How to clean a caravan water tank.

If it's coming into winter, chances are you're looking to store the caravan for the colder months. A quick checklist of good practices to complete before doing this includes:

Winter storage checklist:

• Empty & Clean Water & Grey Tanks 

• Dump & Clean Cassette Tank

• Flush, Clean, & Change Anode, hot water System

• Clean & Turn off Fridge and place door spacers

• Tidy & Clean interior

• Place Moisture Absorber throughout the interior

• Tidy & Clean & lock Exterior

• Plug into power if possible

• Ensure your insurance is up to date

Cleaning caravan water tanks is something you should do at least every few months or right after a big trip. Bacteria and microbes from different water sources, if the water has been sitting in the tank for a while you may start to notice a funny smell or taste coming from the tap water in your caravan. The taste is usually caused because of the mould and algae build up if you have left the water in your caravan water tank for a long time. Heat is a factor when trying to work out if it’s time to flush your caravan water tanks. However, the taste and odour does sometimes occur if you have a new tank that has been sitting in the sun for a long time, the condensation that builds up inside will start to cause algae and bacteria. If that is the case and your caravan water tank is food grade, then you should have no issues using the appropriate products and cleaning methods we mention below.  

Other culprits behind poor tasting water can also be caused by Hydrogen Sulphide, (rotten egg smell), Chlorine (municipal water treatments), Metallic tastes (mercury, lead, arsenic and iron) can also be found in your fill points, depending on where you are travelling in Australia. Once you have isolated the cause, by checking your pipes, appliances or hoses, you can choose to flush all of the system just to be on the safe side or just the tanks. If you are really in a pinch some grey nomads would suggest the method of adding about 1/2 cup bi-carb soda to your half full water tank and then add some vinegar and take the caravan for so the solution can clean the entire tank by sloshing around, however this is not the recommended way almost all caravan dealers will suggest. We’ve broken it down into 7 easy steps: 

1. Empty the water out of your tanks as well as taps 

2. Follow the recommended ratio of tank cleaner on the label of the product 

3. Turn on the faucets and fill your water tanks until full 

4. Wait at least 24 hours 

5. Flush your caravan water tanks 

6. Refill with fresh water 

You can choose from either the Tank Cleanse from Coast to Coast or the Tank Cleaner we stock from Thetford.

By simply dumping the remaining water you have left in the tank you’ve already eliminated most of the nasties causing that horrible taste and smell. Adding the tank cleanser from Thetford or Coast prior to re-filling with fresh water, will guarantee that all remaining bacteria and residue in the tank will be killed. Another frequently asked question is when your caravan is not in use should you empty the tanks? The short answer: No, however if you live in hot areas where condensation is likely to occur anyway then there is a high chance that bacteria will form even is the tanks are empty, so we recommend following the above method before filling with fresh before any trip to ensure you don’t have the problem of bad tasting water when you're on the road. The last thing you want to do whilst you're on holiday is stop and do this process as it is time consuming and wasteful. If you are in a drought-stricken area, reuse the contaminated water on the garden is completely safe once the 24-hour waiting period is over, as all the tank cleaner has dissolved and done its job by that point.

On a preventative note, not only is cleaning water tanks a hassle but it is very time consuming and not many people know that you can extend the use of your appliances, water tanks and fresh water by using the right pre filters. If you are in particularly remote areas where bore water or rainwater is the only thing on offer, the Thirsty Nomad offers a bore water treatment system designed to be attached to the fill point as the first point of defence from heavy metals and contaminates often found in outback water. You can find this product on our website or if you think that a pre filler is over kill for the adventures you find yourself on, there is also the option of installing an inline water purifier from the Thirsty Nomad as well that is proven to kill 99.999% of bacteria upon contact which will leave you with great tasting water no matter what’s in the tank.