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Topic: Drinking/Cooking with Water from Fresh Water Tank & Storing Hot Water Tips (Read 683 times) previous topic - next topic
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Drinking/Cooking with Water from Fresh Water Tank/Storing Hot Water Tips
Reply #25
We’ve kept a quart Thermos of hot distilled water in the bathroom for years, but this year I’m changing it out for a half-gallon one.  This works out really well for not needing to keep the water heater fired up.

Virtual hugs,

Judie

Re: How many of you drink & cook with the water In your LD fresh water tank?
Reply #26
I am a fulltimer, staying primarily in State Park and State or National Forest campgrounds.  Most have water drawn from a well.  Those wells are periodically tested for safety and quality.  Case in point - two weeks ago, I was at Atherton Creek when the campground host knocked on my door.  He asked if I needed water, and advised that they were about to dose the well with chlorine, because they found algae in it.  Once they dosed it, it would tase strongly of chlorine for a few days.  I thanked him for the notice.

Basically, the well water I have been getting for 10 years goes into my tank with no filtration, and is used until the tank is low, when I refill it.  My pump filter is ten years old and has yet to gather any debris.  If I were using city water or any water taken from a surface water system I would be more concerned.  If I were not fulltiming, so that water sat in my tank and lines for an extended period of time, I would be more concerned. 

I know there are friends here with whom I have disagreed.  Some treat, such as Don and Dorothy.  Some filter like Jan.  We each believe our way works, and it does, for each of us.  My view is, if you feel safe drinking water from a drinking fountain, if you feel safe drinking water in a restaurant, why should you feel unsafe using water from the same sources where they are getting that water?

Ken F in WY
'08 MB

 
Re: How many of you drink & cook with the water In your LD fresh water tank?
Reply #27
I trust the city water in most cases, unless it makes my tea taste funny - then I use bottled water or my Britta filter.  I wouldn't drink water that's been sitting in the tank.   Regarding keeping a thermos of hot water around - why?  The water stays hot in our tank nearly all day.  I turn it on if I'm going to wash dishes at night or before my shower in the am.  Then turn it off.
Enjoying our 2013 MB,  our first was a 2005 26'IB
NE54 & SE11
Fran and Matt
Wagonmasters of the NELD Caravan group
2017-2019

Re: How many of you drink & cook with the water In your LD fresh water tank?
Reply #28
"Regarding keeping a thermos of hot water around - why? The water stays hot in our tank nearly all day."

One reason could be that the water in the thermos is hot right when you pour it, while the water from the water heater takes time to get to the faucet. Unless you religiously catch and save that water every time you run the hot faucet, that's water down the drain.
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"

Re: How many of you drink & cook with the water In your LD fresh water tank?
Reply #29
"I trust the city water in most cases,... I wouldn't drink water that's been sitting in the tank."

Can you tell us where the water in your tank came from? Was it the city water you trust?

Since many of us utilize the water in our tanks we are careful to sanitize those tanks so the fresh water stays fresh. Most of that 'fresh' water will be expended in a short time, probably no more than a long week or so. I grew up in a house that had no running water. We had to depend on a cistern that was filled by rain water. I'm supposing that I wasn't harmed by that consumption since I've seen over seven decades go under my feet.  ::)
Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Cedar
2004 30'IB (Island Bed)
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery
Live for the day!

Re: How many of you drink & cook with the water In your LD fresh water tank?
Reply #30
When I was a preschooler in Mercer County along the Iowa line my mom got typhoid, and I remember later discussions about the family DR telling my dad to dump Chlorox in the well periodically, & Mother's parents did the same with the cistern that caught the roof-runoff.  As an adult, & knowing a bit more about infectious diseases, I'm not sure why Mother was the only one who got sick, but Chlorox remained a staple

We moved to town when I started school, so I had chlorinated city water until I married my kids' dad & moved back to a farm with well water after grad school.  He had grown up with unfiltered well water, but I had the plumber install a filter on the line into the house--later realizing it was only filtering sediment, I dumped Chlorox in the well...the poor farmer screamed bloody murder that I was poisoning him & his hogs (the livestock water came from the same well)--nobody died.

With the LD, even though I fill the tank from my city water at the house, I tend to keep drinking H2O+ice in Dad's gallon farm Thermos with a push spigot...saves opening the fridge for cold drinks.

Lynne
Lynne
LDy Lulubelle, Green '05 31' TB
Lilly, the 4-Legged Alarm

Re: How many of you drink & cook with the water In your LD fresh water tank?
Reply #31
We had to depend on a cistern that was filled by rain water. I'm supposing that I wasn't harmed by that consumption since I've seen over seven decades go under my feet.  ::)
I grew up on a cistern also.  Dad cleaned it regularly. We did boil  and refrigerate our water for drinking and in later years Dad installed a distiller for drinking water.  But brushing teeth was done straight from the cistern.  So we learned how to be water conservators as kids.  Keep a clean system.  And know your water source.
Sand Castle (Theresa & Everett) Surfside
01'  26.5 Mid Bath,   2018 31IB
Michigan born and starting to explore the US with my  spouse and our furry friend. Enjoying joining LD group rallies.

