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Wed Aug 27, 2008 6:04 pm

What is a good way to clean out the water tank is a westy? I read in the manual to use baking soda and water. Anyone tried this. Is there a better way? The two small clear hoses that are in the storage bin that is also the access to the water tank appear to have some funk in them.

Wed Aug 27, 2008 6:12 pm

I would use a bleach and water solution. Mix it up at whatever concentration is recommended on the bottle. I would fill the tank about half way, and use a brush inside to clean the tank inside. Get the solution all over the tank, including inside the top. Run the water pump for a minute to get the chlorine through the tubing to the sink, then let it sit for 15 minutes or so. Then run it a while longer to flush out the line. I would pour some bleach water in outside filler as well. When you're all done cleaning, drain out the tank and rinse the inside with a garden hose. Close the drain and fill it a few inches, and run the sink pump again to rinse out the lines for a few minutes. Make sure everything is rinsed out, and that you don't have any chlorine in the sink faucet anymore.

That's what I did when I first got my Westfalia.

One note about white stuff in the tubing- sometimes that can be lime in the water that attaches itself to the inside of the tube. And I also wonder if the clear tubing can get discolored. I've seen Westfalias with white or clear tubing, so I'm not sure which you've got.

Good luck.
Ed in CT

Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:11 pm

Thanks, ill do it. I was thinking baking soda might be a bit on the light side for a 20 year old water tank.

Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:17 pm

Just change your lines. It is no big deal and cheap. As far as tank, fill it with a bleach water solution, go for a bumpy drive, then drain and rinse with fresh water.

Oh yeah, when changing your lines, take that time to instal an in line water filter if youd like,

Wed Aug 27, 2008 11:10 pm

I bought a kit designed for yacht water systems from West Marine. It wasn't expensive, was guaranteed not to leave a toxic residue behind, and worked quite well. I still have some 'water freshening' tablets from it left over.

I've read scary things about the effect of bleach sitting on plastics.

:shock:

Best!

Thu Aug 28, 2008 3:20 am

msinabottle wrote: I've read scary things about the effect of bleach sitting on plastics.

:shock:

Best! Not to even think of what it may do if you use that water for coffee, cooking, or god forbid, drinking :?

Thu Aug 28, 2008 4:00 am

OK, I'm not a chemistry expert, but I do know that chlorine evaporates pretty quickly so you shouldn't have to worry about what's left over. After all, you're going to rinse the system thoroughly. As for it's effect on plastics, I'd imagine that there are differences in plastics, but it does, after all, come in a plastic bottle.

Take a look at those "water freshening tablets" and I'm pretty sure you'll find the active ingredient is chlorine (sodium hypochlorite).

Ed in CT

Thu Aug 28, 2008 7:09 am

erdonline wrote: chlorine... it does, after all, come in a plastic bottle.

Good point, and the few times I have used chlorine to clean anything I have left it exposed to air and there is no trace, smell or taste, of the chlorine after it has completely dried out.

I've never done our westy tank, but the previous owners did somewhat regularly.

Thu Aug 28, 2008 8:13 am

Don't even worry about chlorine. We drink-eat it everyday. In the restaurant biz we are required to use it as a sanitzer 100ppm for 20 seconds per the health dept. As far as plastic it is not harmful. It is however corrosive to steel in high concentrations. a little goes a long way. A splash per gallon is a decent mix. Be sure to rinse well. If you use under 100 ppm you don't even need to rinse as this is considered non toxic. I rinse though!