Water Health Issues

[frazerg]

Hi,

 

When we were in France in early July our Truma Ultraflow pump inlet pipe managed to split itself in 2 places. The pump was on continuously as the system wasn't holding pressure with water squirting out of the splits. We then took the pump assembly apart and wrapped the water pipe in insulation tape and this held the pressure for the rest of our stay.

The point of our post is the disgusting state of the pipe. After removing the outer blue cover the outside of the pipe and the electric cable were covered in thick green slime which was washed off and then the inside of the pipe could be seen. It had black and purple deposits along its length.

We clean the aquaroll,pump and water system twice an year with Puricleans and never drink the tap water in the caravan unless its been boiled in the kettle for tea or coffee . We've never been ill from this but it's just the look of the pipe that's off putting.

The caravan is a 2010 year model we've owned from new. Does anybody know how dangerous this is and where can we get replacement pipe. We're tempted to change it annually in future.

Can the mods leave the post in Chat as although its a pump problem it raises health issues.

 

Chris&Frazer

[Jay]

That's the worst I've seen. .. The pumps are one complete unit. ... Our pump packed in last year being 3 years old and the pipe was as clean as a whistle. ...

Picked a new one up off eBay for about £25 new. ...

Try This. ..... Cheapest I can find on there. ...

[Lefthand Down]

I imagine this needs soaking in Puriclens or similar as often as you clean the rest of the system.

 

As for it being the worst I am sure we will get to know later?

 

Do Aquatabs prevent this?

[donb]

difficult to say how dangerous to health without sampling the deposits, i think that is just a pump unit with no filter so you may hav a filter further up the line which should help health wise providing regular changed,when ever any dissinfecting of the system is carried out the filter needs to be off to allow the chemicals through. most caravaners tend to use a seperate bottle of water even to fill the kettle, I know I do but I am an environmental health officer who regularly tests private water supplies so very fussy in what I drink.

[CommanderDave]

I have always used a separate container for drinking water for that reason . The container is stainless to stop any plastic contamination .

 

I have been on sites were children have been caught putting worms and other insects in aquarolls playing and peeing in them.

 

I only use water container for showers and that is cleaned using tablets when I use it to fill the onboard tank then it is stowed in the awning till it is used again to carry water.

 

Dave

[clickerty]

I am so shocked to hear all this, we went away in May and both ourselves and the dogs had tummy probs, despite the water tanks being cleaned through and new filters added. We also use separate bottle water for drinking but after reading that children have been seen tampering with the water I shall be trying to find other ways of securing my water supply. Is it me or am I a grumpy old woman but am finding now that the "old values " of camping are gone, where is the respect for others on sites?

[gravon42]

I took my two pumps (1 spare) apart earlier this year, as I could see some nasty deposits. It

is amazing what comes out! It is a task I will be doing every 2 years in future.

[Guest]

most caravaners tend to use a seperate bottle of water even to fill the kettle,

While not suggesting this is not a good idea, I would suggest that MOST caravanners do not carry bottled water to drink. I have rallied for most of my caravanning life, and in my experience, most drink from the taps. My point being that if the water system is used regularly, then clean water is being frequently flushed through the pump and associated pipework.

I do still regularly flush through the pipework with sterilising fluid all the same, and that includes the pump assembly.

Gordon

[Guest Conq]

While not suggesting this is not a good idea, I would suggest that MOST caravanners do not carry bottled water to drink. I have rallied for most of my caravanning life, and in my experience, most drink from the taps. My point being that if the water system is used regularly, then clean water is being frequently flushed through the pump and associated pipework.

I do still regularly flush through the pipework with sterilising fluid all the same, and that includes the pump assembly.

Gordon

I don't agree. I think more people actually carry a seperate water container rather than drink the water in the van. Just watch people filling up containers at the tap. We have never drunk the water in the van. As for Chris's pump and pipe, i would suggest you remove the clip from the pump and pour a weak solution of bleach into it the pipe. Then wash it out under the tap. This will remove the green slime. It has got there because of the high than normal temperatures. It has obviously been left in the aquaroll in the sun.

[Guest Rita]

The reason we use separate container for filling kettle and drinking stems back to the days when caravanning with no EHU and was done mainly to save the battery

 

Old habits die hard

[AWanderingLancastrian]

Hi to you all following this rather alarming post.

It is all well and good seeing the state of the pump pipework but what about what you cannot see.

The whole of the internal pipework,HOT & COLD must now be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected right through.

Indeed they might even need stripping out and replacing throughout.

[frazerg]

Hi,

 

Thanks for all the replies. Perhaps if we describe what we do somebody might tell us where we're going wrong .

We fill the aquaroll up with water and the right amount of puricleanse and in a washing up bowl goes the filter,lid off the aquaroll and the filler pipe with puricleanse again. We then leave this for a couple of ours then replace the old filter and fill the caravan system and top up the aquaroll with more puricleanse solution and leave for about 6 hours . Pump it all through and then rinse with clean water, remove the filter once the systems drained and dry it ready. We've always done it this way with no problems but only on taking the pump assembly apart did the problem reveal itself. We have to have the filter in otherwise the system doesn't hold the pressure with water running out of the cap that holds the filter in.

We've already replaced the pump it was just a source of the actual water pipe we wanted. Perhaps we should email truma for their response.

Chris&Frazer

Edited July 27, 2013 by frazerg

[Lefthand Down]

The reason for solid coloured pipes in a van is to prevent algae from growing. The internals should be OK providing they are flushed with proper chemicals.

 

The pipe on the OP's is clear and even covered may have contributed to the problem.

 

An email to Truma could be a good idea.

