Water Tanks

[Markk]

Hi All

What is the best way with what chemical to clean an empty plastic water tank in a camper trailer. Its been empty for over three years.

Thanks

[adDisco]

If it was me I'd start with just flushing through a heap of good clean water and looking out for any smells/odours that may spell 'an issue'. So a good flush may do the job and set my mind at ease.


I'd suggest maybe contacting someone like your local council health inspector and getting their free advice. We pay council rates and they usually provide a community health service, so I suggest 'use it'. I'm not sure how helpful they will be but it is worth a try!


Hope this helps?

[tonic]

Fill it up and get the wife to drink out of it first, if she's OK after a couple of days your good to go :wasntme:


Otherwise, like has already been said, give it a good flush if you know it's idle history and maybe throw in a few purer tablets from a camping store that kill bugs.


We ways use bottled water from home for drinking and use the trailer tank for cooking so it's always boiled before we use it, or we shower with it. I still empty it out and leave the lid off for a couple of days so the tank dries before I seal it again, so I understand where your coming from.

[AndyG]

My first response is a bottle of bleach, but maybe the stuff for cleaning home brew bottles is safer. Or second rinse at least.

[goingbush]

sodium hyperchlorate, aka Bleach same stuff most councils add to your drinking water.

[snowbound]

sodium hyperchlorate, aka Bleach same stuff most councils add to your drinking water.

Second that. As long as you are going to flush it, make it as strong as you like! We used to use it in refrigeration cooling towers among other jobs to combat potential legionella! Cheap and effective.

[loanrangie]

Yeah a little bleach wont hurt and is easily diluted when flushing it out.

[bee utey]

The stuff called "Milton" is sold at any chemist for sterilising baby bottles. Works well on water drums/tanks.

[Don 130]

x2 Miltons
Don.

[DBT]

+1 Milton.


Prob. wouldn't even need to flush, just drain. But I still would, or you'll prob. taste it.


This is assuming tank looks / smells ok. If not, you might need something stronger, as suggested above.

[TerryO]

The stuff called "Milton" is sold at any chemist for sterilising baby bottles. Works well on water drums/tanks.

... X3

[numpty]

All interesting replies.

Just for interests sake, I have a 65 litre galvanised water tank in my Defender which has water in it most of the time, only the amount varies. I have never had an issue with it. The tank is around 25 years old now too. Sometimes it's months between camping trips.

Same with the black plastic tank I had in my old camper, I'd just drain it occasionally and refill.

[Greatsouthernland]

The stuff called "Milton" is sold at any chemist for sterilising baby bottles. Works well on water drums/tanks.

x3 this is the best and safe. Used by hospitals and safe for baby bottles etc.

[Ralph1Malph]

We use bog standard pool chlorine at work to do exactly this.

We 'super chlorinate', go for a drive to shake it around.

Empty and flush up to three times to remove all chlorine.

Good to go.

[shining]

Sodium metabisulfite is the stuff home brewers use for sanitising bottles.

[Fluids]

Davey make a product called Acquasafe. 1L treats 15,000L of water, and provides ongoing residual protection for around 2 months. Kills 99.999999999% of everything. Used for sanitizing & dissenfecting household rainwater tanks.