YOU can buy pura tabs from Boots chemist supposed make all drinking water safe when you travel abroad. all tap water in UK contains chlorine to sum extent ie bleach so using very weak solution as in baby bottle sterilizing solution can not do you any harm as for effecting metal, van taps are plastic, sink is stainless steel of rustproof quality. cider is more corrosive on metal but you dont stop drinking it even tomato juice is highly corrosive eats best quality s/steel away. bolts have to be renewed in tomato crusher every year at Heinz.
Jeyes make babies bottle sterlize solution as do Milton, can be purchased in BM. Home bargains etc for under 90p, 1/4 bottle to 40litre full aqua-roll rolled round to mix left to stand for 1/2 hour then pumped through system to waste water barrel and then quick flush with fresh water will not harm any metal in system if any, sink in van stainless/steel pipes in factory for carrying unwatered solution to bottle filler s/steel no probs maybe on ally or copper if allowed contact for long time or never flushed through.
Quote: Originally posted by Hairywol on 21/7/2014
Salesman we bought our caravan from said Milton would leave a bad taste in the water for ages and to use Puriclean or similar.
To be honest I wouldn't drink water from the caravan tap if you paid me, even after sterilising the system. We use a seperate container for drinking water from the site supply.
------------- It is a wise man who has something to say.
It is a fool who has to say something.
Quote: Originally posted by Andy Higham on 22/7/2014
Why ??
Generally caravans sit idle for most of the year. You say that you only ever flush the system with water.
After every trip I pressume you drain the system, there will still be some water left in the system.
I would call that stagnent water, its not moving its just lying in the pipes etc.
So you are then only using water to flush, so you are never sterilising the system and I believe you will also get a build up gunk in the pipes.IMO
That is the way you do it and it seems not to cause you any ill effects that you know off.
Your method works for you but I prefer sterilising the system and only use the hot water in the caravan system for washing dishes (usually use the site facilities though) and washing hands.
We have a seperate small container for drinking water from the site supply.
As we always say on here we all have our opinions and that is mine, I am not critisising the way you do it and might not be everyones way but its mine.
------------- It is a wise man who has something to say.
It is a fool who has to say something.
I blow out any water left in the system with a compressed air device and sterilise it before use. Water should never be drunk from any hot water system, even at home. Although it could be argued that if you had a mains pressurised system it might be ok.
We start off using bottled water but after fresh water has pushed through the system we then use cold water for the kettle. Everyone has their own ideas but we haven't come to any harm.
For water to become stagnant it needs to be open to the air to allow airborne algae etc to enter the water and colonise it. In the caravan the water is in a sealed system, the taps are closed and there is a non return valve at the water inlet, so nothing can get in to make the water stagnant. I only drain my caravan when frost is forecast.
Next time you wake up in the night and go to the bathroom for a glass of water, have a think where that water has just come from.
If you live in an older house, the water will have been sitting in lead pipes for a while. In a newer house, that water will be from a tank in the loft where it will have been sitting for weeks. Next time you are in the loft look for a big water tank, lift the lid and see the crud in the bottom.
In a newer house only the kitchen tap is attached to the rising main
Andy...When I drain the system I then do as recommended and leave the taps open incase of frost. I also leave the external plug loose. As you say this will allow air to enter system which I then sterilise before using the caravan.
I do this after and before every trip...and have done for around 40 years.
My house supply comes from a plastic pipe and we have a combi boiler, so no storage tanks of any kind at home.
All cold water taps come via rising main, all be it along several lengths of copper piping indoors to get there but I know what you mean.
I also have an additional filtered tap in the kitchen for drinking water as our mains supply can be as white as milk at times, the filter makes it crystal clear.
Otherwise we would have to run the cold tap for a good few minutes to get clear water.
B.C...sorry maybe gave the wrong impression, we don't drink from the hot tap in caravan or anywhere.
------------- It is a wise man who has something to say.
It is a fool who has to say something.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Jeyes sterilising fluid.
