Coast Resorts Open Roads Forum: How do you sanitize your fresh-water tank and lines?

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Topic: How do you sanitize your fresh-water tank and lines?

Posted By: hedgehopper on 04/20/23 01:13pm

The instructions that came with our rig use a lot of water. In scarce-water Colorado we do not want to use more than necessary. How do you do yours?

* This post was edited 04/20/23 01:43pm by hedgehopper *

Posted By: 2oldman on 04/20/23 01:16pm

I don't.

Posted By: 3 tons on 04/20/23 01:22pm

Never done it in 14 years - I can visually see up close both ends of the fresh tank and it is still spotless…BTW, cith water has chlorine in it and apparently this is enough to do the job…

3 tons

Posted By: Thermoguy on 04/20/23 01:38pm

I follow the instructions - Bleach and a lot of water to rinse it out after the first fill and sit period.

Posted By: TechWriter on 04/20/23 01:51pm

3 tons wrote:

Never done it in 14 years - I can visually see up close both ends of the fresh tank and it is still spotless

My eyes aren't as good as yours. I can't see bacteria.

3 tons wrote:

BTW, cith water has chlorine in it and apparently this is enough to do the job…

All campgrounds don't have chlorinated water supplies.

OP, I think most folks, including myself, sanitize our RV water tanks periodically. Once or twice a year for me.

I use either bleach or Purogene. Bleach is cheap, but caustic as hell. Purogene is pricey but easy on people.

For a typical 50ppm bleach sanitize, it's 1/4 cup bleach per 15 gal of holding tank capacity and let sit for 4 hours. For a stronger (100 ppm) concentration, it's 1/2 cup bleach per 15 gal and let it sit 1 hour.

Finally, you'll probably get some interesting rationale from folks who never sanitize their water tanks like . . .

- "I haven't gotten sick yet." (Also a popular excuse for smokers.)

- "I used to drink out of a water hose when I was a kid" (What this has to do with tank sanitation still escapes me.)

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Posted By: ktmrfs on 04/20/23 02:09pm

I use "spring fresh" santizer, easier than chlorine to get any residual smell/taste out. I do it every spring. The rest of the camping season I drain fresh tank after each trip, fill before the trip.

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Posted By: JimK-NY on 04/20/23 02:24pm

I would not want to argue with anyone who wants to use their camper without sanitizing the tank. But the OP asked for instructions on how to do the sanitizing using minimal amount of water.

The recommended procedure is to use 1/4 cup of household bleach for each 15 gallons of water. Pump the solution through the supply lines and faucets.

Some people bypass the hot water tank. I do not. There have been numerous studies showing that Legionella bacteria can thrive in RV hot water tanks. Fortunately most of us tolerate exposure fairly well. I had a friend who got really sick and was hospitalized with it for several weeks. I also do not scrimp and I completely fill the FW tank.

There are all sorts of conflicting instructions regarding the soak time. The original studies showed one hour was sufficient, but it seems that it is common to recommend longer soak times including even overnight.

Rinsing out the bleach solution will require a considerable amount of additional water. I completely drain the FW tank and pull the plug to also drain the HW tank. Typically I fill the tanks with fresh water and then drain again. You could probably get rid of the excess bleach by only filling the tanks about a third full and then drain again. Once you have the tanks flushed out the bleach in the supply lines can be quickly pumped out.

Posted By: rk911 on 04/20/23 02:37pm

I did when we were newbees but quit after a year or two. haven't sanitized the water system for 30+ years. to each their own.

Rich
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Posted By: MNtundraRet on 04/20/23 03:48pm

I used the bleach method each spring. I carried separate drinking water. I used the water with bleach for toilet and doing the dishes. After refilling the tank water was okay to drink.

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Posted By: Grit dog on 04/20/23 03:50pm

hedgehopper wrote:

The instructions that came with our rig use a lot of water. In scarce-water Colorado we do not want to use more than necessary. How do you do yours?

