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02-13-2011, 04:18 AM
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#1
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Siloam Springs
Posts: 2,206
M.O.C. #8890
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Cleaning fresh water tank
We have about 20 Gal. of water in the fresh water tank. We plan on draning the tank at our next stop which is about 100 miles. How much bleach should we put in the tank before we leave for the next stop to clean the tank good.
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02-13-2011, 04:40 AM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: _
Posts: 5,238
M.O.C. #6337
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I don't put much in, some say a gallon for a 60 gallon tank, I ask, WHAT??? aghast at that amount.
We would use, ohhhh, 4 ounces, maybe 6.
If you use more, it won't hurt, as long as you rinse it out very well later. In my experience, it takes several full tanks of fresh water to rinse well, most of the chlorine smell will be gone by then.
I read where others put vinegar OR baking soda OR any number of other things in after the bleach, NOT IN THE SAME TANK with the chlorine, but, after you have rinsed it out several times. I don't bother.
What we do by step: Add some bleach, leave in tank for a while, we usually fill tank ALL the way, and leave sit over night.
drain.
fill tank full of clean water
leave set for a few hours
drain
repeat the fill drain cycle until no bleachy smell is noted
done
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02-13-2011, 04:43 AM
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#3
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Midlothian
Posts: 956
M.O.C. #40
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02-13-2011, 10:45 AM
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#4
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Cresco
Posts: 447
M.O.C. #6693
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Ron:
I think that is in the owners manual, if I remember right. Check and see.... JB from Iowa.
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02-13-2011, 03:02 PM
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#5
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location:
Posts: 176
M.O.C. #6077
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Drain, refill and rinse it good, my eyes still burn when I think of my first shower after sanitizing our tank with 1 cup to a full tank. And I thought I did a good job flushing afterward.
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02-13-2011, 03:27 PM
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#6
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Winthrop Harbor
Posts: 1,831
M.O.C. #8160
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Louise doesn't like it when I use bleach, 1 cup per tank. She claims I never flush it out well enough. We use vinegar instead so now the water smells like pickle juice instead of the washing machine. I do use bleach on occassion to tick her off.
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02-13-2011, 03:39 PM
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#7
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Lincoln
Posts: 860
M.O.C. #8154
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Dick,
You made me laugh out loud!
Ken
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02-13-2011, 05:10 PM
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#8
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Siloam Springs
Posts: 2,206
M.O.C. #8890
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Thanks all, lots of good ideas. Maybe I will even read the owners manual.
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02-13-2011, 06:07 PM
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#9
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Site Team
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Omaha
Posts: 6,750
M.O.C. #7560
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Dick you have to be complimented on your use of words here. If I know Louise, she will definately let you know when you use the bleach, with no questions asked.  I like the idea of the vinegar but I'd like to use a little pickling spice to make it smells more like bread and butter pickles myself!   
Ron-- I've sent you an email!
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02-14-2011, 10:19 AM
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#10
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Casa Grande
Posts: 5,369
M.O.C. #6333
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Clean the fresh water tank?????????????
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02-14-2011, 03:42 PM
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#11
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Tuscarora
Posts: 484
M.O.C. #10026
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Sodium dichlor or quat. One quick rinse, no more smell/taste. On this same topic, I guess I've never truly understood what we are trying to do by "cleaning" the fresh water tank. I mean, there's 3 avenues here. Sanitize, disinfect and/or sterilize. Dichlor would take like 1/2 tsp to 1/2 tank of water, quat probably 1 tsp to 1/2 tank. I guess if someone could tell me specifically what we're trying to kill I'd know better what to use. 
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02-15-2011, 01:08 AM
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#12
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Montana Master
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Posts: 2,707
M.O.C. #7992
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Bill, I think for those of us who store the RV have concerns of mold and or bacteria breeding in stagnant, dark, damp area's. If ours was in constant use like yours and Phils I wouldn't see the need to sanitize. Jim
__________________
2006 3000RK
2009 Ram 2500
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02-15-2011, 08:09 AM
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#13
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Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location:
Posts: 2,156
M.O.C. #6920
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Ron, we pretty much follow MrsGountryGuy's (Carol's) process and bleach amounts. I generally do this while on the road to get the sloshing effect as well, then continue with Carol's process. I believe you can overload the bleach content especially if you don't flush numerous times with fresh water.
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02-15-2011, 08:26 AM
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#14
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Arnold
Posts: 1,200
M.O.C. #2586
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BTW, after you add the bleach and fill w/water, run the pump and all faucets to pull bleach water thru all of your lines. This will kill any mold or mildew, etc. in the lines, as well as the tank. As mentioned earlier, flush several times when done w/clean water. Clean as a whistle!!
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02-15-2011, 09:45 AM
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#15
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Tuscarora
Posts: 484
M.O.C. #10026
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by jimcol
Bill, I think for those of us who store the RV have concerns of mold and or bacteria breeding in stagnant, dark, damp area's. If ours was in constant use like yours and Phils I wouldn't see the need to sanitize. Jim
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Gotcha, but I'm not sure bleach is the answer. I guess what I was looking for is if anyone has any serious research to see exactly WHAT is growing/spawning/whatever in these tanks. I think it would be interesting if someone had water in their tank for say, 3+ months, then take a sample to the health dept. to see what was in there. It wouldn't surprise me if there was at least a dozen different bacterias/spores.
I just got a curious mind, I guess...what little there is of it. 
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