Dead birds in water tank

anthonykeates

Been up in the loft today and took the lid off the header tank for the hot water cylinder. Four dead birds in the tank at varying stages of decay, the most recent floating at the top! Smell was revolting.

Anyways, we've drained the tank down and removed the birds and general sludge. Will go back up there tomorrow and plan to give it a good clean out with bleach or something, then fully drain the hot water cylinder and refill the whole lot.

Does this seem a sensible approach or does anyone recommend anything else?

Thank god we never drink the hot water (and let it be a warning to anyone who does!)

mikey72

I wouldn't use bleach.
Use a water purifier like the ones for cleaning water pipes and tanks in motorhomes or caravans.
http://www.towsure.com/product/831-Puriclean_Cleaner_(100gm)

anthonykeates

I was kinda wondering whether using something like that might be an idea. Ta.

frogglet

How did they get in with a lid??

ormus

thats why you should only use drinking water from the kitchen cold tap.
(in any house with a typical water storage system).

anthonykeates

frogglet wrote: »

How did they get in with a lid??

The 'lid' is hardboard which has warped and hence left gaps around the lip of the tank. I'll be sorting it out with a proper lid tomorrow too!

maninthestreet

Perhaps they were ducks?

pboae

You can also use Miltons sterilising fluid to disinfect water tanks.

MX5huggy

maninthestreet wrote: »

Perhaps they were ducks?

Can't have been else they would have still been swimming around on the top quacking!

Canucklehead

Hi

What size is the tank full of dead ducks?
If it's small (18"x 12"x 10") then it's the c/h f&e tank and does not need to be cleaned as thoroughly as the main storage tank.
If it's bigger 44"x 30"x30" or circular) then that is the water you use to wash in.This is what you would use if it were a new installation in a new build.

Corgi Guy
P.S. a Bye law 30 kit will prevent this happening in the future.

anthonykeates

Canucklehead wrote: »

Hi

What size is the tank full of dead ducks?
If it's small (18"x 12"x 10") then it's the c/h f&e tank and does not need to be cleaned as thoroughly as the main storage tank.
If it's bigger 44"x 30"x30" or circular) then that is the water you use to wash in.This is what you would use if it were a new installation in a new build.

Corgi Guy

I'm glad they weren't ducks!

I don't have central heating, so it's definitely not the filler/expansion tank for that. Cold/drinking water is direct mains fed so no worries there thankfully!

It's quite a large tank (probably big enough to fill a bath, for example) so assuming this is the header tank for the hot water cylinder (heated by electric immersion) I should go ahead with the sterilisation rather than just cleaning it out? I think I know the answer to that (I shouldn't try and take a short-cut where health issues are at stake!)