water tank cleaning??

Frank,

Do you need to clean the main 80 litre water tanks, or is it the top tank of the toilet.

If it is just the toilet top tank and it has lots of black algae in it, then most of us agree that this algae comes from using the pink Thetford top tank solution.

What I did to get rid of ours was to pull the site tube out at the bottom and then downwards and you will then be able to drain everything out of the top tank. I then removed the toilet roll holder that has an O ring around the container to seal it. I then used a garden hose without any connector on the end so that it can be pushed around the back of the bowl. A reasonable hose pressure will dislodge most of the Algae.

I then put a reasonable quantity quantity of Pine O Clean in the top tank and filled it up with water and left it for a couple of days before draining it all out again via the site tube.

We now do not use any chemicals in the top tank and occasionally give it a bit of a rinse with Pine O Clean, and never have the Algae problem any more.

Other member use a variety of cleaners to kill off the algae.

I am told that Bio Magic is also good once you have got rid of all the previous chemicals from the tank.

Brian

Actually both the water tanks and the toilet, and thank you for your comprehensive reply on the toilet and it does appear to be a algae.

G'day Frank,

For cleaning tanks, including drinking water tank:-

1. Empty the tanks with the van on a side slope with drain taps on downhill side.

2. Turn off drain taps

3. Mix a tablespoon full of sodium metabisulphate (used in sterilizing home brew equipment and available at home brew shops or supermarket home brew shelves) in two litres of water. Repeat for each tank.

4. Drive around some rough roads (probably your nearest Council maintained road) so that the solution swishes around.

5. Leave overnight so the fumes spread around the system.....you can even run your pumps to clean the lines.

6. Drain remaining mixture out as in 1.

7. Turn offf the drain taps.

8. Fill all Tanks with clean water.

9. Pack your van and go!

There ya go .... another tip from da noo ranger!! (not really...just a little dig!)

Cheers.........Rob

We also had black algae in our top tank of the Thetford, but all we did was to add a squirt of bleach to the tank each time we filled it. This cleaned up the algae and enabled us to continue to use the pink solution, which keeps the bowl slippery and also stops stains from developing.
Cheers, Jan O

Committee Member Noosa Fox replied to the question

Frank,

I have had a friend come around today who also has a BT and he said that he went to a caravan accessory place and was sold a bottle of something that is labelled "TANK CLEAN". It is mixed with hot water and poured into the tanks and then you have to flush the tanks out a couple of times.

He said that it stopped the taste problems that they were having.

I have not heard of this before.

The down side is that you have to Watch the fitting just inside the van where the fill hose connects to the filler cap. The plastic is clued together there and the hot water melted the glue and he had water flowing inside the van.

Brian

Thanks to all the replies i will let you know how i get on.

All above advice is good but all use some pretty powerful chemicals. We've found Bio-Magic in the Loo to be the best one

But as for the main water tanks we use Colloidal Silver.
There is not a bacteria, Algae (or Virus) that CS won't kill in 6 minutes.

We make our own with a kit that cost $70 and will make around 2,000 L of 35-50 ppm CS. so it is very cost effecient.
We add about a cupfull of CS to all tanks (including filtered tank) every 5 fills or so.

As it is perfectly safe (in fact very beneficial to drink) we know that our water is always clean and healthy.

It will keep the lines clean too. In fact we have a friend in Townsville who installs CS kits into dental surgeries to prevent bacterial build up in their water systems and all the airlines and even the space shuttle and space station use silver filters to purify their water systems.

It can't be used in the loo tho as it actually kills the necessary bacteria there and also in any septic system that you may empty you loo tank into.