[Glynb]

Even though there are plenty of discussions about drinking the water through your caravan system, we use bottled water to make a brew, cook and brush our teeth. That's just our preference.

[Philh2]

I had them same problem earlier this year, by taking the pump connector apart you can remove the clear plastic feed tube from the connector and the pump unit itself. I brought a new aqua roll filler tube cut it to length and slid it through the blue sleeve and reconnected both ends with two small jubilee clips. Works fine and for a small cost and easily replaced another time if the same happens again

[AWanderingLancastrian]

Hi,

 

Thanks for all the replies. Perhaps if we describe what we do somebody might tell us where we're going wrong .

We fill the aquaroll up with water and the right amount of puricleanse and in a washing up bowl goes the filter,lid off the aquaroll and the filler pipe with puricleanse again. We then leave this for a couple of ours then replace the old filter and fill the caravan system and top up the aquaroll with more puricleanse solution and leave for about 6 hours . Pump it all through and then rinse with clean water, remove the filter once the systems drained and dry it ready. We've always done it this way with no problems but only on taking the pump assembly apart did the problem reveal itself. We have to have the filter in otherwise the system doesn't hold the pressure with water running out of the cap that holds the filter in.

We've already replaced the pump it was just a source of the actual water pipe we wanted. Perhaps we should email truma for their response.

Chris&Frazer

 

Hi C&F. Unless you have got something that I have never seen before the filter is thrown away and replace. It is only the filter body that is retained and reused but with a new charcoal filter bag inserted.

The system may need two or more cleaning and flushing through exercises carried out but this would be better done without wasting a charcoal filter each time. When you are happy with the situation then insert the charcoal filter and resume normal practices.

[Guest Conq]

Hi C&F. Unless you have got something that I have never seen before the filter is thrown away and replace. It is only the filter body that is retained and reused but with a new charcoal filter bag inserted.

The system may need two or more cleaning and flushing through exercises carried out but this would be better done without wasting a charcoal filter each time. When you are happy with the situation then insert the charcoal filter and resume normal practices.

Where is he filter on the photo? There isn't one, it is a pump.

[WispMan]

I don't think any of have any idea what the external and internal water pipes in our houses are like.

 

I think the mains water pipes in the street are in a similar state. Just because we can't see them but we can the caravans pipes, doesn't mean the caravan pipes are any different to the mains.

[Guest]

I don't agree.

Then we'll have to agree to disagree. I know what I have witnessed on over 300 owner's club rallies, and the sites I have been to since I was a child, maybe it is different on the sites you have visited.

Gordon.

[ExTenter]

While not suggesting this is not a good idea, I would suggest that MOST caravanners do not carry bottled water to drink. I have rallied for most of my caravanning life, and in my experience, most drink from the taps. My point being that if the water system is used regularly, then clean water is being frequently flushed through the pump and associated pipework.

I do still regularly flush through the pipework with sterilising fluid all the same, and that includes the pump assembly.

Gordon

I am the same. I am happy to drink the water from the caravan, although I confess to also having some sparkling bottled water onboard, simply because I like it.

The caravan water is always used for making up orange squash, washing salad, and cleaning teeth though.

[Ich]

i think the main problem with caravan pipes is that they are not full of water all the time. Every time we drain down (or even remove the pump from the aquaroll) we end up with a warm (at times) damp place that is ideal for the growth of all manner of horrible stuff.

Thus it needs a thorough clean at regular intervals.

 

Mains water tends not to dry out so the problem does not occur in those systems

[Guest Conq]

I am the same. I am happy to drink the water from the caravan, although I confess to also having some sparkling bottled water onboard, simply because I like it.

The caravan water is always used for making up orange squash, washing salad, and cleaning teeth though.

 

Have you made tea or coffee with the water out of the caravan? Has always tasted terrible in whatever van we have had.

[AWanderingLancastrian]

Where is he filter on the photo? There isn't one, it is a pump.

 

Hi Conq. I think that you perhaps need to do some serious looking into how the systems work. Yes,I am not blind and I don't think that I have lost it or totally ready for the 'Funny Farm' just yet.

The pump is immersed in the Aquaroll or similar. The other end is located onto a housing that is the filter body and contains electrical connections. The filter body containing a gorse bag acts as a charcoal filter . The filter body screws into the filter housing. When the power to the pump is applied and a tap or taps are opened it draws water from the Aquaroll through the filter and into the water heater or straight through into the cold taps. The water goes to the taps through a network of pipework RED for HOT & BLUE for COLD.

It is the care and maintenance of the water system that is possibly the third most important part of caravanning,the first of course being the correct loading of the outfit and importantly ensuring that the caravan is hitched on correctly.

There is no point in going on ones jollies and leaving the caravan nose down on the highway or worse still;wrecked.

[Shirl250]

We use AquaSol - a cap and a half in each Aquaroll. ............ makes a lovely cuppa and you don't have to worry about any nasties in the pipe work

[Paul_B]

Have you made tea or coffee with the water out of the caravan? Has always tasted terrible in whatever van we have had.

 

I sterilize a couple of times a year and don't have a problem with the water quality, we too have a problem with the tcp taste and drink bottled water filled at the site tap.

 

I did some links on a couple of previous post where mains water had the same problem with highly chlorinated water reacting to the plastic pipes, fitting etc

 

Heres a taste of the links

 

http://www. anglianwater. co. uk/_assets/media/10899_ANW_WQ_06_Smell_Taste_TCP_(9)_TE. pdf

 

http://www. wessexwater. co. uk/water-and-sewerage/threecol. aspx?id=1364

 

I think it was big tim who started having the taste problem after he fitted a new pump, maybe not