How to clean your water tank
Using a rainwater tank to add to your personal water supply is a great way to save money and also to have access to water even in droughts. Maintaining your water tank is very important in order to have all parts of it functioning like they should, but also to keep the water clean enough to drink and wash yourselves in. The most important maintenance you need to perform on your water tank is that you need to clean it regularly. In order to clean your water tank properly, there are a few things you should think about.
Inside of the tank
To properly clean you tank, you first need to empty it. If the water is clean, you should use a container that you can tap water from. When you've gotten rid of all the water in the container, you need to scrub the insides from top to bottom. Use a stiff brush and a mixture of water and detergent to get it completely clean. If your tank can't be climbed into, you should use a long handle for your brush to make sure you can still reach all parts of the tank. Wash it out with a high pressure hose to make sure no detergent is left in the tank.
The small parts
You also need to make sure that you're cleaning all the small parts of the tank as well. You can do this by leaving water mixed with detergent in the tank and let the water pump drag this through all the pipes of the tank. This way, the tank pump itself will get cleaned too. Water pumps and tank pumps can be sensitive to certain substances, and you should make sure the detergent isn't abrasive on some materials before you use it. If you choose to do this type of cleaning, you'll also have to leave clean water for the pump to pump through the system afterwards to prevent the detergent leaving any residue in the system.
Disinfectant
After cleaning the tank, you also need to disinfect it. The most common substance to use for this is chlorine. Fill the tank with a mixture of chlorine and water based on the size of your tank. Leave the outlet valve open when doing this and make sure the water is collected so that the chlorine isn't absorbed by the ground. After the disinfectant has been through the tank, you should wash it off again with a high pressure hose. Make sure to clean all the little crevices in your tank to make sure the drinking water you collect later doesn't have a taste of chlorine.
For more information about water tank cleaning and maintenance, contact a local supplier like Slater H & Son Pty Ltd.
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