# Water snobs



## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

Are you a water snob?
Take my Mrs for example, she purchased one of those cheap water filter jugs from Tesco as she said it makes the coffee taste nicer and removes chalk and that smell of chlorine from our tap water. She has even got to the stage of insisting that only water from the filter jug can be used to top up her bedside cup.

I ask "What smell of Chlorine?", "What difference in taste of coffee?".

For me that stuff that comes out of the tap at home is just perfect, the stuff that comes out of the filter jug is exactly the same!

Now the camper. Do you use a special "food grade" hose to fill the tank or just the normal garden hose like me? The water out of the taps in our campers over the years has always been drunk, no problems. The tank is flushed out at the beginning of the season then filled. Thats it. No chemicals or anything else and drained down when not in use. Even so the new tardis has a naturePure thingey that the Mrs raves about, but I cannot tell the difference other than it takes longer to fill the kettle and the pump operates in spurts.

So, what is the answer.

Is the Mrs a Water Snob?
or
Am I totally lacking in taste?

How about you?

C.


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## cater_racer (May 1, 2005)

You're totally lacking in Taste Clive.

I like to drink the S.Pellegrino water myself, its gaseaous but not fizzy, the green bottles look really classy, and impress the neighbours when I leave them outside.


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## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

I see that the Police have already been round. I put the title in capitals as titles should be but they are already reduced.

Don,t like fizzy water though, get right up my nose!

C.


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## richardjames (Feb 1, 2006)

I have fitted a long life (40,00 gallon) filter to a three way tap in the kitchen for driiinking water and I have to say that the filtered water does taste better. My wife and I can taste the chlorine - does that make us snobby 8O 8O 8O


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

CliveMott said:


> Are you a water snob?
> Take my Mrs for example, she purchased one of those cheap water filter jugs from Tesco as she said it makes the coffee taste nicer and removes chalk and that smell of chlorine from our tap water. She has even got to the stage of insisting that only water from the filter jug can be used to top up her bedside cup.
> 
> I ask "What smell of Chlorine?", "What difference in taste of coffee?".
> ...


When I was a kid I can remember my grandmother insisting that when bringing her a cup of tea the milk should always go in the cup first as the drink tasted better that way.
Needless to say, for many years I always put the milk in last for her and she never ever said that it tasted any different to what she was used to at home.

Humans are strange creatures.


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Yes a bit of a problem over just a little h2o, not to be confused with h2so4.
I have been told off about filling one of those kettles with a filter in the spout.
I lift the lid and fill, am told to fill through the filter in the spout, but when i point out that when you pour then what you have filtered goes back into the water.   

cabby


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

I think I must be the opposite of a water snob then !

At home we have (very) hard water and use it straight from the tap for everything. I am fussy about the tea we buy however as, if you get it wrong, you get a nasty scum inside the cups. We don't use teabags and do blend our own leaf tea to match the water.

I actively dislike jug-filtered filtered water, finding it tastes quite salty and unpleasant. I have to admit that it does make scum-less tea even with teabags.

In the van we carry 3 Tesco plastic milk bottles and fill these up from the tap daily. We've not had ill-effects brushing our teeth in water from the tank but prefer to drink fresh water rather than stuff that has been sitting round in a hot tank for 3 or 4 weeks.

G


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Clive,

You see if you were a scientist by nature rather than a greasy, 12inch steel-rule-down-your-thigh grubby-white-coated engineer, you would have conducted a blind (or if you were really clever, a double blind, courtesy of Amanda) experiment so you would KNOW whether Janet was a water snob! 

During Uni summer terms I used to work on the Harwich-Hook of Holland ferries. There were all sorts of things going on, but one appropriate here were the bar taps of Harp and Heineken that came from the SAME barrel. Several customers had one, rubbished it, tried the other and said it was far superior. Being the tech-head even then, I swapped the pipes at the cleaned taps and it still carried on (in the same direction). A clear lesson in peoples' abilities to kid themselves!

Alison sometimes complains of "camping tea" and when she does, yes, there is a plasticky taste. Can't tell it when drinking coffee mind you, which stronger taste probably covers it. It is difficult to work out why it happens sometimes. My latest theory is perhaps slightly lower pH than a neutral 7. It occurs less with French water than UK water. The Nature Pure copes of course, but doesn't help satisfy my curiosity. That's a scientific term not in engineers' vocabulary, by the way 

Dave


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## greenasthegrass (Oct 27, 2007)

Am with you there Grizzly exactly the same although I have a water jug in the fridge. Only time I buy it is abroad not because its any better just that the jug runs out quite quickly and water in tank am not quite fancying as its been sloshed around maybe for a week.

