow path.

 

If the water in your tank tastes ok and is clear and bright, there will be little wrong with it.

[ditchcrawler]

How many people clean and steralise their water tanks in the loft? Our house is now 45 years old and on the last check, a couple of days ago, the tanks were fine with some slight sediment in the bottom.

 

I do feel that, these days, we seem to get over concerned with keeping things too clean. Our imune system needs a bit of work now and again to keep it in good shape. Keep your water hose out of the cut and off the tow path.

 

If the water in your tank tastes ok and is clear and bright, there will be little wrong with it.

Are, but you only drink bottled water, yes?

[hilaryb]

Never....in two years...but live aboard so water never very old.

[NorthwichTrader]

This is the thing, you see...what is an acceptable storage time for water before it becomes stagnant and vulnerable to bacterial growth?

We are also liveaboard, but our water can last up to 6 weeks, the water tank is huge. Granted, we don't have a shower fitted, yet, but I'd still expect something in the region of 4 weeks for our tank when we do?

[David Mack]

How many people clean and steralise their water tanks in the loft? Our house is now 45 years old and on the last check, a couple of days ago, the tanks were fine with some slight sediment in the bottom.

 

I do feel that, these days, we seem to get over concerned with keeping things too clean. Our imune system needs a bit of work now and again to keep it in good shape. Keep your water hose out of the cut and off the tow path.

 

If the water in your tank tastes ok and is clear and bright, there will be little wrong with it.

In a house your kitchen tap should be connected to the incoming mains. Water from the tank should not be used for drinking, so you shouldn't taste it.

[Chewbacka]

In a house your kitchen tap should be connected to the incoming mains. Water from the tank should not be used for drinking, so you shouldn't taste it.

All my upstairs cold taps come from the cold tank. If I wake in the night wanting a drink I use the nearest tap. Probably many do. Certainly everybody cleans teeth with it.