Freshening the Fresh Water Tank

[chuckbear]

here is the process we used to refresh our water system, notice I said system and not tanks, on both our boat and RV for decades. This information came from Peggy Hall, considered to be an expert on all this septic and water for the boating industry...

Peggie Hall has the 8 ounce solution

Fresh water system problems–foul odor or taste–are typically caused by allowing water to stagnate in the tank and especially the lines, creating the ideal environment for molds, fungi and bacteria that thrive in damp dark places. Here’s the recommended method for recommissioning fresh water systems; this should be done at least annually:

Fill the water tank with a solution of 1 cup (8 oz) of household bleach per 10 gallon tank capacity. Turn on every faucet on the boat (including a deck wash if you have one), and allow the water to run until what’s coming out smells strongly of bleach. Turn off the faucets, but leave the system pressurized so the solution remains in the lines.

Let stand overnight– at least 8 hours–but NO LONGER THAN 24 hours. Drain through every faucet on the boat (and if you haven’t done this in a while, it’s a good idea to remove any diffusion screens from the faucets, ‘cuz what’s likely to come out will clog them). Fill the tank again with fresh water only, drain again through every faucet on the boat, repeating till the water runs clean and smells and tastes clean.

Cleaning out the tank addresses only the least of the problem…most of the problem occurs in the lines, so it’s very important to leave the system pressurized while the bleach solution is in the tank to keep the solution in the lines too.

People have expressed concern about using this method to recommission aluminum tanks. While bleach (chlorine) IS corrosive, the effect of an annual or semi-annual “shock treatment” is negligible compared to the cumulative effect of holding chlorinated city water in the tank for years. Nevertheless, it’s a good idea to mix the total amount of bleach in a few gallons of water before putting it into either a stainless or aluminum tank.

To keep the water system cleaner longer, use your fresh water…keep water flowing through system. The molds, fungi, and bacteria only start to grow in hoses that aren’t being used. Before filling the tank each time, always let the dock water run for at least 15 minutes first…the same critters that like the lines on your system LOVE the dock supply line and your hose that sit in the warm sun, and you don’t want to transfer water that’s been sitting in the supply line to your system. So let the water run long enough to flush out all the water that’s been standing in them so that what goes into your boat is coming straight from the water main.

Finally, while the molds, fungi and bacteria in onboard water systems here in the US may not be pleasant, we’re dealing only with aesthetics…water purity isn’t an issue here–or in most developed nations…the water supply has already been purified (unless you’re using well-water). However, when cruising out of the country, it’s a good idea to

know what you’re putting in your tanks…and if you’re in any doubt, boil all water that’s to be drunk or used to wash dishes, and/or treat each tankful to purify. It’s even more important in these areas to let the water run before putting it in the tank–wash the boat, whatever it takes…because any harmful bacteria will REALLY proliferate in water hoses left sitting.

Peggie Hall

Peggie Hall is the author of “Marine Sanitation: Fact vs. Folklore”

[Bob_C]

The correct amount of bleach is 1/4 cup for every 15 gals of tank size....Why not put a T fitting in the line before the pump, and getting an inexpensive transfer pump from Harbor Freight.....

[chuckbear]

Originally Posted by bob caldwell

The correct amount of bleach is 1/4 cup for every 15 gals of tank size.....

And you got that information from what reliable source? Chuck

[Bob_C]

From 10 years on a different forum from folks that have full-timed forever, and thru personal use....I trust people that I've met and know...

[chuckbear]

Originally Posted by bob caldwell

From 10 years on a different forum from folks that have full-timed forever, and thru personal use....I trust people that I've met and know...

OK. Just wanted to clarify. This is yours and others opinions. Chuck

[Bob_C]

Originally Posted by chuckbear

OK. Just wanted to clarify. This is yours and others opinions. Chuck

And I suppose you believe everything that is in print......a few years ago, I had a customer that read an article in Hot Rod magazine about changing gear ratios in his new Chev truck....so I called the biggest gear manufacturer in the country at that time, and no such ratio existed.....you can believe in what you want, as well as I do...

[chuckbear]

Like you calling the gear manufacturer, I will try as much as possible to consult people that are known experts in their field like Peggy Hall when I need helpful information. And I try to pass on that information to be helpful to others, not posting my opinion as fact. You and anyone else here on the forum can either use that information or ignore it, of their own choosing. I have no intentions of moving this post into a discussion on what is the right or wrong amount of bleach to clean a system so this will be the last time I will respond to your rebuttals. Take the info I posted or leave it. Chuck

[CoachDitka]

Originally Posted by Darwin

I agree with above, I just add flushing with apple cider vinegar after beach. It improves the taste of the water.

This is not a bad idea but it is VERY important to note that the correct way to do this is, 1) clean the tank with the DILUTED bleach solution and make sure you don't use too much, 2) Drain the bleach solution completely and run some water through the tank to get rid of all of the bleach, 3) then do what you're going to do with the vinegar.

Not sure how aware you are but vinegar is an acid, and adding any acid to bleach will create extremely toxic, possibly deadly, chlorine gas. Be careful and always use bleach in a well-ventilated area. If you use the proper amounts of bleach and vinegar this is totally safe and not really anything to worry about...but people here are talking about using quite a bit of bleach...so just be careful and don't make any homemade mustard gas, it'll ruin your day.

[lwmcguire]

The best way to know what your actual levels of chlorine are is to simply test the discharge stream

Any simple test kit will give you a great reference point

I use peroxide for the taste and odor

Bleach is cheap so for contaminated systems start with it

[Spdracr39]

Lol the first time I sanitized my tank I put a whole gallon for 40 gallons of water. it was really clean but it took like 5 flush cycles to get rid of the bleach. My driveway was really clean also.

[Dmitche4]

So with all the above being said, my dealer dewinterizes with sulfur water. How do I get the water fresh? Currently, the white wash cloths come out a yellow tinge with that sulfur smell. and before some suggests it the anode rod is changed every year.

David

[lwmcguire]

Try a bottle of peroxide in the fresh water tank

Color is from iron and any odor from the sulphur

[MathComp]

Sorry to join this party so late, but I believe the main point of the original post was how to get some bleach into the fresh water tank without a gravity fill port. The 2003 Coachmen class C that I previously owned had the same "issue", so perhaps this is something unique to Coachmen, and perhaps they still make their RVs this way. I believe one of the previous posters had the best answer, and I'd like to restate it. If you mix a bleach-water solution and put it in a bucket, you can suck it into the fresh water tank using the RVs water pump. Just connect the anti-freeze hose and put the other end into the bucket. Then set the valves to "fill tank". At least on mine, that engaged the pump and sucked water from the bucket into the fresh water tank. It did not suck it into the water lines, like it would if the valves were set to "winterize".

[BuzzWolfAR]

I put the bleach into the hose when I fill the first time after winterizing.