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06-30-2014, 09:36 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: '84 Bigfoot b17
British Columbia
Posts: 116
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How to avoid mould in water tank between uses
Hi, sorry for the pretty simple question but I can't figure out what is best to store the trailer water tank over the summer......right full or empty? If empty, how do you drain it so that it actually dries completely and does not start any mould? This would be on our trillium 4500. I have a tank drain, but it does not drain every bit of water. I did put in a tiny amount of bleach when I filled it up for our maiden voyage over the past weekend as we are on well water not chlorinated city water
Thanks!
John
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06-30-2014, 09:47 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Trailer: Scamp
Posts: 7,056
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyhee
Hi, sorry for the pretty simple question but I can't figure out what is best to store the trailer water tank over the summer......right full or empty? If empty, how do you drain it so that it actually dries completely and does not start any mould? This would be on our trillium 4500. I have a tank drain, but it does not drain every bit of water. I did put in a tiny amount of bleach when I filled it up for our maiden voyage over the past weekend as we are on well water not chlorinated city water
Thanks!
John
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I would always store with a full tank. Less air less chance of bugs growing.
Get a good ceramic water filter and always use it when fill the water tank.
Once a year drain, and sanitize the tank. I use a cleaning and sanitizing 2 part that I purchased from Camping World. There's enough in the kit to last for as long I'll be needing it. Here it is.
FYI this has worked well for me for the past 8.5 years.
__________________
Byron & Anne enjoying the everyday Saturday thing.
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06-30-2014, 12:12 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Name: Mike
Trailer: 2012 Escape 19
Oklahoma
Posts: 6,018
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The pioneers used to toss some silver coins in their water barrels before heading out in the Conestoga wagons; silver kills a lot of stuff. I wonder if it would be practical to drop a couple of old dimes or quarters into the tank? They should be heavy enough to not rise into the outlet and go anywhere, seems like.
I read just the other day that if residentially-treated water is used, it should be fine for 6 months.
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06-30-2014, 01:28 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Trailer: 92 16 ft Scamp
Posts: 11,756
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Magee
I read just the other day that if residentially-treated water is used, it should be fine for 6 months.
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I think chlorinated water is fine left in the tank but as I found out the hard way it may not be such a good idea to leave well water sitting (picked up along your travels) in a tank in warm/hot weather - whether it be fresh or hot water tank. Could end up pretty stinky after a week or two....
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06-30-2014, 02:15 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Name: deryk
Trailer: 2012 Parkliner 2010 V6 Nissan Frontier 4x4
New Jersey
Posts: 2,085
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I carry 2 blue 7 gallon jugs plus my 15 gallon water tank(and 6 gallon water heater) when i travel. My mom's well tastes good and is tested....who knows what the water is like in strange places. Spent 4 days upstate NY, a shower each night and came home with one full water jug and some in the tank...was also probably drinking a gallon of it a day too.
__________________
deryk
All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost.... J.R.R. Tolkien
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06-30-2014, 04:00 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Trailer: Scamp
Posts: 7,056
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Stop worrying and filter
To all you that worry about the water. Get a good ceramic filter, one with a charcoal core is best. FILTER all water before it enters your fresh water tank. The small cost of a filter is well worth the savings in work and possibly a ruined trip. It doesn't matter if it your city water or your well water, or campground water, filter it all.
Clean and sanitize the tank one a year.
Keep the tank full as much of the time as possible. Stuff can't grow is water without air. Stuff grows in moist areas not flooded areas. The insides of an almost empty tank are moist and can grow all sorts of stuff, the sides flooded and it's a different matter.
If you're still obsessed with it add a teaspoon of Clorax to a full tank.
Now don't worry about the water just go out and enjoy.
__________________
Byron & Anne enjoying the everyday Saturday thing.
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06-30-2014, 11:23 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: '84 Bigfoot b17
British Columbia
Posts: 116
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Understood thank you all. Seems like I'm on the right track, but did want to clarify I was wondering how, say at the end of the season how you would get the tank dry so as not to grow any unwanted friends. I was thinking of keeping the fill cap off , drain open, and air compressor line stuffed in with low volume air.. probably overkill ....but seriously I think I remember a photo of a very black trillium water tank with mould and do not want that to happen and I figure only way is to get the tank very dry.
? Maybe rubbing alcohol would dry it out?
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06-30-2014, 11:27 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Trailer: Escape 17 ft
Posts: 8,317
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If you added a couple tablespoons of chlorine bleach to the tank, filled it, and gave it a couple days before draining it, any remaining water would have been treated and not be an issue.
And, I see you are in BC, so there is a good chance that the water you have been using is already chlorinated.
I keep 100 litres of water in plastic containers in my carport as part of my earthquake emergency kit. I add a few drops of household bleach to each 20 litre container. I drain and refresh every six months.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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07-01-2014, 03:16 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Name: Dave
Trailer: Casita SD17 2006 "Missing Link"
California
Posts: 3,738
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Good comments have been made for you. You may also want to look into installing a deck plate to your tank for cleaning. There are a number of posts on them.
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07-01-2014, 03:16 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Name: kootenai girl
Trailer: 1976 Trillium 1300
British Columbia
Posts: 1,411
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You need a deck plate, we have one and I love it as you can get right in there remove all the water and clean it.
