cold water tank cleaning

naf123

Hi

How does one clean the cold water tank in the loft? Has anyone done it before?

Regards

Section62

naf123 said:

How does one clean the cold water tank in the loft? Has anyone done it before?

If it is fibreglass, galvanised steel, or asbestos then don't try cleaning it.  Especially if it is asbestos.

If it is any other kind of plastic then the answer depends on why you need to clean it.

Assuming it is for storing water for hot and cold consumption (i.e. not the heating feed and expansion tank) then:

Don't use any kind of cleaning chemicals or detergent, especially if the water is used for teeth brushing or rinsing, or there is a risk of it getting into people's eyes (e.g. in a shower)

Even after draining the water off via the taps, there will be around 2 inches of water left in the tank.  You would need to find a way of removing this before you start cleaning.

It is virtually impossible to stop debris, and any chemicals you did use, from getting into your pipework. As well as a possible danger to people, the debris can cause staining, block filters, and jam valves.

The only safe way to clean a plastic tank is to remove it, take it outside, clean it thoroughly, ensure it is scrupulously rinsed, then refit. Which goes back to why it needs cleaning - to do it properly there's a lot of effort involved, possibly for not much benefit.