Lol, what?
If 100 or 200 gallons pegs your environmental consciousness meter, I’d suggest trading for a Prius and a tent.
In the interest of actually sanitizing your tank, your tank you need to fill it full with water with whatever chemical you choose and then run it through the lines as well. And then it’ll take a tank or 2 to flush. Although residual chlorine dissipates over time so you can use less flushing if you don’t need to use the water tank for a period of time after sanitizing it.

You’re gonna use 2-3 tank full of water bout no matter how you slice it.

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Posted By: Boon Docker on 04/20/23 04:15pm

Wow, lots of useless answers on how to use the least amount of water.

To the OP, try this:

Fill fresh water tank with 15 gallons of water and 1/2 cup household bleach.
Tow your trailer around for about 10-15 mins to slosh the bleach mixture around.
Bypass the water heater, then pump the mixture through the hot and cold water lines.
Leave mixture sit for a few hours then drain the tank and fully fill with water. Run the fresh water through each hot and cold line for 15-20 secs. You are done.

Works fine for me.

Posted By: 2112 on 04/20/23 04:50pm

Funny thing is I use to not sanitize and now I do. We got some bad water a few years ago.

I use 1 Step No Rinse sanitizer once a year now. The same thing I use for my brewing equipment.

Dissolve 2lbs in a 5 gallon jug. Add that to my 40gal tank, fill and let it sit overnight. Drain, refill and flush the lines.

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Posted By: toedtoes on 04/20/23 06:01pm

I use chlorine granules for pools. It takes very little and it does not have the "icky" taste that household bleach has. So, you don't have to rinse the tank after dumping the bleach-infused tank.

Add chlorine granules to some water and mix. Dump into the tank. Fill the tank partway - drive and slosh (or fill all the way and leave sit for a couple hours). Run through all the faucets until empty.

Add water for your trip as needed.

I do this when I first get an RV. After that, I only do it if I've left water in the tank for several months or I filled my tank from an unfamiliar water source.

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Posted By: 3 tons on 04/20/23 07:00pm

TechWriter wrote:

3 tons wrote:

Never done it in 14 years - I can visually see up close both ends of the fresh tank and it is still spotless

My eyes aren't as good as yours. I can't see bacteria.

3 tons wrote:

BTW, cith water has chlorine in it and apparently this is enough to do the job…

Okay Fair enough (though from my perspective, a bit of myopic hyperbole [emoticon]

…), but we fill the tank before each outing with pre-chlorinated city water, and we drink only bottled R.O. (reverse osmosis) processed water, and if you care to think about it (whether at home or not…) chlorine is a very effective and economical water disinfectant which has benefited the entire world (especially, due to economics, the third world), but chlorine is also a known well established carcinogen (though this fact is mostly dismissed - possibly a mere case of ignorance is bliss??…), whereby the bulk of one’s exposure occurs through directly the derma (skin) when bathing… So in my view, rather than paint with such a broad brush (facts matter, eh?), in my judgement each person need be aware of this risk and (based on information) chose whatever the best informed option of their own choice - FWIW, this may contrary to conventional wholesale wisdom…

I would also add here that the chlorine in city water tends to evaporate from a storage tank in about 30 or so minutes, we see the same thing happening in swimming pools as well…

Upon re-read, Techwriter also wrote: “My eyes aren't as good as yours. I can't see bacteria.”…..

Well, this migh surprise some but there’s about 2 billion bacteria within the human body’s interstitial fluids alone, all of which are in circulation and are beneficial (by design, ingesting toxins)… Point being (ego aside - lol) is that we are all just another part of this vast biosphere…

Thanks in advance ‘for tolerating’ this opposing point of view…

3 tons

* This post was last edited 04/20/23 11:08pm by 3 tons *

Posted By: azrving on 04/20/23 07:18pm

Boon Docker wrote:

This is the answer. Include the low point drains.

Posted By: Bobbo on 04/20/23 07:30pm

Boon Docker wrote:

Do you not feel the water heater needs disinfecting too? Some water sits in it all winter.

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Posted By: Bobbo on 04/20/23 07:36pm

OP, whatever you do to conserve water, to disinfect your water system, you need to wet all surfaces with the bleach solution, and keep it wet for about 4 hours. (Bleach doesn't kill bacteria instantly, it takes a certain amount of time.) That includes all surfaces of the fresh water tank, the water heater, and every water line in the RV, including the outside shower. I do this once a year, every spring when de-winterizing the RV.

