Hi guys and hope your all enjoying the Christmas period
Can anyone tell me how long is drinking water safe to leave standing in the campervan before it needs to be changed? Bearing in mind it's always boiled for hot drinks
we use the van for the odd day out in winter time and I wondered if it's completely nessasery to keep changing it every time we need it
Depends what tank you have and if its been sterilised to take out any mold or bacteria. Thats why Ive never fitted a water tank to all the conversions Ive had. 2 5 Gallon plastic containers do the job and the water is always fresh
------------- Birth of the Universe?
Once upon a time there was nothing. Which exploded
Cheers, Doesn't really answer my question though I don't use the tablets how long is it safe to leave standing untreated?I have a 25 litre tank on board.
I am not sure how easy it is to answer the original question as there are so many factors to take into account. Personally we use bottled water for drinking and always fill the kettle fresh from the site tap. The tank water is mainly used for showers and washing up. I suppose if the system is regularly cleaned and flushed the likelihood of a problem if the water was boiled before use would be quite low.
Provided your water tank is clean then as long as you like as you are boiling it. However as pointed out, your water system should be flushed out periodically, a couple of time a yr perhaps?
Not a direct answer to your question..but if we're talking about storing water at this time of year, with the chances of frosts/sub zero temperatures, my concern would be leaving water in a system at all(especially if your "campervan" has a full water system; ie: fully piped, sink, hot water boiler, loo etc).
For the relatively short time it takes to drain and refill, I never think it's worth the risk of frost damage..
When in the middle of really cold spells, we'd even leave ours fully drained down and just using stand-alone containers...
As the "water board" told me many years ago.
Our water is treated at source and is fit for human consumptiom any were any how.Afterwards they explained they put enough treatment in at source to combat just about anything nasty.
Having dealt with many nasties associated with water in public places and the affects. I still believe them.
Your on board tank is as clean as you want to make it.
The water is OK.
We use a nylon can for water for tea etc. our tank is 120 litres and when we were only using the van for holidays/trips the tank was drained down in the winter after every trip in case of freezing!
Most times the tank was left with water in when the weather was ok but after a while it starts to smell a bit 'seaweedy'!
The trouble with leaving water in the tank you can't see the state of the internals of the tank!
I don't think it' s worth the risk.
Afternoon, We put just enough water for the time we are away and if I need to top up with fresh water and we are not on a campsite or do not want to move near to the site tap I use a 12 volt pump (plugged into the 'vans accessory socket) then I fill a bucket then fill up that way.
I drain the fresh water out after every trips, this also reduces the need to carry unnecessary weight on board on the return journey and as Shripdragon has said it reduces the risk of your pipes freezing....
I've had my van for 18 years, after every trip, and before getting home, I put into the tank those tablets for purifying water. When getting home I drain down the tank. This water tank is used for washing, brushing teeth, and washing dishes.
We use a 5 litre 'proper' water container for drinking which we top up at any camp site in this country. When abroad we buy bottled water.
We have never had any problems.
WATER IS PRECIOUS! Do not use it like we used to do when we were young. DO NOT DRAIN YOUR TANK EVERYTRIP!! Thats what caravaners do with their barrels.
It's not rocket science, use your common sence.
Keep your tanks clean and fill as required.
The next thing will be legioners in a camoper.......!!!!
Secondly,if folk didn't drain(and periodically,maybe flush through)their water system, as you seem to be suggesting and just left it for heaven knows how long(..weeks? months?..), then there'd be an even greater chance of "nasties" in the system...
...Not to mention frozen and split components, at this time of year...