Using Hosepipes

2cv

2cv

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Some discussion going on on a canal boat forum about concerns over contamination of the water supply when filling boat tanks. Some of the talk is relatively irrelevant to motorhomes, but I found it interesting that even just having your hose on the ground or running through a puddle could lead to contamination of your water.
Marinas would appear to be required to have back flow devices fitted to their taps, maybe this will be pursued at campsites.
 
One of the reasons we prefer the "Watering Can Method"

We do have a cassette hose (cassette that it rolls up flat on not the toilet) which we use sometimes. One of its advantages is that rolling it up after use almost empties it.
I see the main problem of any hose being water left in it with air available can lead to mould etc. Obvious not a problem with a short downwards pointing hose from a tap. I imaging the expanding contracting hoses may suffer from stagnant water problems...BUT I am not a biologist etc.
 
More power to the can.
One might expect that cassette hoses sold for motorhome/caravan use are "safe".
But expect like if is a big word. Anticipate being even bigger !
 
If on a site and I cannot be arsed to drive the motorhome to an available tap I either use my 10 litre drinking water container or i recently bought a whale submersible pump which I use with an aqua roll left over from my tugger days. Carry a hose and a watering can which I rarely use.
 
We’ve used the food grade flat hoses for a few years. We found after a while that if you don’t run gallons of water through them before you fill up, they impart a strange taste to the water. And they don’t seem to last long before they spring a leak, or more. And they are expensive.
So, last tear we bought a standard Gardena hose, cut to two lengths ( 10m and 15 m) which we can join together if needed. I run a bit of water through the hose before I fill up and empty the hose for storage.
We use the van all year, so have filled up with the hose many times in the last year or so, and we are still here, and healthy and always drink water straight from the tank.
i know not everyone would be happy doing this, but at the moment, we are.
 
When I look at third world countries and the water they drink, I realise we have messed up our immune systems by being extra fastidious. Don't want to go backwards, and their death rate is somewhat different, but there is evidence that the more sterile our environment, the more likely we are to get ill. Having said that, I sterilise the water containers and whale pump after each trip with miltons. We don't use hoses as such small amount carried. It's all down to balance, I suppose.
 
I keep the ends clean and flush a bit of fresh water through to remove any old water that may have been trapped in the hose. I do not lose sleep about neither my hose or watering can being made of food grade plastic, I suspect it only matters if you are storing the water. Has anyone ever seen a food grade watering can?
 
Okta said:
I keep the ends clean and flush a bit of fresh water through to remove any old water that may have been trapped in the hose. I do not lose sleep about neither my hose or watering can being made of food grade plastic, I suspect it only matters if you are storing the water. Has anyone ever seen a food grade watering can?
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I carry a short length of Hoselok garden hose but cannot remember the last time I used it. I use a 10 lit. Watering can and if I can top up every day I carry three cans to fill up. So we use about 30 lit. Per day for showers, washing up, cooking etc. A lot less than at home.
We drink bottled water and bottled tap water for tea and coffee.
Works for us
K ;)
 
Yep as per post #14
3 x Watering can most days (30 litres)
Plus a 5 litre bottle for drinks/cooking
 
2cv said:
Having read further on this, it appears that unless made for drinking water the hose itself can pollute the water with some unpleasant substances.
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Only new ones. Once a few hundred litres have flowed through, any soluble chemicals will have flushed out.
If you have to buy a new hose, use it to wash the van a few times before using it to fill tanks.
 
in h said:
Only new ones. Once a few hundred litres have flowed through, any soluble chemicals will have flushed out.
If you have to buy a new hose, use it to wash the van a few times before using it to fill tanks.
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I don’t think that I’ll take the risk. There are some pretty unpleasant chemicals present. I suffer ill health and intolerance to chemicals due to aerotoxic syndrome so realise the effects that toxic chemicals can cause.
 
As a child I drank from hose pipes, you soon learnt to let them run for a while before drinking the water. Now even though I have food grade sealed hoses in the bus I still fill from a garden hose after it has run for a while. The outlet is only ever used for water filling. I would never be happy drinking from a tank that has been filled with a dirty watering can or funnel.
 
Rec said:
When I look at third world countries and the water they drink, I realise we have messed up our immune systems by being extra fastidious. Don't want to go backwards, and their death rate is somewhat different, but there is evidence that the more sterile our environment, the more likely we are to get ill. Having said that, I sterilise the water containers and whale pump after each trip with miltons. We don't use hoses as such small amount carried. It's all down to balance, I suppose.
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This is one of the reasons antibiotics don't always work and Gp's have stopped issuing them. There is that much sterilizing an cleaning going on that, as you say, immune systems are not building up properly. There was alot to be said for Grannies old remedies. Rermember the saying " Tha's gorra eat a peck o' muck afore tha dies. "
 
trevskoda said:
P C B is the problem,its also in plastic bags you buy food in.
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Yes, and in plastic water bottles. The chemical leaches into the water. That's why bottled water has a sell by date.
It takes some time for the chemicals to get from the plastic into the water, so as long as you flush the hose out, it is perfectly fine.
They are not going to give you an upset stomach or even taste bad: they do more long-term, serious damage: they are endocrine disruptors. You REALLY don't want to ingest them.
Never drink bottled water: tip it out and refill with water fresh from the tap.
 
We have chlorine in the water for the very purpose of knocking out any bugs that might get in.
Ordinary hoses run through before filling the tank would be quite good enough for most purposes such as washing and cooking.
If really worried then usr bottled water if drinking cold.
Personally I don't bother drinking water!!
 
Markd said:
We have chlorine in the water for the very purpose of knocking out any bugs that might get in.
Ordinary hoses run through before filling the tank would be quite good enough for most purposes such as washing and cooking.
If really worried then usr bottled water if drinking cold.
Personally I don't bother drinking water!!
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Bacterial contamination isn't normally a problem: there's enough chlorine in tap water to get rid of that. Its the plasticiser that's the health risk, and bottled water is worse for that than hosepipes are.
 
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