Posted By: 3 tons on 04/20/23 08:06pm

Bobbo said:

“Do you not feel the water heater needs disinfecting too? Some water sits in it all winter.”

If you want to disinfect it, just turn it on for an hour or two…

3 tons

Posted By: bigfootford on 04/20/23 08:08pm

Ok, so what do you do with well water? Buy bottled water to drink?
Our wells in our Oregon property was less than 20'... Wonderful water!
As a kid all the farms I visited and lived atl were on wells...That was down in the Fresno area, some of the water tasted like sulphur but we all drank it. Cows lived right over some of the wells....

For me, that hose and the place I get water from is critical and has been for over 50 years of RV and trailers. I always make darn sure that hose is MINE and I make sure it does not touch any ****...

Jim.

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Posted By: 3 tons on 04/20/23 08:40pm

bigfootford wrote:

Ha! Well Jim, there you go again injecting a bit of sorely needed common sense !! [emoticon]

FWIW, my dear old Grandad (RIP) was a farmer and a willow branch ‘Well Witcher’ (in today’s modern vernacular, ‘Water Douser’), in the old ‘backwards’ poverty stricken South…Oddly, many folks there tended to live past their 90’s and often in their 100’s…I seriously doubt many of them ever heard of chlorine - in fact, some might likely have called it a useless yankee trick - lol!!

It truly amazing just how distant we’ve strayed from our roots…

3 tons

* This post was edited 04/20/23 08:52pm by 3 tons *

Posted By: austinjenna on 04/21/23 05:16am

I use a cup of bleach in my 60 gallon fresh water tank. I pour the bleach into the hose first as its easier for me that way then fill the fresh water tank up.
I bypass the water heater - that has its own sanitizing way.

Turn on the water pump
Go to each faucet and turn it on until you smell bleach then move onto the next faucet.
Do all the faucets, shower, outdoor shower, toilet etc...
You only need to let it sit an hour or 2 after that the bleach solution is diluted and wont really do anything.
Then I turn on all the faucets and pump it through until the tank is empty. You might want to open your sewer valves so there is no overflow.

I then fill up the fresh water tank again and pump it through all the faucets and I might do that twice. Then you should be set.

For the hot water tank I use vinegar and fill that up and let it sit, usually overnight then drain that and I use the little hot water wand to rinse it all out.

Then turn the hot water bypass back on and you are done.

Its inevitable that you will use a lot of water sanitizing everything.

At least this is my method.

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Posted By: Bobbo on 04/21/23 07:42am

3 tons wrote:

Bobbo said:

“Do you not feel the water heater needs disinfecting too? Some water sits in it all winter.”

If you want to disinfect it, just turn it on for an hour or two…

3 tons

It takes a temperature of about 170 degrees F (77 degrees C) to disinfect water. How hot does an RV water heater get?

Posted By: MFL on 04/21/23 08:16am

Bobbo wrote:

3 tons wrote:

Bobbo said:

“Do you not feel the water heater needs disinfecting too? Some water sits in it all winter.”

If you want to disinfect it, just turn it on for an hour or two…

3 tons

It takes a temperature of about 170 degrees F (77 degrees C) to disinfect water. How hot does an RV water heater get?

I hoping not 170, but may get to 140?

In my experience leaving a sanitizer in the water heater over night, will help clean the visible cr@p out of it, that you can see, using an inspection light.

Jerry

Posted By: bigfootford on 04/21/23 09:58am

Pour tap water into a gallon jug. Put it anywhere you want. Leave it for 5 years and see if there is anything bad in it. You know the answer.
Now if you were to put some dirt in there with it what do you think would happen?

A bud of mine and some of you know him, Reddog1, got an old 60's trailer to tear down because he wanted the frame. We took the freshwater tank out of there and was curious what it looked like on the inside. There was no slime, mold or dead living matter in there. It was clean. It did smell a bit of plastic.
Jim.