Re: How many of you drink & cook with the water In your LD fresh water tank?
Reply #32
I do wonder if those with so much concern for the purity of their water have the same level of concern for what gets on their toothbrush? The distance between the toothbrush and the toilet is not much. Think you are safe?

We try to wipe down the counters in the bath and kitchen every day or so with hydrogen peroxide. Toothbrushes are stored in a cabinet that allows them to dry but protects them from exposure - somewhat. They also get dipped in hydrogen peroxide.
Don & Dorothy
Sold our LD in June of 2023

Our boring always non-PC travel blog
Traveling Dorothy

Re: How many of you drink & cook with the water In your LD fresh water tank?
Reply #33
Regarding keeping a thermos of hot water around - why?
Our thermos is an expensive little Japanese model that comes with 'specs'. It will keep water that starts at 207F hot to 140F after 24 hours. As a result, a small amount added to cold water makes a hot basin-full for washing dishes several times a day, washing ourselves up, and enough left over for evening tea. The water heater is on the other side of the rig with at least 8' of plumbing to get to the kitchen faucet, probably 22' to get to the bathroom sink. As Andy pointed out, that's a lot of wasted water, not to mention the added propane used to heat 6 gallons, as opposed to 2 quarts. If you boondock a lot, efficiency at conserving your resources = fewer trips to replenish.

Of course, this doesn't work for showers - then the water heater comes on...

Steve
2004 FL
2013 Honda Fit


Re: How many of you drink & cook with the water In your LD fresh water tank?
Reply #35
"Our thermos is an expensive little Japanese model"

Steve, I'd be interested in knowing the maker and model (or perhaps a link?) - I might want to get one.
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"

Re: How many of you drink & cook with the water In your LD fresh water tank?
Reply #36
I have one from Zojirushi that has been very good at keeping it's contents hot.
I carried it on my motorcycle on my RTW ride.
Vacuum Insulated Mugs & Bottles | zojirushi.com
Jota
96 23.5 FL

Re: How many of you drink & cook with the water In your LD fresh water tank?
Reply #37
"Our thermos is an expensive little Japanese model"

Steve, I'd be interested in knowing the maker and model (or perhaps a link?) - I might want to get one.

Andy, this is the model we have. We only keep filtered water in it. We first boil and fill to make 12cups coffee in another thermos, via Melitta, then boil and fill it again for hot water for the day:

Amazon.com: Zojirushi AFFB-19S, Premium Thermal 1.85 liter Carafe, Brushed...

Steve
As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
2004 FL
2013 Honda Fit

Re: How many of you drink & cook with the water In your LD fresh water tank?
Reply #38
I've had excellent service from our multiple Nissan/Thermos (not just plain Thermos) units.  Have not tried the Zojirushi brand, but it is probably similar.

My main coffee "sipper" is a Nissan that is pushing thirty years old, and seems to be the same as when I got it.  I use it daily to hold my "second cuppa" for afternoon consumption.

   Virtual hugs,

   Judie

Re: How many of you drink & cook with the water In your LD fresh water tank?
Reply #39
I really like the Thermos idea. My DW has several water bottles that maintain hot/cold liquids hot/cold for nearly 12 hours. Nice to have them on board already.

Andy...Thanks for the Atwood tip. I just placed my order for the NTE8096. Getting two for less than $5.00 and free shipping.

Kent
2015 27' RB "MissB.Haven"

Re: Drinking/Cooking with Water from Fresh Water Tank & Storing Hot Water Tips
Reply #40
"We fill a 2-liter thermos with boiling filtered water every morning for all cleaning and washing-up for the day."

After having read this thread the other day, I commenced a bench test with my 48-oz. Nissan-Thermos vacuum bottle.  I put in 122° water from the tap at about nine o'clock on Saturday morning.  It is now five o'clock on Sunday afternoon, and the water is at 107°.  Granted it is still full; would expect a more drastic temperature drop as the level drops, but this limited exposure was pretty heartening.

The unit has a pour-through top, which helps retain heat.  The one-quart sized one that we have used for many years also had a pour-through top, but was NOT a Nissan-Thermos.  But even that one retained heat overnight.  DH used it in the morning first thing, and then I heated extra water when making coffee, and we started all over again.

It's pretty amazing how little water it takes to do a task when you know that the supply is pretty limited!  ;->

   Virtual hugs,

   Judie