Can anyone recommend a robust food-grade water hose?

30 Jun.,2025

 

Can anyone recommend a robust food-grade water hose?

ManTheVan

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We bought one of the flat blue hoses on a yellow winder reel earlier this year and it’s already holed where the blue hose joins the filler. Not much cop. Can anyone recommend a good replacement that might last and is easy to store?

Gellyneck

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Common old garden hose for us. 20m(?) from Lidl \ Aldi for £10.
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ManTheVan

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Cheers guys, but are these the blue food-grade hose? We had a new tank fitted and I don’t want to risk using normal garden hose...

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ManTheVan

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I use these... it’s blue so must be food grade...

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Thanks Smiffy. I’m not sure that just being blue makes it food-grade though! It’s certainly a good price and compact.
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In my opinion food grade hose is only required if liquids are left stagnant in a hose, e.g. beer in the pump pipe overnight.

With a MH filling hose the water is either moving or the hose is empty after use.

Geoff

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Cheers guys, but are these the blue food-grade hose? We had a new tank fitted and I don’t want to risk using normal garden hose...
Maybe I'm misunderstanding but what's the risk issue to a new tank?

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I am sure you can get it a bit cheaper but this is the sort of thing we use. The original lasted six years and I replaced it with something similar last year. It may be blue and flat but it is good quality. It doesn't kink or otherwise misbehave like the cheap versions seem to do.

Whatever hose you use run the water through it for a few seconds to flush it out before starting to fill the tank.

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www.amazon.co.uk/Super-Water-Grade-Caravan-Motorhome/dp/B00OH78HU2/ This site contains affiliate links for which MHF may be compensated.
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Hi. This is what we use



We also have one of those flat "cassette" hoses which we were given and I can see why the previous owner was happy to part with it - near impossible to rewind into the cassette and kinks when you blow on it. I use it at home but wouldn't give it room onboard.

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Good quality garden hose for us & we drink from the tank, not harmed us in over 40 years of caravaning & Motorhoming.

Gellyneck

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Good quality garden hose for us & we drink from the tank, not harmed us in over 40 years of caravaning & Motorhoming.
You even get free pebbles for the garden rockery!
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It does make me chuckle sometimes when people are concerned about the last 30ft their water travels into their water tank...

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Common old garden hose for us. 20m(?) from Lidl \ Aldi for £10.
But this not food grade ! You will die of instant poisoning !! Only a blue hose will do !

Jim

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Some garden hoses can impart a rubber taste that completely ruins a cup of rosy. The better quality the hose the least likely that will happen.

Last year we spent a long time living in the grounds of a hospital and I bought this Hozelock hose. The problem was the tap was the other side of a busy roadway. This hose must have had a cars and vans over it, no kinks, leaks or rubber tastes. Perfect.

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glenn

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But this not food grade ! You will die of instant poisoning !! Only a blue hose will do !
It’s true, it’s true. I read it on here. Instant death if you don’t use food grade hose for the fresh water’s last few metres. .
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Another vote for decent quality garden hose. Flush through before use to remove standing water. Fresh water passing through is only in there for a few seconds so can’t absorb much if anything from the hose.

We have been motorhoming for almost forty years and have never suffered any ill effects and we drink the water from the tank too.

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Have tried the flat hoses that need to be fully unwound & they are faster to fill but like this Brunner 3 core food grade hose pipe as can be used on the roll http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...&campid=&icep_item= . Had one for 7 years & still like new. Quidco has up to 10% cashback for eBay sales & triple Nectar points (207) at eBay too.

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Gellyneck

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  • Nov 28,
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But this not food grade ! You will die of instant poisoning !! Only a blue hose will do !
Thank G*d our garden hose is blue then!

Swifter

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Thank G*d our garden hose is blue then!
That’s good . You are safe then !

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It does make me chuckle sometimes when people are concerned about the last 30ft their water travels into their water tank...

Me too, having worked for the local water authority for many years choosing a hose is the last thing on my mind.
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As Jim says MAY impart slight taste BUT ain't going to kill you or even give you a nasty bug.
If concerned about colour go to B&Q..... they do a lovely cheap BLUE garden hose.
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All this worry about the hose and yet the water you're drawing off may of been in the pipe for ages, and the pipe joints may well not have lead free solder.
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My garden hose is yellow, been using it to fill motorhome water tank for 18years and drink water stored in tank and we are both still alive. Also use a watering can to fill if not near enough to use hose but couldn't find a food grade one

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When our flat hose packed up after 6 years (see above) we were in France and I bought some garden hose from a local shop.

We suffered from strongly and unpleasantly tasting water for the rest of the trip. I didn't twig the cause at first and blamed the local water! It was the hose leaching out chemicals. It stopped when I drained down and refilled through a better hose.

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Have tried the flat hoses that need to be fully unwound & they are faster to fill but like this Brunner 3 core food grade hose pipe as can be used on the roll http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...&campid=&icep_item= . Had one for 7 years & still like new. Quidco has up to 10% cashback for eBay sales & triple Nectar points (207) at eBay too.

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Thank you, I have just joined Quidco, I’ve used Topcashback for years. The newer version of the Brunner is blue and grey. I saw a write up after you recommended it when we were in the New Forest. On ebay the blue and yellow ones come up for £34.95 but I spotted in the general section a boxed blue and grey one for £39.99 on enlarging it’s the Brunner from a company in St Ives so that’s Nick’s Christmas pressie sorted. I’m so generous but I’m very fussy about the water in my tea! This site contains affiliate links for which MHF may be compensated.
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We bought one of the flat blue hoses on a yellow winder reel earlier this year and it’s already holed where the blue hose joins the filler.

In my experience, flat hoses only tend to "hole" when they get over-pressurised due to a kink in the hose.

Our first flat hose suffered from this as it kinked at the water fill inlet. This was subsequently overcome by inserting a short length of flexible (food grade) hose between flat hose and water fill inlet so that the flat hose didn't kink. Never had a problem since
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  • Nov 28,
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Hi. This is what we use



We also have one of those flat "cassette" hoses which we were given and I can see why the previous owner was happy to part with it - near impossible to rewind into the cassette and kinks when you blow on it. I use it at home but wouldn't give it room onboard.

Good job I checked first or I'd be copying any good chandlery will sell DECENT hoses unlike caravan shops

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Have tried the flat hoses that need to be fully unwound & they are faster to fill but like this Brunner 3 core food grade hose pipe as can be used on the roll http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...&campid=&icep_item= . Had one for 7 years & still like new. Quidco has up to 10% cashback for eBay sales & triple Nectar points (207) at eBay too.

View attachment
We have one of those but I only use it if my basic garden hose is not long enough! It is so restrictive of the flow it takes an age to fill the tank when using it! This site contains affiliate links for which MHF may be compensated.

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Diameter is another important factor, as a wider diameter can facilitate a higher water flow rate, reducing the amount of time water spends in the hose and minimising the risk of chemical leaching. Material composition is crucial as well, with options such as PVC and polyurethane available. 

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