How to Clean and Maintain Your Caravan Water System

No matter if you’re washing up, cooking or drinking from the taps in your caravan, making sure the water that flows through your water system is clean is of paramount importance. Thankfully, looking after a caravan water system is simple as long as you keep on top of regular maintenance, so read on for a complete guide alongside handy tips and tricks.

Here to help our customers with whatever issues they may have, at Spinney, we care about providing you with the best experience possible, no matter if you own a new caravan, a cutting-edge campervan or a contemporary motorhome. To find out how we can help you, contact us or visit our branches, and we can give you a full tour of our exemplary vehicles.

Cleaning and maintaining your caravan’s water system is simple, but if you need some assistance with the upkeep of your caravan, why not explore our servicing options? From simple water ingress reports to a full engine service, we can make sure that your caravan, campervan or motorhome is in great shape before you take it on the road.

As an essential part of life on the road with your caravan, get to know everything about managing your vehicle’s water system below.

Why is it important to keep a caravan water system clean?

The inside of domestic water pipes in your home doesn’t require regular maintenance, thanks to the pressurised flow of treated water that passes through them, preventing bacteria from growing. On the other hand, caravan water systems can have water sit in non-pressurised pipes and tanks for extended periods of time, leading to the buildup of harmful microorganisms.

When a caravan water system gets dirty, it builds up a layer of mucilage called biofilm, which can cause a multitude of harmful infections. You don’t have to ingest this contaminated water to feel its damaging effects either – even by washing dishes or showering, you can be susceptible to ingestion. Therefore, making sure your water system is spick, span and clear of deposits like biofilm is essential.

How often should the caravan water system be cleaned?

There is no official guidance for how often you should clean your caravan’s water system. It’s best to use your due diligence when it comes to cleaning your caravan water system, with some opting to give the system some maintenance before every extended holiday, and others doing so just once a year – it entirely depends on how often you use the caravan.

With this being said, if your caravan is renovated, hasn’t been used for an extended period of time, or is old, it’s best practice to give the water system a thorough clean before you set off.

Can you drink water from your caravan?

As long as a caravan water system has been recently sterilised, it is safe to drink water from your caravan. Many caravan users prefer to source their drinking water from elsewhere, however, such as from the campsite’s own taps. But, if you’d like to use the water from your caravan, you can always take precautions by first boiling the water or by using a personal filter.

How to clean your caravan water system

Knowing how to clean a caravan water system should be considered essential knowledge for all owners, as it will extend the lifespan of your touring caravan. This is why we’ve presented a straightforward method for combating your caravan’s water pipes, pumps, tanks and taps below.

1. Choose your steriliser

Your first step to getting a clean caravan water system is to choose your steriliser. Many caravan owners opt for Milton’s sterilising fluid, but this option comes with a significant downside as it doesn’t actually get rid of biofilm and can be corrosive to metal surfaces. Indeed, Milton sterilising fluid is best used on surfaces and materials that are already clean, such as baby feeding bottles.

Instead, we’d recommend CleanTabs’ Puriclean, which has been specifically designed for use in caravans, campervans and motorhomes. Using this solution is simple, cost-effective and genuinely efficient, with just a few teaspoons being enough to clean your entire system.

2. Start with your Aquaroll

Just in case you’re brand new to the world of caravanning, an Aquaroll is your portable freshwater tank that can be easily rolled across the floor for easy refilling. Cleaning your caravan’s water system starts with sterilising the Aquaroll.

Start by abiding by the instructions on your chosen steriliser when it comes to the ratio of water to cleaning solution. Next, remove the filter and add the sterilisation mixture to the tank and fill to its maximum capacity. Disperse the fluid around the tank by rolling it several times to make sure every inch of the Aquaroll has been sterilised. Leave the tank to sit while you get on with cleaning the rest of the system.

3. Next, flush the taps

Time to flush out any impurities that might be lurking in your taps and pipes. Connect the Aquaroll and let it fill both your hot and cold water tanks with sterilised fluid by letting the water flow through the taps and shower for a short amount of time. Next, close off the taps and wait for approximately one hour for the fluid to fully sterilise the pipes, taps and shower.

4. Flush the entire system

After leaving the Aquaroll solution in the water system, next you’re going to want to completely flush the network of pipes by leaving all the taps on, including the shower. Once the Aquaroll is empty, refill it with clean water and flush the entire system again. Repeat this process once again and as many times as necessary to make sure there is absolutely no sterilisation fluid left in the system.

5. Finally, replace the filter

Once you’re done, refit the water filter you previously removed. Consider entirely replacing this filter regularly. Signs of a bad filter that needs to be replaced include:

• A generally unpleasant taste or smell.
• Decreased water flow.
• Discolouration.

Setting up your water system at a campsite

So, you know how to clean and maintain your caravan’s water system, but what about knowing how to properly set it up once you’ve arrived at your campsite? This part may vary ever-so-slightly depending on the layout of your caravan. Let’s start by explaining how to set up the freshwater system.