Posted By: Boon Docker on 04/21/23 10:25am

Bobbo wrote:

Boon Docker wrote:

Do you not feel the water heater needs disinfecting too? Some water sits in it all winter.

If there is a rotten egg smell in the hot water then I sanitize the water heater. If not I don't bother with it.

Posted By: Grit dog on 04/21/23 11:15am

Some of y’all make this RV thing seem far too complicated….

Posted By: Bobbo on 04/21/23 07:36pm

While I have the fresh water tank full enough of bleach water to run through all of the water lines, I fill my water heater too. Doesn't cost any extra. YMMV.

Posted By: Blacklane on 04/21/23 08:02pm

While others debate the merits of different approaches, let me say that pouring bleach or any other liquid into the water tank is difficult. I used to use a flexible funnel, but all of the accordion folds held a lot of bleach that would drip everywhere, including on my pant.

The solution I found was a horizontal funnel found at auto parts stores used for filling automotive fuel tanks. It is just the right shape for filling RV water tanks as well.

Here is one example: https://www.amazon.com/Replace-8U5A17B068AD-8U5Z17B068A-8U5Z17B068B-Mountaineer/dp/B0B87XG738

* This post was edited 04/22/23 06:15pm by Blacklane *

Posted By: toedtoes on 04/21/23 11:33pm

Blacklane wrote:

While others debate the merits of different approaches, let me say that pouring bleach or any other liquid into the water tank is difficult. I used to use a flexible funnel, but all of the accordion folds held a lot of bleach that would drip everywhere, including on my pants and shoes.

The solution I found was a horizontal funnel found at auto parts stores used for filling brake fluid reservoirs. It is smooth and bent.

Here is one example: https://www.amazon.com/Red-Line-99239-Funnel/dp/B0722TS26D

I got a "beer bong funnel". It has a smooth tube and is bigger and longer than other funnels. And it has a valve at the end so I can get everything mixed IN the funnel before it starts flowing into the tank.

Beer Bong Funnel

Posted By: austinjenna on 04/22/23 04:59am

Quote:

While others debate the merits of different approaches, let me say that pouring bleach or any other liquid into the water tank is difficult. I used to use a flexible funnel, but all of the accordion folds held a lot of bleach that would drip everywhere, including on my pants and shoes.

The solution I found was a horizontal funnel found at auto parts stores used for filling brake fluid reservoirs. It is smooth and bent.

Here is one example: https://www.amazon.com/Red-Line-99239-Funnel/dp/B0722TS26D

Just pour the bleach into your fresh water hose - then put that into your tank. There is no need to buy anything else to do it.

Posted By: StirCrazy on 04/22/23 09:04am

I used to use bleach but I got tired of the flushing for hours after to remove the taste/smell, so I decided to try Captain Phab purge tank cleanser and I loved it. a bit more cost than bleach but you fill up the tanks with this in it, let it sit overnight drain, then fill again for a rinse and drain and you're done. no taste or anything.

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Posted By: ernie1 on 04/23/23 07:18am

Captain Phab contains "Viable non pathogenic bacteria suspension". What's that? How does it work?

Posted By: StirCrazy on 04/23/23 08:18am

ernie1 wrote:

Captain Phab contains "Viable non pathogenic bacteria suspension". What's that? How does it work?

Where did you see that? the one I linked to is sodium percarbonate and other acids in a blend, but mostly the sodium.

Posted By: ernie1 on 04/23/23 02:23pm

I googled Captain Phab.

Posted By: TechWriter on 04/23/23 05:38pm

According to Captain Phab's MSDS, it contains between 80 - 100% sodium percarbonate (aka "oxygen bleach").

So that other 20% is anybody's guess.

However, since Captain Phab can go as high as 100% sodium percarbonate, then you would save a lot of money by just buying generic:

- Captain Fab, 450g (about 1 pound) = $39.85

vs

- Sodium Percarbonate (10 pounds) = $49.95

Posted By: StirCrazy on 04/23/23 07:58pm

TechWriter wrote:

if you download there MSDS sheet the rest is composed of different acids, which because they are not listed on the MSDS lets me know they are most likely food type acids. I thought about getting it bulk, but it isn't worth it, one container does both my 5th wheel and my camper for two years. so, it costs me 5 buck a cleanse. If I am going to cry about that I should probably sell my rv's as I use more than that in toilet paper in one trip.

