# Easier Way to Empty the freshwater tank?



## ardfernbob

Two weeks into owning a Welcome 85 and it's great. However, as it's 1m longer than my previous MH I have to store and therefore make sure everything is sorted before taking back to storage area.

In my previous MH (Elddis Sunseeker) there was an interior stopcock for both heater and freshwater. 

How can I avoid getting soaked when I drain the watertank on the Welcome?


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## spykal

Hi

Well I would get the wife to do it :lol: 

Mike


seriously.... how come you are getting soaked? is the drain down outlet in an awkward to get at place? I suppose we will just have to wait for an experienced Chausson owner to show up with the answer.

and I just noticed you are new on the block...welcome to MHF :wink:


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## geraldandannie

Hi, Ardfernbob, and welcome to MotorhomeFacts!

Well done for buying a great motorhome :wink: 

I presume you're using the nearside drain cock for this - and what are you draining into?

I've only drained the grey water tank so far, and I've found you don't have to pull it all the way out, so you can get a trickle or a flood, depending on what you're doing.

The boiler has a drain under the bed, which just empties that (if the temperature drops too low).

Gerald


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## ardfernbob

Yes. It's the nearside drain stopcock.

As it's freshwater I just empty it where it's not going to cause a nuisance.

I prefer to empty the fresh water tank if out of use for a while or in winter.

A screw in hose with an end tap would be a useful attachment if it could be clipped onto the base of the vehicle.

Also, has anyone come across a drain pipe to fit onto the waste outlet to run waste off into a portable waste tank for winter use?


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## spykal

ardfernbob said:


> A screw in hose with an end tap would be a useful attachment if it could be clipped onto the base of the vehicle.


Hi

That is exactly what I have, a 3ft long piece of hose from the fresh water tank outlet with a tap from a water butt fitted on the end. This is secured with Terry spring clips under the side skirt of the van. Easy to empty the tank and it can be directed... useful too not just for emptying the fresh water tank but also good for filling dog drinking bowls or swilling off the barbeque bits and bobs in a bowl outside the van.

mike


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## geraldandannie

Would it need to be a very large hose? As far as I can remember, the grey water outlet is something like 2"-3" diameter.

Gerald


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## Rapide561

*Emptying fresh water*

Hi

I would empty your grey water in the normal manner, then close the drain tap thing. Throw a bottle of dettol down your sink and then empty the fresh water tank via running the taps - thus washing the dettol into the grey tank. When the taps stop, turn them off and then empty the grey tank again.

Russell


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## spykal

*Re: Emptying fresh water*



Rapide561 said:


> Throw a bottle of dettol down your sink


Hi Russell

Dettol is great stuff , the smell of which always reminds me of childhood sickness :lol: ...but a whole bottle down the sink ?? :roll:

Dettol man <<<

mike


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## Spacerunner

Back to the original question. Yes I too, get a wet cuff when emptying the FRESH water tank, but c'est la vie! Its only clean water and soon dries ( or freezes :? ). As for the waste tank if you need to drain it on site buy a Fiamma 23 litre wheeled waste water carrier, daily draining will most probably keep pace with average usage.
BTW from 2007 at least Welcome 85's have a 140litre fresh water tank fitted. By using onsite showers we managed to make our water last for 5 days easily. Even tho' the low water red light came on we still did not have to refill for the whole stay. Likewise the grey water tank ( 106 (?) litres ) was not emptied until we were pulling away at the end of our stay.


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## geraldandannie

Since my earlier post, I have had cause to empty our fresh water tank (the water had been sitting there for a couple of months, and thought I should 'freshen it up').

Now I understand - the freshwater tank drain is a small, flat, green screw-on cap, going straight onto the bottom of the tank way up inside the nearside skirt. I had assumed it was the same as the grey water tank  

I had opened it a little, and was emptying it into a bucket. Then I got bored after about 4 buckets-full, so unscrewed the cap completely. I still had time to get about 4 buckets full of water actually into the bucket, and empty it into the fish pond (close by), as well as pouring several gallons all over the garden under the motorhome :roll: 

Memo to self: use van more often, so I don't need to do this again :evil: 

Or I may look at fitting a separate pipe to the bottom of the tank, with a valve on the bottom.

Gerald


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## Zebedee

Before we leave the grey water tank, Russell's Dettol idea is very important, although I do it a bit differently and use a drop of toilet fluid - the blue stuff that goes into the "unspeakables" holding tank.

A couple of eggcups full seems to be enough, but mix it first with a pint of water as it's rather thick (esp. in winter) and chuck it down one of the sinks (or share it round including the shower drains if you want to be really fastidious). Next time you drive off it will slosh around and kill off the nasties, and will still be working as the tank fills up and the bacteria try to proliferate.

Fail to do this, and next time the weather warms up you will have a pong in the van that can be cut with a knife, since very few manufacturers fit stench traps in the sink or shower drains. Fitting some of these is on the list as soon as it gets warm enough for "caving" under the van.

Hope this helps. Either method is good, but I prefer the longer term benefit of leaving the stuff in there permanently.

Happy camping, and welcome to the club.


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## 101405

Buy a black (grey water ) 20/25 ltr container and empty your tank into it. then roll up your sleave and put your arm into clean water tank pull said plug and it will drain. when your grey tank is emptyish close valve put some mixed water and bleach down sink drainers then empty tank again. fresh water tank sould be drained every 2 weeks when on the move. clean with tiny drop of milton. rocket science is it not


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## geraldandannie

silversurfa said:


> fresh water tank sould be drained every 2 weeks when on the move


Really? First time I've heard this, and never done it.

Gerald


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## Spacerunner

Nor me, only drained down over Xmas as low temperatures were forecast. Better safe than sorry.


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## Scotjimland

silversurfa said:


> fresh water tank sould be drained every 2 weeks when on the move.


never heard of this either .. but heh no worries, Jan empties our 350 lt tank every other day showering and using a washing machine and that's not rocket science.. it's called a woman. :wink:


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## maddie

Hi is silversurfa the only known person that can make a fresh tank last 2 weeks :lol: mine lasts 2/4 days at a push :wink: 
no offence intended :lol: :wink: 
terry


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## ardfernbob

spykal said:


> ardfernbob said:
> 
> 
> 
> A screw in hose with an end tap would be a useful attachment if it could be clipped onto the base of the vehicle.
> 
> 
> 
> Hi
> 
> That is exactly what I have, a 3ft long piece of hose from the fresh water tank outlet with a tap from a water butt fitted on the end. This is secured with Terry spring clips under the side skirt of the van. Easy to empty the tank and it can be directed... useful too not just for emptying the fresh water tank but also good for filling dog drinking bowls or swilling off the barbeque bits and bobs in a bowl outside the van.
> 
> mike
Click to expand...

Mike

Can you give details? I've looked all over for a water butt tap that would fit the outlet of the tank but no joy. How did you connect to the tank outlet?


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