Sanatization - Montana Owners Club

sspicknall · 08-30-2008, 08:46 AM

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to flush lines with clorox? I just purchased a Montana and am not quite sure how to go about this.. The unit is used and I just want to clean everything out. Thanks Lauri

Icehouse · 08-30-2008, 08:51 AM

We use Clorox to clean our lines and fresh water tank. We fill the fresh water tank about 1/2 to 3/4 full and add about 1/2 cup of Clorox. Maybe a little more. We eyeball it. When you drive the rig (not very far please) this will shake the bleach water and clean the tank. Then once you are parked and set up, open your sinks and shower and let the water flow till the tank is empty. Then fill your fresh water tank with fresh water and run the same lines open until you smell no more bleach. Works like a charm for us. Oh, don't forget to watch your gray water tank. You don't want it to back up.

By the way, welcome to the forum!

Illini Trekker · 08-30-2008, 08:56 AM

Welcome to MOC go to this link to answer your question

http://rvbasics.com/techtips/sanitiz...er-system.html

Hope it helped!

Glenn and Lorraine · 08-30-2008, 09:23 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Illini Trekker

Welcome to MOC go to this link to answer your question http://rvbasics.com/techtips/sanitiz...er-system.html. Hope it helped!

Try this one...

http://rvbasics.com/techtips/sanitiz...er-system.html

There is a . at the end of Illini Trekker's that doesn't belong there.

sspicknall · 08-30-2008, 09:42 AM

Wow you guys are quick.. thanks so much I feel a lot better!! and not crazy..lol...

exav8tr · 08-30-2008, 09:48 AM

The question I would ask: As a fulltimer, using mostly cg water,(Not on board tank), how often should I sanitize my fresh water tank???

sspicknall · 08-30-2008, 10:16 AM

Good question!! how often do you clorox the lines??

Mrs. CountryGuy · 08-30-2008, 10:47 AM

Full timers who sit on full service sites, in places that have city water will not need to do as frequently.

It is the water from wells that can (note word can) cause you a bit of trouble, and water that sits in lines or in fresh water tanks for a long time cause you don't use the unit, like us long timers or vacationers or weekenders.

Al and I do ours in the spring (if we were winterized) and sometimes again during the calendar year, depending on use, etc.

We do a bit different than Icehouse, we fill our fresh water tank up, using 6 to 10 ounces at the most of clorox. Run through the pipes with the pump. Let set for 24 hours, then do the drain thing and then fresh water. BUT, we are not living in it, so have the time to let it set for 24 hours.

Have heard of suggested amounts of a LOT more clorox than we use, we can smell the chlorine with the amount we use, I cannot imagine what it smells like to use a gallon or more?? WOW!

Or how long it would take to rinse out. Whew!

Did not visit the web sites suggested here, so, maybe I am duplicating.

Glenn and Lorraine · 08-30-2008, 11:45 AM

As full timers we only use the fresh water tank while on the road and only to flush the John. We therefore rarely worry about the fresh water tank. We carry spring water for drinking purposes and for brushin teeth and washing up if we happen to stay at a Wal*Mart which is a very very rare occasion.

Exnavydiver · 08-30-2008, 02:46 PM

I usually do a freshwater tank flush once a year as we use the tank often. Especially during the winter even in Georgia. We have freezies several times during the winter and we fill the tank when the weather gets in that zone and disconnect and drain the hose. We run that water till it warms up again outside. I also "rotate stock" with the tank about once a month even when staying in a campground. I will run a full tank about once a month by filling it and shutting down the CG water. It keeps everything fresh. When I sanitize I mix the clorox with water by taking the filter element out of the water filter and putting the bleach in the canister and screwing it back on. I then fill the fresh water tank. That way it is not coating the fill pipe with full strength bleach. I runn the faucets till I can smell it and leave for the day. Then I run the tank out by opening all the faucets and when it is empty I refill the tank and shift back to CG water and flush the pipes... Dave

**Rondo** · 08-30-2008, 05:52 PM

I normally leave my pipes full of the chlorinated water for about two hours or so before flushing them out again! This kills any bacteria or mold/mildew that may have formed inside them while the Monte is sitting and not being used. For the life of me, I still have not found the low point on the water pipes to drain them to get that water out of them. When winterizing, I use the blown air method to get the water out first, then pump in the winterizer. In the spring I just reverse the process but hook up to shore water not air and flush the winterizer out that way and I even sanitize the fresh water tank,lines,and water heater then! May not have to sanitize after the winterizer but it is just a precaution and safety measure to satify my own mind!

sspicknall · 08-31-2008, 09:00 AM

Great tips from everyone!! Many Thanks!! lauri

bsmeaton · 09-02-2008, 06:01 AM

We part time so I typically sanitize if its been more than about 4 weeks since the tanks were drained and the unit stored.

Like the others, about a cup of clorox in that tank (I add the clorox as the tank gets to about half full). I also run the faucets until I can smell it, then let it all set for about 2 hrs before flushing it all out. The only thing I do different is:

1. I bypass the hot water tank because it takes forever to purge out the clorox if I don't.

2. When we get to camp I run the wash machine through a cycle without any clothes in it, for fear of bleaching the clothes. It takes too much time to actually run ours through a cycle during the sanitize process.

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