When we did package tours I always drank the local water never once got screaming ad-dabs or anything must have constitution of an Ox. I always think it sounds a right insult to the locals saying "don't drink the water".

Brush my teeth in van water though and nothing has dropped out or fallen off yet.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

DABurleigh said:


> Alison sometimes complains of "camping tea" and when she does, yes, there is a plasticky taste.


She's right. If you google for past threads on this subject as well as the various water boards takes on it you'll find it does have a specific cause.

Have you ever read Agatha Christie's _Spider's Web _ ? That begins with a blind tasting of various ports ranging from the grocer's plonk to the creme de la creme - allegedly. It turns out they are all the same. I understand that there are large numbers of people who can't distinguish brandy from whisky.

G


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## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

I did do the blind test on the Mrs and she passed miserably. I had to brew more coffee!

Oh and plasticy tea, we had some of that. It turned out to be the electric kettle we used while on hookup. The plasticisers were comming out of the plastic body and tainting the water. Plastic kettles are only designed for X number of boils.

C.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

So why ask? You must have concluded you are totally lacking in taste instead!


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Grizzly said:


> I understand that there are large numbers of people who can't distinguish brandy from whisky.
> G


I'm one (courtesy of getting bad on it in my teens!). As far as I'm concerned there is Jack Daniels (drinkable and even pleasurable) and EVERYTHING else is firewater.

Dave


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## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

I guess the root of the question is how many people cannot tell the difference these water filters make. To me they make no difference but to others who were previously quite happy previously with tapolene but are now insistent on filtered aqua.

My level of tasts is consistent with my level of dress code!

C.


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

We never filter water and drink straight from the tap. We did buy a large bottle of water to take to France, and brought it back unopened!

We quite like sampling the different tastes of water on our travels. The best tasting is definitely Welsh water followed by Yorkshire.

Only once did we get unpalatable water and that was in Norfolk.

Our own water is very chalky, full of calcium, which would be lost if filtered out.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

CliveMott said:


> I see that the Police have already been round. I put the title in capitals as titles should be but they are already reduced.


Capitals in titles are reserved for important messages.

If (for example) someone needs to be contacted urgently, a title in capitals is one way of doing so as it will attract immediate attention, *but only if it is unusual*!

Hope this explains why the police pounce on such things. There's always a reason!   

Zebedee


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## Suenliam (Mar 22, 2006)

I think you can taste the difference in tap water. I was brought up in London where the water was hard as nails. I was so used to the tea there that when I came north to soft water the teas was dreadful. But having got used to it I now think the hard water tea is not nice :roll: 

The tap water here is exceptional and I really enjoy a glass (even without the alcoholic content!). 

I don't drink the tap water in the MH because we don't carry a hose and I'm not sure about the site ones 8O We bought a 5+ltr. container and use that for cooking/drinking.

However, I do wash my teeth in the tank water - where's the logic in that? Not suffered any screaming ab-dabs either.

Sue


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## duxdeluxe (Sep 2, 2007)

We use a couple of large water bottles for the tea only and the tank water for everything else (except for the ice in the G&T!). The only reason we do this is becuase the hard water with which we fill the tank gives slightly scummy tea - tastes ok but doesn't look great.

Our water bottles get filled from the kitchen tap via a water softener. Good hard tapwater tastes great!

I suppose that we have no taste either, then.


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## Vinnythehat (Dec 11, 2007)

We use a water filter jug,filled from the onboard tanks, and kept in the fridge door, for all our hot and cold drinks...we travelled for 99 days earlier this year through France, Spain, Portugal, Spain(again) & back through France(and of course England !) Filling our onboard tanks from the campsite taps via a food standard hose or our 15ltr water carrier, and we had no problems in the 'Deli belly' department. 
We also brush our teeth straight from the tap, so as previously stated, why do we bother ?....we think its mainly to give a slightly better taste to the drinks and to prevent the scumming effect.... 
cheers to all....happy tavels 
Vinny & Sue


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## gromett (May 9, 2005)

I can't tell the difference to be honest but have a nature pure in every van because I see what some scumbags do at the fresh water points on campsites and I don't want to risk it.

Karl


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Water*

Hi

No, I don't give a hoot about water. I fill the motorhome tank and use it as and when needed for tea, coffee, cold drinks such as Ribena and teeth brushing.

I am still alive and well three years after starting this motorhoming lark, so it must be ok!

Russell


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## Ozzyjohn (Sep 3, 2007)

Good evening all,

We use the water from the on-board tank for everything. We fill the tank using our own hose - the same hose that we have used for watering the hanging baskets, tubs, etc at home for the last ten (at least) years. 

