Hi, to all, i have looked at a lot of comments recently about sterilising pipes etc and read lots of negatives about using chemicals. As a brewery owner and ex publican, we use a mixture of bleach and caustic soda (chlorinated caustic, commercially bought as beerline cleaner) to clean beer lines, as do all good pubs, everywhere. Beer lines generally consist of stainless steel casks or kegs (which we also clean with chlorinated caustic, but at a higher concentration), hard polypropylene plastic connectors, flexible plastic hose, stainless steel couplings, stainless steel tubing (runs through the cooler - on all lagers and smoothflow products) and push fit connectors. So my point really is, that, if every pub is using these kind of chemicals to clean their pipes at least once every week, with no problems incurred at all, why would it cause such problems in a caravan, which uses very similar if not identical materials for its pipelines????
I use Milton, a couple of caps in the Aquaroll, run it into the system, leave for 30 minutes, then run a full aquaroll of fresh water through.
We never have a problem with jippy tummies.
I would suggest the quality of a commercial fitting used in a pub would be better than that in a caravan. And it might be the alcohol residue that needs a more concentrated cleaner.
If you decide to have a go, let us know how you get on.
Cheers
Paul
------------- "Whether you think you can, or think you can't... You're right"
Personally I am beginning to agree with the milton route, and agree with what the OP is saying.
With regards to the quality of fittings within the pub environment these are no better than you could by off the shelf in B&Q.
Also there is a lot of stainless within a pub as above, and there is NO ill effects from corrosion. Beerline cleaner is very strong and it does not damage any off the cooling loops or fob detectors where there is differing materials. Its not the Alcohol residue that is being cleaned away its the yeast, and its even worse on Cask Beers where its still alive!! Its the same with modern Brewerys all the fermentation vessels are stainless and these are sterilised with a similar product
I think people are begin over cautious as the concentration of sterilising fluid that is being introduced into the system is NOT very strong. However pure castic does eat stainless for fun as does sodium hypo-chlorite (I learn these these big words of the wife as she is a Chemist not the pill type)
1 Prefer semitransparent jerry cans in favour of Aquaroll. £ 7 each, throw them away every season and replace, Advantage is that you can see when they are nearly empty at a glance. Stops Mrs FM burning out pumps galore.
2 Take a 2 lit bottle of Tesco cheapo water, and refill for drinking. A caravan system standing empty for months, and running at low pressure, must be like a water garden in the pipes, so we only use the system for washing up and showers etc. The charcoal filters you are supposed to change every 6 mths are a massive rip-off for my money, so leave them out.
Could one difference be that on a caravan the cleaning fluid goes through the hot water heater? The instructions warn against leaving too long with cleaning flud in them and advise not to use bleach etc.
We got some granules from Go Outdoors and they did the trick.Miltons ok-if its ok for babies its ok for us!!
------------- ...as long as it's dry.....
Lisa xx
count your rainbows not your thunderstorms.....
Easter-York
August-Cornwall
October half term-Dawlish
Xmas-still looking...
The cleaning fluid doesn't HAVE to go through the boiler, just don't open the hot tap when you are pulling it through..
The OP is sort of right, as coming from a large family of publicans though I know that the pub lines are surely far far more better quality and of a higher standard than the blue plastic pipes in vans?
Milton won't damage the pipes, this is a carry on from the boiler concerns - yes Milton - IF LEFT - can rot the element (so they say) well like I said, dont pull the solution through the boiler, or if you insist on purifying the hot pipes (who drinks water from the boiler [gag]?) then flush it out.
My mate was in the Marines and they use it to purify stagnant water supplies in emergencies - so it's ok for us I reckon!
I only use milton at the beginning of the season, every other journey out, I just dissolve two tablets into the water butt and no poorly tums. However it is only me that would drink out of the water butt - the wife usually buys the posh water and the kids are on bottled juice. Just use the cold water primarily for cleaning teeth and stuff.
I steralize my barrels and caravan pipes with puriclean as milton leaves a taint in the system and in the filter,always drink water from caravan taps never had any problems with dicky tummeys been doing the same for the last 10 years as i said before everything is ok,i do steralize before going on each trip as i only manage to get away 3 times a year,
------------- Trice x
Life's to short make the most of everyday
We fill the system with water and Puriclean when we first arrive on site and flush it out when everything is set up and always use the van water with no ill effects.
We clean the cold system with milton - remove the filter from the last holiday & replace it with a 'blank' (the screw bit only), pull milton through all COLD taps via the pump & leave for at least 30mins, then put new filter in & pull clean water through the cold system, then fill the hot water system once the cold is 'milton' free (about 5 mins max). We do this whatever site we're on as we have a 9 month old baby, so can't risk even slightly dodgy water
------------- Bringing up baby to be a seasoned caravanner - we bought one to holiday cheaply - working well so far - & caravanners are lovely - helped us on our virgin voyage & our awning!!!
Done mine this afternoon - with Milton. and a good flush though afterwards. Will use Aqua Clean Tabs on site for first couple of fill ups.and if the weather is blazing sunshine.
------------- Don't know where I'm going but will be happy when I get there.
I buy the desolving milton tabs and fill my aquaroll with water and about eight tablets, I connect the roll to the van, Remove the filter and use an old filter cartirdge with all the charcoal removed run all the taps and shower for 30secs or so to get the fluid in the system. Leave for a few hours, or overnight, Connect the wastehog and empty the aquaroll via all the taps and shower again, Sad but i use the waste hog to steralise that too !. Then run a full barrel through the system to rinse and replace/renew the filter cartridge.
No discolouration or damage to the pipes and no dodgy bellies.
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Topic: Sterilising pipes and aquaroll
