Community Forums

Vtxbiker · 06-09-2015, 07:41 AM

Hello, I would like some info on sanitizing the fresh water tank. What is the easiest way to get the cleaning product into the tank, what product do I use, and any precautions as to the procedure?

Thanks in advance
Paul

Czar Of Poop · 06-09-2015, 07:45 AM

Camping World has a liquid that you can pour into the tank that is very easy.

wolfe10 · 06-09-2015, 07:55 AM

After draining the old water, pour a cup of unscented bleach into a gallon jug. Pour that into your empty water hose. Connect to city water and fill the tank until water starts coming out the overflow. Disconnect from city water.

Let it sit for an hour.

Open each faucet (water pump on) until you smell bleach. This will take awhile on hot, since it will be mixing with the non-bleach water in the water heater.

Let it sit for an hour.

Drain, flush and fill with city water.

Brett
2003 Alpine

Terry W · 06-09-2015, 08:47 AM

I have one of the large house hold type water filters that has a changeable element. I remove the element and pour in a quart or so of bleach and hook it back up and fill the tank. Drive it around to slosh it in the tank, run all the faucets and toilet. Then dump the fresh tank and rinse if necessary. Its easy to do and you can use enough to maintain the system or really sanitize things.

I tried the hose method, but for me this is way easier. I just did mine and really bleached it, I fully subscribe to More's Law, so things were pretty bleachy inside for a bit. It helps that I don't mind the smell of bleach.I changed my inside water filter and I am good to go.It keeps the bleach off my shoes, pants and shirt also.

Jim A · 06-09-2015, 08:49 AM

If you have a filter canister, the easiest way is to remove the filter and put the chemical in the canister, then run water through it.

If you don't have one, never mind.

wolfe10 · 06-09-2015, 09:08 AM

Yup, no problem pouring the bleach solution in the filter if you use one.

But, that still leaves the hose unsanitized.

Terry W · 06-09-2015, 09:31 AM

Every few uses I submerge my hoses in the sink with bleach water and wash them inside and out. Helps keep the outside clean too. They also look more appealing to use.

Koop · 06-09-2015, 09:31 AM

I use sodium dichlor from a swimming pool supply store. One teaspoon will treat 100 gallons and it's odor free. I wrote about it in this post - about halfway down the page.

Tony Lee · 06-09-2015, 09:39 AM

No point in vastly exceeding the recommended dose.

If you do have carbon or resin filters in the system, either replace them after the procedure, or remove them prior

Janet and Todd · 06-09-2015, 10:13 AM

Someone wrote before that they just bypass the filters and fill the fresh tank with unfiltered city water every so often since city water is chlorinated already. Made sense to me so that's what I've started doing. I did, however sanitize using the recommended procedure in the manual when we first bought the coach.

Old Scout · 06-09-2015, 05:04 PM

Yup--cup of bleach in the fill hose; then 10 gallons thru the hose and into the fresh tank; stop and go, forward and reverse; couple times a year. Challenge with later model Alpines is that they dont have the large 2 1/2 inch dump valve avail in the earlier models so dumping the fresh tank is a pain. I treat the hot water heater separately--open and flush the heater tank once a year, and check the anode rod for decay....

DrDaveMA · 06-09-2015, 05:28 PM

I have a submersible pump, place the bleach/chlorine in a Homer bucket, attach the sump pump to my water hose, once I pump 5 gals from the bucket into the tank, I am done, except for driving around. I also use the sump pump to winterized the coach, pump the antifreeze into the fresh tank and then into the system, just don't use the pump and bucket for other things!

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Dave, Bobbi and Fenway

Vtxbiker · 06-10-2015, 12:10 PM

As usual when I have a question I get a variety of great answers, which makes this forum great. Thanks to all who replied. I do have the 2 filter canisters and will be trying the addition through the empty canisters.

Paul

Tony Lee · 06-10-2015, 12:17 PM

If you want to sanitise ALL of your water system, then you need to add water to the hose, or a filter located at the faucet. KISS - just pour the cup of bleach into the faucet end of the empty hose, connect to faucet and coach and fill the whole system including HWS, pump and all lines. Leave for a few hours, dump tank and open drain lines, refill with fresh water and flush through. Repeat if necessary

Washing machines and icemakers need doing too.