When I was a small child, mother used to spread the ashes from the grate to form a path at the bottom of our garden - I used to regularly sit on said path and eat the ashes. 

I've always thought that a bit of dirt here and there can be beneficial.

Regards,
John


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Ozzyjohn said:


> We fill the tank using our own hose - the same hose that we have used for watering the hanging baskets, tubs, etc at home for the last ten (at least) years.
> I've always thought that a bit of dirt here and there can be beneficial.


I don't think the arguments pro- and anti-food grade hoses come down to their cleanliness John. It's a topic that has been aired at length on MHF.

G


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## greenasthegrass (Oct 27, 2007)

What ya need is a right proper gobful - its either kill or cure - snigger

Greenie :lol:


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

I dont use filtered water but I love water at home and in the M/H fresh from the water tap to make Tea and Coffee.
I always draw fresh water into a bottle daily for my drink when camping.
Im sorry but I can tell a difference in a M/H if a friend makes a cup of tea using the water from the tank of the M/H as it has a mould weird taste.


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## Autumn (Jul 9, 2006)

When we bought our 'van, the Husband insisted we only needed a very short length of hose, (the narrow drinking water type), which of course didn't stretch hardly anywhere to anywhere. So I went to B & Q and spent loads of dosh on a very long, very fat length of hose, that is too big for the van's orifice. The short bit won't of course fit on the kitchen tap.

So the fat hose goes on the tap, which I hold in place, and the thin hose fits into that, which the Husband sticks into the 'van. We both get drenched from time to time! Sorry, I know this is sounding a bit ... erhm ... no wonder the neighbours giggle at us behind their net curtains.

I plug the hoses with kithcen paper because I'm scared bugs will crawl into them!

If it's straight water, I buy bottled; the Husband just drinks Guiness. I think he probably brushes his teeth with it too, as there is always a great deal of it on board.

Autumn


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## eribiste (May 1, 2005)

My wife and I are serious water snobs. We collect our drinking water from a spring in the Malvern Hills, so we get our Malvern water before the Queen gets hers!!

Over the years I have found it increasingly inconvenient to drive from a holiday location in say, Provence back to the Malverns for a top up, so when on holiday I drink the local water. It seems to be unusually reddish in colour and appears to be contaminated with grapes and alcohol, but it serves its purpose.


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## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

*Water Snob*

I am with you all of the way Clive. Wherever we have been so far and at home we drink it as supplied by whatever water company.
My water hose is best quality air hose, strong , flexible and a pretty blue colour.

I never have been able to get my head round people buying bottled water.
Surely they are just others contributing to global warming and plastic build up etc by utilising unecessary energy in process plants for both the water and bottle production.

Steve


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## wooly (Oct 3, 2007)

Hi We were equally blaze about filling and using our on board tank until a couple of weeks ago in France.

We have a Nature Pure filter fitted on the kitchen tap and use the water for everything as at home, we have never had any problem with taste or anything else.

But in the Dordogne we parked on a lovely site on the side of the river and filled our water tank from the tap fairly close to the pitch, if close to the tap we use a 7m food grade hose, but this time had to use our 20m garden type hose on a reel - no problem water tasted fine. However 2 days later we had to refill late one evening - otherwise no shower in the morning. The flow rate was unbelievably slow but eventually we were full.

Next morning the smell (stench) of the water was awful - TCP, and even the Nature Pure woudn't completely clear the taste. What had gone wrong?

Half an hour of hectic activity drained the tank 150 litres including using the levelling blocks to get every drop out and ran the pump to clear all the pipes and taps. I then used a 20m blue layflat wind hose from Outdoorbits to refill, everything back to normal no long term contamination - big sigh of relief!!
So what went wrong? - The first time I used the garden hose it had been drained after previous use, but knowing I was going to use it again in 2 days I hadn't bothered to drain it. Then being in a rush the second time I forgot to give it a good run before use, and as the flow rate was so slow it probably was picking up plastisodes as the water went through. (2hrs for 150litres)

Slapped wrist - lessons learned! We hadn't used the layflat hose before because I had read that it was difficult to get the water out to roll it up again, that's rubbish, it rolls straight back on the reel like new every time.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

wooly said:


> Next morning the smell (stench) of the water was awful - TCP, .


See:

Anglian Water

There are various plasticisers used in hoses etc. These can leeech into the water and cause the TCP taste. They can also react with components in the water. Food grade hoses use different plasticisers.

You might also get the TCP taste because of plastic components in your kettle, water piping, tank etc but in your case it seems to be down to the hose.