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...all-64849.html
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07-01-2014, 01:22 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Name: John
Trailer: '84 Bigfoot b17
British Columbia
Posts: 116
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Ok great! Thanks again. I have never heard of a deck plate until now so I will definitely look into that.
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07-01-2014, 01:55 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Trailer: Bigfoot 17 ft (15B17G)
Posts: 150
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Curious, are the deck plates 'food safe' ?
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07-01-2014, 04:59 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Trailer: 92 16 ft Scamp
Posts: 11,756
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave_L
Curious, are the deck plates 'food safe' ?
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Probable as safe if not safer than the plastic used to build the water tank in your 78 Trillium
You do need to watch what you seal it with though.
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07-08-2014, 06:00 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Name: Wendy Lee
Trailer: Scamp 13' Standard
New York
Posts: 1,071
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I'm not sure about this mold issue. I guess I should be on the lookout for it? I do see little circles on the top part of the plastic water tank when you're looking down on it. Didn't look like mold to me.
I did re bleach my water tank again. After going to a campsite with rusty water a month ago I just thought it prudent. Would wAter smell funny if mold was in tank? I purposefully swished it around in my mouth after this bleaching and rinsing and it tasted great. I imagine the water might taste like a musty basement if it were moldy? Please advise...so much to think or worry about!
Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV
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07-08-2014, 06:09 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Name: Norm and Ginny
Trailer: Scamp 16
Florida
Posts: 7,517
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If you're worried about the inside of your water tank, consider that the trailer water pipes are a simple extension of the tank and probably also contain mold. There's someone on the site who worked extensively with food grade systems and has commented how difficult it is to keep mold out of systems.
__________________
Norm and Ginny
2014 Honda Odyssey
1991 Scamp 16
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07-08-2014, 06:32 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
Name: Carl
Trailer: 1994 Scamp 16
Arkansas
Posts: 239
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Norm,
Do you do anything special to your Scamp's water system to keep it clean and disinfected?
Carl
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07-08-2014, 06:50 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Name: Norm and Ginny
Trailer: Scamp 16
Florida
Posts: 7,517
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Water
Like most people, I put a little bleach in a full water tank a couple times a year and pump it into the system. I usually do it while home in the summer, letting it sit in the system. Before we leave in the fall I flush the water system from our city water supply.
On our trips to Newfoundland there is often a boil water notice in every provincial park and many towns. Ginny is very tense about water though when you ask they Park rangers they typically say they drink the water, that the notice seems to be a park spring time pro forma action that the locals just ignore.
Taking water with us from home is not an option though we do always have a case of bottled water in the car.
We do have an advantage because we use our water continuously except for the summer.
In the motor home we used to have a super low flow filter that literally took everything out of the water, even viruses. Now we often use a primary filter on the water when hooked up to water.
__________________
Norm and Ginny
2014 Honda Odyssey
1991 Scamp 16
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07-08-2014, 07:05 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Name: Carl
Trailer: 1994 Scamp 16
Arkansas
Posts: 239
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How to avoid mould in water tank between uses
Quote:
Originally Posted by honda03842
Like most people, I put a little bleach in a full water tank a couple times a year and pump it into the system. I usually do it while home in the summer, letting it sit in the system. Before we leave in the fall I flush the water system from our city water supply.
On our trips to Newfoundland there is often a boil water notice in every provincial park and many towns. Ginny is very tense about water though when you ask they Park rangers they typically say they drink the water, that the notice seems to be a park spring time pro forma action that the locals just ignore.
Taking water with us from home is not an option though we do always have a case of bottled water in the car.
We do have an advantage because we use our water continuously except for the summer.
In the motor home we used to have a super low flow filter that literally took everything out of the water, even viruses. Now we often use a primary filter on the water when hooked up to water.
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Norm,
Thanks, for the information! Prevention is worth a pound of cure! Being sick of the road is no fun! Bad water can cause stomach issues! Keeping bottle water handy is a good idea, when traveling!
Carl
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07-08-2014, 07:19 AM
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#19
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Senior Member
Name: Norm and Ginny
Trailer: Scamp 16
Florida
Posts: 7,517
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We carry it in the car because we're sometimes in places, like desert roads, where there is little or no water. It's really a back up. It's also nice while driving. We are big water drinkers, having given up carbonated drinks, another RV benefit for us.
We have been a lot of places that admittedly have bad water and have no gotten sick, admittedly Ginny is more careful than I am. We do not drink 'stream water'. For super emergencies we carry a very good million gallon filter should the world collapse.
On Fogo and Change Islands off NL, we never had a water hook up and filled our tanks primarily from our collapsible plastic container. The water was the color of urine but tasted fine, though the locals never used it for making tea. On change island the water was lighter colored but still yellow. I never could figure out what the colorant was, there was no odor so I assume it's not a sulphur compound.
I'll have to search water colorants.
__________________
Norm and Ginny
2014 Honda Odyssey
1991 Scamp 16
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07-08-2014, 07:26 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
Name: Carl
Trailer: 1994 Scamp 16
Arkansas
Posts: 239
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The sulfur water that I have seem is off color (yellowish), but it had the smell of sulfur! But, you could sure taste the sulfur! Old timers claim that in the early days the rail road workers uses this water in the hot Arkansas summer and that it would prevent heat strokes. I do not know this to be true or not. But, you can get free sulfur water at the city park in Heber Springs, Arkansas! All you want!
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