Water taste's horrible

Do you store it with water in the Tanks ?

If so , you might have "stuff" growing.

Also , if you have filled it from different sources , you may have got a bad batch somewhere.

Sounds like a good cleaning might be in order.

Have you made any mods to the system? ie: extra outlets using normal garden hose instead of food-grade hose etc?
Id agree with the clean out. I seem to recall seeing a rinse-through product that was made for cleaning water tanks, but dont know much about it. Try your local caravan accessory shop.

Any guidance on the amount of Bi-carbonate that we should use?

Citric acid works well also ...... so I've been told.

Cheers

For our 60L tank, I add about 750mL of Milton or other baby bottle steriliser (hypochlorite). Fill the tank and run it through the tap. Leave for no more than 24hrs then drain, refill with water, drain and refill. If the chlorine taste is too strong then add bicarb to a third rinse. Vinegar as a rinse aooarently also works.

Adrian

With regards to "Bi-carb".....straight from my wifes mouth :-)

"Sodium bicarbonate is predominately used for pH control (as a buffer agent) and is not recognised as a disinfecting agent for water treatment. It is however used as a 1st stage cleaning agent (assist with the removal of dirt and nasties) due to its crystalline structure. It will neutralise acid by-products from bacteria including odours and organic tastes. "

Don't rely on Bi-carb to solve your problems...always follow this up with a recognised form of disinfection eg chlorine (milton tablets etc). Silver ions in some forms will prevent future growth. This is available for sea-going vessels and should be available from a chandlery store etc. They generally carry 1000l + and have the same problems....

Andrew

Dacurls

We have a surgical stainless steel water tank in our rig which shortly after installation developed the vilest taste in the water you could imagine.

Through trial and error I tracked it down to the uplift/outlet delivery hose from the tank to the tap.

So called food grade hose was the culprit. Funnily enough ended up using the good old black polythene garden irrigation hose to fix it. You know the $4.50 for 20 M Bunnings job.

Its Black (important as it lets no light in to allow algae to grow), Non rubber and doesn't have a taste and pressure rated. Just used the normal garden fittings (elbows etc & band clamps) and it worked like a dream.

I have been told by the professionals that did the installation in the first instance that it now looks like a cheap home job. (You can't see it unless you go out of your way to find it)

As they had tried numerous fixes re the taste problem and gave up saying that was the best I could expect, I had great delight in informing said experts that the problem had been identified and fixed by 'the' cheap home job . So, up theirs and some.

I just leave what ever water is in when we arrive home from a trip until just prior to next outing. Chuck in a cup full of non detergent white king bleach, fill it up to full/brimming, leave it for 24hrs, drain and refil.

Any leftover chlorine taste disappears totally in the final fill up.

Regards

Ken Robinson

I've had the problem before and traced to to the garden hose I used to fill the tank - 20 metres of that plastic sitting in the sun. Was Ok is I flushed the water out of the hose first.

If all of the previous solutions do not solve the problem ,then may I suggest that you only use your onboard tank for washing/dishes ect , DRINK BEER INSTEAD.LOL.

You may also want to complement your food grade hose with a filter while filling up. You can get these at Caravan accessory places.

Hi Dacurls
My sugestion is to USE Puratabs These are not very expencive avaiable from the Chemist 1 tab for each 2 ltrs this will kill all the bugs and the groths
sorry for the spelling
Snailbait

Dacs - here in Adelaide, we have about 30ppm of chlorine in the water - in my new Campomatic (120L) we keep the tank full at all times and do a drain and refill just prior to a trip departure - seems to work OK so far - I think the idea is that with no light and no air in the tank, it will remain stable for months. Didn't read all of the above but untreated water would probably be unstable for long periods - as some of the others have mentioned, introduction of some chlorine by one means or another seems the go for storage - flush prior to departure, with nothing in the water for the actual trip - as for getting the pong out ....... let us know how you go please.

hi dacurls
i have the same prob in my 2004 kimberley kamper from new
we have never been able to drink the water from the 130 l ss tank to date
not good in a $30K camper
been back to kimberley 2 times under warranty and not fixed
down at ballins at kk factory at the moment one last time to see if they can fix

we ALWAYS fill with blue food grade hoses and metal hose fittings
i have tried lemon essence; and tank clean from camec; and bi cerb of soda; and vinigar - the vinigar and the lemon essence made it slightly better for a day or two but then lousy again so whatever the problem is did not like the weak acids

ok what i suggest is you take it back to the dealer / maker and tell them to fix it or else if under warranty

or if have to fix yourself this is what should work and has worked for my friends goldstream camper

1. flush out with milton or any baby bottle sterilizer make a very strong solution - take for a drive and then let stand overnight
2. then rinse out with lemon essence or vinigar
3. then fill with clean water using food grade hoses and try - if still a prob do it all again

also fit a in line carbon water filter in the supply line to take out the taste etc - go to a special filter place or caravan asseccories place to get one that can be fitted in line for about $100

DONT ever LEAVE WATER STAND IN THE TANK WHEN NOT USING EVEN GET THE DREGS OUT IF YOU CAN

and DONT FILTER THE WATER AS YOU FILL THE TANK AS IT TAKES OUT THE CHLORINE AND NOT A real GOOD IDEA IF ON A LONGER TRAVEL ITINERY

i have learnt from bitter experience i can tell you

I HOPE THIS HELPS
GOOD LUCK
greg