G


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## wooly (Oct 3, 2007)

Thanks Grizzly, I should have said that as my conclusion, the lesson learned was
1) if using the garden hose(type) -drain dry after use.
2) Flush hose before use
3) if flow rate very low only use food grade hose
Michael


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

wooly said:


> 3) if flow rate very low only use food grade hose
> Michael


How will that help ?

G


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## wooly (Oct 3, 2007)

Hi Grizzly, From my experience the amount of plastisode that leaches into the water is in proportion to the length of time that water is in the hose, it is not in proportion to the quantity of water going down the pipe.
Hence a very low flow rate will give a higher concentration of plastisodes than a high flow rate.
In the past like many of you I have got away with using ordinary hose without the slightest problem. However if, as I found out, you get the TCP problem it's a right pain in the B******E.
Michael


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

wooly said:


> Hi Grizzly, From my experience the amount of plastisode that leaches into the water is in proportion to the length of time that water is in the hose,
> Michael


Good point !

We've had TCP tasting water many times but not for some months. We always use a food grade hose anyway.

Two weeks ago we went to Bladon Chains and the taste was in the first cup of tea we made. The only change from our usual set up was that we had bought milk from Budgens some time before we went and used the empty bottle to replace a battered one of our faithful Tesco water bottles ( also ex-milk bottles). There was no taste when we took the water straight from the campsite tap into the kettle or when we used well-weathered Tesco bottles.

It's a very odd phenomenon and not reproducable to order but I agree; tea is undrinkable when it happens

It could have been a reaction between the Woodstock water and the bottle.

We're just about to go again and I've replaced all the bottles with a mix of Tesco and Waitrose so will report if Cornish water affects them !

G


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

I cannot for the likes of me imagine that the sort of flow rates you are talking about will make any discernable difference to the amount of chemicals leaching out of the hose.

Not unless the flow rate is so slow that it takes a year to fill the tank.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

If you want to discover how ineffective the sense of taste is try this little experiment that we regularly do with GCSE science students;

cut up an apple into small pieces about 1 cm x 1 cm and do the same with an onion BUT KEEP THEM SEPARATE - do not tell the volunteer that you have two different dishes.

Now blindfold your "volunteer" and get them to pinch their own nose so they cannot smell.

Now pop pieces of apple in to their mouth - let them chew and then ask them to comment. BUT now slip in a piece or two of onion without saying anything and see if they notice the difference. Most people cannot tell the difference and are horrified to discover that what they thought was apple was actually onion!

It us usually a great idea then to play a short piece of Jilly Gordon or Oz Clarke ponitificating about the flavour of a wine or two! It puts the whole thing into an interesting disussion! Most people admit that when they have "blocked up tubes" or smoke regularly the food does not have the same flavour - it's all part of the same thing!

May lead to more interesting discussions about the flavour of water!

Footnote;
We have a nature pure filter in our van as the plastic flavour was bad but the chlorine after using Milton was even worse and boy, did it linger for months!

Dave


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Penquin said:


> It us usually a great idea then to play a short piece of Jilly Gordon or Oz Clarke ponitificating about the flavour of a wine or two!
> Dave


This surely reinforces the view of experts that you have to have a "nose" for wine. Your sense of taste is actually made up of information from a whole host of sensory inputs.

Does the Nature Pure filter remove the TCP taste from affected water ? Does an ordinary jug filter do the same ?

G


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## wooly (Oct 3, 2007)

Hi Grizzly, As previously said, in our case the Nature Pure removed some of the TCP taste and smell but not all of it, my coffee tasted quite strange and left a very dry sensation in the back of the throat.
Michael


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## ruthiebabe (Aug 16, 2005)

Hi Clive 

Interesting post. Yes am a water snob as grew up with great tap water then moved to the south of england  so am afraid we use a filter for taste purposes too. Not bottled, bad for the environment (and the purse!). At home we have ajug filter and in the van (now) a nature pure. 

BUT my contribution to the thread is this: I am with Grommet here in that I cannot trust the hygiene of other MH'ers as I have seen some really stupid practice on sites and Aires (think loo cassette being rinsed out, with splashback, under drinking water tap...and that's only one example).

As a nurse I am aware of microbiology and I am unhappy about the possible (probable?) contamination of a tank that may be then lying unused for weeks at a time (very different to a system that is constantly flushed through). before the naturepure we drew a separate container for cold drinks or used bottled. 

The naturepure claims to destroy about 99% of undesirables (you'd have to check their exact claim) but it seems fairly sound evidence wise and we have used it for a year, we now (eventually) trust drinking from the tank cold. 

It makes me feel better not to be buying bottled water too  

Ruth


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