Cleaning a storage container

[bkhd]

I purchased a new storage container today to use for holding RO water and it had a bad smell to it (do to it being closed up, maybe?). What is the best process to use to make sure a storage container is "clean" before starting to use it and how often should this cleaning process be performed?

 

[bertoni]

A vinegar wipedown will remove a lot of problem compounds. Is this a food-grade container? I'd recommend sticking to food-grade storage.

 

[bkhd]

I suspect that it is not, there is no information printed on it other than the sales sticker which said it was a 50 gallon water drum with spiget. It has a twist on lid with rubber gasket for a good seal and a copper looking spiget near the bottom.

I have a TDS meter so if I use it for storing water and test the water with my TDS before use, there wouldn't be anything I wouldn't find that could be harmful would there?

In the future, I will look for the food grade quality containers.

 

[rbursek]

NO COPPER OR BRASS!!!!!!!! It will leech in that pure water.
Bob

 

[bertoni]

If it's intended for drinking water, it's probably fine. The TDS meter will show some leaching, almost certainly, no matter what type of plastic, but experience seems to show that food-grade containers leach non-toxic amounts.

 

[crazywesc]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11822384#post11822384 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rbursek
NO COPPER OR BRASS!!!!!!!! It will leech in that pure water.
Bob

I know your not supposed to use copper but I have a brass fitting connecting my ro/di to my faucet. Will this be ok? The filter guys sell this brass Y for their ro units. Not trying to hijack your thread but this just startled me.

 

[bertoni]

Ooops, sorry, I missed the point about the copper. I would avoid any copper or brass anywhere in the system after the membrane, storage or RO/DI. A brass fitting connecting the RO/DI to the faucet should be okay as long as the membrane and DI cartridges are maintained carefully. It's preferable not to have copper anywhere in the line, but that's hard to do.

 

[crazywesc]

After looking at it the actual faucet is made of either brass or copper, I dont know how to tell. I hope this will be ok.

 

[bertoni]

That should be okay, in the end. Just keep the DI cartridges in good shape.