Ensuring the water system of your caravan is ready for the New Season

Have a carefree first trip in your caravan this season

You should have prepared your caravan for winter hibernation. You must also make sure your caravan is able to be used in the Spring unless, of course, you frequently brave weather in winter! Your first trip away could be an absolute disaster if you not check that the basics in your caravan are working correctly and safely. One of the first things to do is to book your caravan in for a service at an approved workshop such as Mullacott Caravan and Motorhome Centre. Knowing that everything has been checked and is in working order will give you peace of mind on your first trip away. If you are unable to get booked in for a service you need to check the basics yourself. One of the systems that can give the most problems - enough to ruin your holiday - is the water system.

Be prepared!

Do not leave checking your caravan and caravan accessories until the last minute. You may need to obtain parts which could take a week to arrive. Spend some time in your caravan a couple of weeks before your first trip to check for any problems. Discovering that your tap has frozen and needs replacing is not what you want to discover when you are on holiday. Water expands when it freezes, but in partially filled ipes there might be room for this to be expanded without bursting the pipe. So having some water left in pipes may not cause harm when it freezes. Water held in taps and valves may be a problem if there isn’t room for this to expand. Leaving taps and drain valves open helps. If necessary, you could have used low pressure air to blow water out of taps, valves and drain points. The best laid preparations cannot guarantee that you will have no problems on your first outing.

Introducing water to your system for the first time

Before pumping water into your caravan for the first time close the drain valve which is normally next to the water heater. On the older Carver Cascade or on the Henry Heater the drain plug is at the bottom left hand corner of the external cowl. Open all the taps and turn on the pump. Quickly check for leaks underneath all of the taps and around the water heater. If any leak is evident turn off the pump immediately and investigate.

If no leaks are evident then close each tap, one at a time, turn on the pump and again check for leaks underneath the tap.

Clean out your pipes

When cleaning out the pipes throughout the caravan, use a purpose cleaner such as Puriclean water tank cleaner. It could be said that the low temperatures during the winter should prevent problems with bacterial growth and when the pipes are flushed with mains water, there is a background level of chlorine disinfectant which should be enough to prepare the system for regular use. Whichever system you use it is advisable to change your water filter annually. Look at the selection of filters available at Leisureshopdirect.com.

Having checked your water system you should ensure everything else in your caravan is roadworthy before setting off on a trip. Watch
this space!!!!!