Posted By: StirCrazy on 04/23/23 08:03pm

ernie1 wrote:

I googled Captain Phab.

I even searched for that phrase and couldn't find it. send me a link so I can look at it, I'm suspecting it's not the potable water treatment you're looking at, but still interesting

Posted By: Bobbo on 04/24/23 07:21am

StirCrazy wrote:

ernie1 wrote:

I googled Captain Phab.

I even searched for that phrase and couldn't find it. send me a link so I can look at it, I'm suspecting it's not the potable water treatment you're looking at, but still interesting

This is the product that has "viable non pathogenic bacteria." This is for the black tank. The bottle even says it is for the septic system.

Captain Phab Advanced Enzyme Holding Tank Treatment

And, here is the MSDS.

MSDS

[image]

Posted By: StirCrazy on 04/24/23 07:58am

Bobbo wrote:

StirCrazy wrote:

ernie1 wrote:

I googled Captain Phab.

I even searched for that phrase and couldn't find it. send me a link so I can look at it, I'm suspecting it's not the potable water treatment you're looking at, but still interesting

ya and I am not seeing that phrase anywhere following the links you sent. wonder what's going on.

Posted By: stevenal on 04/24/23 07:58am

https://www.captainphab.com/shop/portabl........-tanks/450-g-container-16-oz-part-no-228

This is the one referenced. I see nothing regarding sanitizing, only odor control. The price looks right. [emoticon]

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Posted By: StirCrazy on 04/24/23 08:05am

ernie1 wrote:

Captain Phab contains "Viable non pathogenic bacteria suspension". What's that? How does it work?

All it means is they are using bacteria to break down waist components in the septic tank treatments, and that the bacteria are not harmful to us, only the waist components. kind of like the ones they use to break down oil.

Posted By: toedtoes on 04/24/23 12:15pm

What does sanitizing your waste tanks have to do with sanitizing your fresh water tank? I think for most of us, we don't put poop in our fresh tanks. And a product that breaks down poop is probably not going to kill mold.

Posted By: Bobbo on 04/24/23 08:31pm

StirCrazy wrote:

ya and I am not seeing that phrase anywhere following the links you sent. wonder what's going on.

toedtoes wrote:

Somebody found a link to the wrong product and didn't realize it was for the black tank instead of the fresh water tank.

Posted By: toedtoes on 04/24/23 09:58pm

Bobbo wrote:

StirCrazy wrote:

ya and I am not seeing that phrase anywhere following the links you sent. wonder what's going on.

toedtoes wrote:

Somebody found a link to the wrong product and didn't realize it was for the black tank instead of the fresh water tank.

The one you linked to is for black and gray tanks. None of them state they are or frest water tanks. And again, what works to break down/cleangray and black tanks is not going to do anything for mold/algae in a fresh water tank.

Posted By: Bobbo on 04/25/23 07:31am

toedtoes wrote:

Yes. That is exactly what I said when I posted it originally.

1. There was a discussion of fresh water tank treatment.
2. Someone posted that the ingredients of the product they found were "viable non pathogenic bacteria suspension" and asked how that worked.
3. Others posted that they couldn't find that product.
4. I found that product and posted it so everyone would know what he was talking about.
5. Someone posted that he couldn't find where it said it was for the septic system, or where the MSDS said "viable non pathogenic bacteria suspension."
6. I then posted focusing on "septic system" and "viable non pathogenic bacteria suspension."

Posted By: StirCrazy on 04/25/23 08:15am

Bobbo wrote:

StirCrazy wrote:

ya and I am not seeing that phrase anywhere following the links you sent. wonder what's going on.

toedtoes wrote:

Somebody found a link to the wrong product and didn't realize it was for the black tank instead of the fresh water tank.

haha the only one I didn't look at

Posted By: 12th Man Fan on 04/25/23 08:44am

I use sodium dichlor 1 teaspoon per 100 gallons. No bad taste or smell.

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