Water Container

[cygvan]

how often does everyone clean their water containers?<br><br>i havent yet installed a water system although i have the parts. in the interim, ive been using a 7 gallon Reliant brand water jug. it works well and is convenient enough. i go thorugh 7 gallons in about a week. i fill it from my hosts outdoor spigot using my own potable water hose and i filter it through a camco filter that filters everything except virus and cysts. i figured i dont need that coverage unless im drawing from a lake or other source. the municipal drinking water here is pretty clean though it is clorinated and fluoridated.<br><br>so how often should i clean the container? it doesnt get 100% emptied, i just fill it when it wont come out the spigot anymore. what concentration of bleach or other material should i use?

 

[maritimecamper]

When l was in Mexico l added 1 bleach cap per 7 gallons. The bleach smell disappears in a day or two..lots of info if you Google it.

 

[caseyc]

I'm interested in this topic too, as I recently bought a Reliance 7 gallon container (green rectangular shape).&nbsp; Here's a silly question.&nbsp; Is using bleach to clean a water container safe?&nbsp; Isn't bleach the same stuff used to clean white shirts, bathroom floors and sinks?&nbsp; I'd be worried I might get bleach poisoning! <img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif"><img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/eek.gif">&nbsp; I don't normally use bleach, so I don't know, but am curious.<br><br>Cygvan:&nbsp; Where do you keep your 7 gallon water container? Inside your van?&nbsp; Under the bed? Outside the van?&nbsp;This container is bigger than I thought, as I'm having trouble finding room to store this sucker. I'm thinking of exchanging for the smaller Reliance 3 gallon container instead.&nbsp; Hmmm, I don't know what to do.<br><br>EDIT:&nbsp; Can someone recommend an exact brand name of bleach to use for cleaning a water container? A URL link is also good if possible.&nbsp; Thanks!

 

[weestrom05]

chlorine bleach is exactly the same chemical hat most utility cos use to sanitize drinking water. &nbsp;You simply &nbsp;need to add about 8 to 10 drops to a gallon of water to be effective.Also bleach is bleach, there is no difference between the dollar store brand and he big national brands as long as you don't &nbsp;get the scented types.

 

[caseyc]

So for example, Chlorox brand unscented bleach?

 

[Zil]

this forum, cooking, date 7/22/2013, twoknifeskatie, "the new concentrated bleach"<br><br>It is all there.

 

[cygvan]

@casey&nbsp;&nbsp; for now i just have it on top of the passenger side wheelwell box. my galley cabinet is eventually going to go there. the container will fit under my bed but i havent bothered putting it there.<br><br>when traveling, i just bungee it in place.<br><br>yes use regular unscented clorox bleach.&nbsp; few drops or a capful for 7 gallons as posted by others. my question was more related to how often a cleaning was done. maritime camper mentioned cap for 7 gallons. how often do you do that? each time between fills or do you go a few fills before doing it? i use 7 gallons a week, what if the water in that container lasted a month?<br><br>i guess what im asking is related to time. how long can the water sit in there before i need to clean?

 

[cygvan]

@zil...<br><br>thanks for the forum heads up. that helps with ratios. i didnt know concentrated bleach existed. soudn like if you are careful to adjust dose it might be a space saver.<br><br>still wondering about how often i should do it.

 

[caseyc]

Thanks guys for the helpful information. I just got this new container so I haven't used it yet. I'm guessing I should clean the container first before filling with clean water. That's why I was also interested in this topic.<br><br>

 

[Wild_E]

If you are using city water then it already has bleach and sometimes fluoride in the water, so you would only need to clean the inside of the water container perhaps, 1x a year.<br><br>If you are using reclaimed rain water or lake water by using a filter, then I would think on doing this say, every month or so. If you use the bleach to actually kill microbes, then every time you fill it up. my thoughts.

 

[cygvan]

ah wild_e that makes sense....yeah our muni water is clorinated and fluouridated.<br><br>thanks.

 

[Sunny1]

When I used to carry the Reliance jugs, I'd put about a half cup of bleach in them every 3 or 4 months, fill them with water, then squirt in a couple of squirts of dish soap, then lay them on one side with the cap just loose enough to allow a drip now and then for a half hour or so.&nbsp; Then I'd turn them over to the other side for another half hour.<br><br>That way the bleach also killed any germs that were in the threads of the cap.<br><br>Then I'd rinse them out thoroughly and let them air dry.<br><br>It was probably overkill, but I knew that nasty stuff wasn't growing in the container where I couldn't see it.<br><br>I treat my Casita's water system with bleach every 3 or 4 months now.&nbsp; It keeps the water heater from getting that nasty sulfur smell when bacteria grow in a stale tank.<br><br>

 

[freenez2]

I clean my containers with bleach every 4 to 6 weeks. Instead of pouring it out when done, I pour the bleach into my coffee mug and pee jug to clean them too.

 

[caseyc]

<p>Actually that makes a lot of sense. Just don't do it in the reverse direction, haha! <img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif"></p>

 

[cygvan]

lol&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/eek.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img">