Setting up your caravan’s fresh water system

1. Take your Aquaroll to the water-filling point and fill with clean water.
2. Once full, take it back to your caravan and connect the pump from the water container to the caravan.
3. Close the yellow drain-down tap situated close to your boiler.
4. Switch on the water pump.
5. Remove excess air from taps and the shower by turning on and waiting till the water runs clean.

Setting up your caravan’s grey water system

Grey water, which is just a name for the wastewater used by sinks, showers and washing machines, is considerably easier to set up.

1. Take your grey water unit to the rear of the caravan.
2. Use flexible hoses or a specialist adapter to connect the grey water unit to the waste disposal outlet of the caravan.

Setting up your caravan’s toilet water system

Last, but certainly not least, is your wastewater system that connects to your toilet.

1. Remove the cassette from its container on the side of the caravan.
2. Open the spout on the cassette and fill with the blue toilet chemical and water.
3. Place the unit back in its housing on the side of the caravan.
4. If you have a flush tank on your caravan, fill it with clean water and the pink chemical.
5. For a complete guide on how your caravan toilet works, explore our dedicated blog.

How to drain a caravan water system

Once you’ve enjoyed yet another relaxing caravan adventure, it’s time to drain away the water you haven’t used.

1. Switch off and disconnect your water pump from the caravan.
2. Turn on all the taps around the caravan (including the shower).
3. Open the yellow drain-down tap near the boiler.
4. Water should now flow from the drain-down taps on the outside of the caravan.
5. Leave all taps on in the halfway position between hot and cold. Remove the shower head and allow the adjoining pipe to dangle down.
6. Extra (but not essential) caravan drainage kits can be used to blow air through the system to remove any excess water. These are available through our accessories shop.

How to heat water in your caravan

When it comes to getting hot water in your caravan, it’s a little easier than you might think. Hot water is achieved by three main methods, therme, boiler or combi, with each one bringing different benefits depending on how many caravan berths you have. Of the several popular boiler brands, Combi and Truma are the most favoured.

Therme

Thermes, such as those made by Truma, are clever contraptions that use the existing warmth of the caravan to heat water for domestic use. Compact and ideal for lightweight caravans, thermes save energy and, therefore, the planet, by heating a small amount of water (between 5 and 10 litres). But, as a result of this, they’re not appropriate for large caravans with multiple occupants who require a lot of water usage.

Boiler

Larger caravan owners will want to consider a proper, purpose-made boiler. Boilers hold and heat far more water than a therme and run on electricity, gas or a mixture of the two. Using a boiler, you can enjoy approximately 10-15 litres of hot water for showers and more.

Combi

Different from thermes and boilers in that water and air are heated from one single unit, combis can run on electric, gas, or both and efficiently warm water on demand from a small tank. Save space and weight with a complete solution that heats not only approximately 10 litres of water but also the air within your caravan.

Understanding caravan water storage terms

Newcomers to the world of caravanning may find the sheer amount of water storage and transportation solutions complicated, but things are simpler than they seem. This short guide to how each solution works should make things easier to understand for newcomers and seasoned caravan veterans alike.

• Aquaroll: A common type of freshwater carrier that has a handle and can be rolled across the floor for easy transportation.
• Diaphragm water pumps: Permanently located in a caravan, diaphragm water pumps operate with a water pipe attached to the pump and the other in the Aquaroll. Producing good, consistent water pressure, these water pumps prevent water from running back through the pump.
• Grey water: Waste water from sinks and showers.
• Hot Water Heater: A therme, boiler or combi.
• Onboard fresh water tank: A permanent fresh water tank onboard the caravan refilled via the Aquaroll.
• Submersible Pump: An electric pump that’s placed inside the Aquaroll to draw water into the caravan’s water system.
• Wastewater tank: Otherwise known as a grey water unit, this is where all grey wastewater flows.
• Water Filter: Located at the pump or tap, water filters help to purify the water taken from the external source.
• Water inlet: The point at which water enters the caravan through the Aquaroll or other external source.

Let us help you perfect your caravan water system

As you will have read, maintaining and cleaning your caravan water system isn’t complex, merely taking time and dedication. But if time is of the essence and you don’t have a lot of it on your hands, why not contact us, and we’d be happy to give your system an assessment. While an efficient water system is essential for a comfortable caravan trip, a poorly maintained solution can lead to all sorts of trouble, such as water ingress. So, why not explore our servicing options and allow us to do the hard work for you?

With over 1,000 5-star reviews on TrustPilot for our exemplary customer attention and servicing options, our one-stop shop for all your caravanning needs makes holidays a breeze!

Or, if you’ve been holding onto an older caravan model for far too long, why not consider purchasing a brand new model from one of our branches? If budget is a concern, it’s certainly worth exploring our used caravan models, which offer great prices for quality, pre-owned vehicles. We even provide finance options that allow you to enjoy your new caravan sooner rather than later – just contact us to learn more details.