Sanitizing the H2O system,When was the last time

[Dave W]

Just ruminating
When did you last sanitize yours? Or,*gasp* have you ever?

This is the 3rd time that I've sanitized the water system in our 5er - when it came home from the dealer in August 2014, second, when it came home after our first cross county trip in October 2015 PHEW!!!

I had forgotten how long and how much water it takes to do this little project the 'right' way. I also forgot how long it took that dinky FW tank drain to dump 65 gallons of water then refill it and the system a couple more times to flush out the bleach solution. Good thing my time isn't being charged by the hour!!

[WhatExit?]

Hadn't thought about this. Is there a procedure (link) you can share for this?

[Dave W]

Originally Posted by WhatExit?

Hadn't thought about this. Is there a procedure (link) you can share for this?

There are dozens of links on the 'net and are all about the same procedures. Some are too 'fluffy' so, IMHO, found this one easiest one to get you from point A to B: https://thecampingnerd.com/clean-san...-holding-tank/


Expect to spend hours doing it though

[Ram Montana High Country]

Hydrogen peroxide can be added to tank to sanitize - flushing not required

[jimcol]

We sanitize every Spring when it comes out of winter storage. While not a complicated procedure I agree it is a little time consuming. Once we charge the system in early spring we never drain it down until it goes into winter storage. We winterize with air not antifreeze.

[Dave W]

Originally Posted by Ram Montana High Country

Hydrogen peroxide can be added to tank to sanitize - flushing not required

Vinegar can do it as well but it needs to be heated to 130F or so to work effectively

Flushing is still required if pink stuff antifreeze is used plus I already have plenty of Clorox and lots of water while don't always have enough H2O2.


Then there is always cheap vodka ....

[Ahdmeyer]

another question on sanitizing. what is the best way to get the mixed solution into the fresh water tank? how does everyone get it into the tank. i know you need to dilute it in a gallon bucket is there any way to siphon it in? just looking for other ideas
thx
al meyer
3931fb
az

[DutchmenSport]

Originally Posted by Ahdmeyer

another question on sanitizing. what is the best way to get the mixed solution into the fresh water tank? how does everyone get it into the tank. i know you need to dilute it in a gallon bucket is there any way to siphon it in? just looking for other ideas
thx
al meyer
3931fb
az

1. Connect the outside shower hose (that blue hose in the wet bay) to the "Fill" connection you'd use for filling your fresh water tank.

2. By-pass water heater.

3. Hook up your winterizing hose to pump the sanatizing solution from yur bucket into your system using your winterizing hose.

4. Turn on the shower faucet.

The sanitizing solution will be drawn from the bucket through the winterizing port. It will circulate to the outside shower. From the shower, it will re-enter the system via the fill port, and it will flow into the fresh water tank. After you have pumped your bleach solution, you can add more water via the normal garden hose and finish filling the fresh water tank. This will dilute the bleach solution considerably. So, you might want to pump some fresh water through your winterizing system to flush out those lines as the bleach concentration will need to be pretty strong.

I have done it this way a few times now, and it works well.

Also, if you want to pump the bleach solution to the black tank flush flusher, just connect the blue hose to the black tank flusher. Or, if you want, you can connect the shower blue hose to your black tank flusher and pump it from your fresh water tank to throw some sanitazing solution into your black tank also, instead of dumping all that water on the ground ... if you have somewhere you can dump the black tank. This also helps clean out the black tank. And here's a tip, if you want to use your black tank flusher and you can't reach a spigot to connect directly, just connect the blue shower hose, and turn on the shower. No threat of cross contamination, as the anti-syphon valve under your bathroom sink will prevent any back-flow contamination.

Anyway, that's how you pump the Chlorine sanitizing solution into your fresh water tank.

[AZ Traveler]

I don't flush it. Just use a cup of bleach in the tank and don't use that water for cooking or drinking. Very easy.

[WeBeFulltime]

I like to do it when purchased and then twice a year.

[dfb]

We never use the RV water for cooking or the pets or drinking.. We buy water ... Even at the Rv parks where we are connected we don't use the water...

[jimcol]

We almost always use the park water unless it has an odor or is real metal heavy. Just shows you how different things vary in importance to different people.

[team bradfield]

we don't flush either, we only drink bottled water

[laverdur]

I sanitize mine every spring when I restore water service after the winter.

[TAKPAK]

We sanitize the fresh tank once a year, at the beginning of the season. My ratio is to put one cup of bleach (non-scented, non-foaming) into the hose I'm filling the tank with from the house supply. Fill the tank, then turn on pump and run it to each faucet. You can smell it when it reaches each one. Then leave it set for a day or so, then drain and refill. As others, we don't drink from either the fresh tank or the park supply, just bottled water. However, we do sanitize the tank, as we are brushing our teeth and rinsing with the tank/camp water supply. Worked for us for 13 years now.

[beeje]

Every Spring after a thorough flushing of the antifreeze from the winter it gets a full tank of water with a cup of bleach. Then that tank is ran through all of the fixtures and water heater and allowed to sit for at least a couple days.
Then I flush the entire system again several times with fresh water until the first trip.
We always travel with full water and I always add a couple tablespoons to the tank with every fill

[Mark7]

Been a few years now. I always run 30 gallons (guessing) thru the system when a de-winterize, but that’s the extent of it.

Wife refuses to drink the water coming from the system so she always has bottled water for that purpose. Washing dishes and showering is all the onboard water gets used for.

[Maggiesclan]

Check Facebook page for RV education 101. The host is Mark Polk. He posts a variety of video segments on assorted topics.

He has one post that breaks down the water system, including proper way to sanitize RV fresh water system. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with his information.

[Maggiesclan]

Something I found on YouTube. The author spent about $3.00 on parts and purchased six gallons of vinegar.

I did it and it was easy and worked great. https://youtu.be/-74CQxa5BLU

[Maggiesclan]

Would be curious to hear what you think about RV Education 101 and the YouTube post. Good luck!!