Dewinterize

[Nxkharra]

Hi all, i am planning to dewinterize our Itasca 36M MH soon. My first time. Please help me with dos and donts. I have read the manual and will follow.
More concern about ensuring all the pipes are free of bacteria for drinking.
We do have three filters which I am changing all to new ones (outside, fridge, and drinking faucet.

[Bigd9]

How did you winterize the coach? Was the "pink stuff" used or compressed air used to blow out the lines? Overall it is not a difficult task. Hook up to water and flush out the system. If the "pink stuff" was used you will need to flush until the taste goes away. The disinfectant in city water will do the rest. Now if you really want to be sanitized, a small amount of additional NEW bleach in the water will kill anything that concerns you. Just pour the bleach into the fresh water fill or gravity fill so it will go into the water tank.

Big question is was any of the "pink stuff" put into the freshwater tank? If so you may need to flush and flush and flush to get it out. Then put bleach in the tank. When we first bought our coach, we found out the previous owner poured several gallons into the tank and I swear it took a half dozen trips before we got rid of the taste.

Let us know ow it goes, OK?

[Nxkharra]

Thanks. Yes I did use the pink stuff, and no didn't put t in the FW tank.

[Firebug5]

After flushing all of the antifreeze from the lines, then, and only then, is it OK to reset the water heater bypass valves. Replace the drain plug in the water heater. Then open the pressure relief valve and let the water fill the water heater until the water sprays out of the valve.

If you use the outside shower for pets or yourselves, do not forget to flush the antifreeze from that, too.

Enjoy your next adventure!

Bruce

[B52Guy]

My owner's manual specifies using one gallon of "solution" per 15 gallons of tank capacity (your fresh water tank). You make the solution by adding 1/4 cup of household chlorine bleach to a gallon of water. Eg....2 2/3rds gallons of solution will treat a 40 gallon tank. This mixture puts in a 50 ppm residual in the water and acts as a quick-kill dosage for harmful bacteria, viruses and slime forming organisms. Concentrations higher than 50 ppm may damage water lines and tanks. First drain the tank completely. Close the drain and start adding water. Before tank in full, add the correct amount of solution. Fill up the fresh water tank to the top. Turn on the pump and run water to and through all the taps (don't forget the hot water tank and the shower) until you smell the bleach. Then allow the system to stand for four hours. Then drain and flush the system until no smell of chlorine. Several flushes may be required. (I've only had to flush once). After all done, and you have clean (no heavy chlorine smell) water at all taps install your water filter(s). (this is all per Holiday Rambler). It assumes you use 5.25% Sodium Hypochlorite.)

I've noticed that some of the bottles of bleach are only 3% (the cheap stuff) and others (the more expensive bleach) have almost 8% concentrate for the concentrated brands...so it worth the time to check the label and find the one at 5.25%. The closest I could find was 6%. I'm not a chemist so I don't stand behind these numbers provided by Holiday Rambler, but I've done this every year and never gotten sick. It's important to not just dump in the Chlorine straight.....it is way to concentrated and will damage stuff. As long as you get the total about of necessary bleach into the full tank, you will be good....in my case I have a 100 gallon tank, so I need to inject 6 2/3 cups of of 5.25% household bleach in my tank. Good luck.

[Ray,IN]

How to properly sanitize your fresh water system
Important! Do not install new charcoal filters until after sanitizing.

[vettenuts]

Originally Posted by Bigd9

Big question is was any of the "pink stuff" put into the freshwater tank? If so you may need to flush and flush and flush to get it out. Then put bleach in the tank. When we first bought our coach, we found out the previous owner poured several gallons into the tank and I swear it took a half dozen trips before we got rid of the taste.



Let us know ow it goes, OK?

Yep, that's where I goofed when I did mine last fall for the first time. I didn't realize the tank fill valve was open and pumped three gallons of anti-freeze into my water tank. I know I need to flush that out good this spring when the time comes and the snow stops.

[harleyjt]

Originally Posted by B52Guy

My owner's manual specifies using one gallon of "solution" per 15 gallons of tank capacity (your fresh water tank). You make the solution by adding 1/4 cup of household chlorine bleach to a gallon of water. Eg....2 2/3rds gallons of solution will treat a 40 gallon tank. This mixture puts in a 50 ppm residual in the water and acts as a quick-kill dosage for harmful bacteria, viruses and slime forming organisms. Concentrations higher than 50 ppm may damage water lines and tanks. First drain the tank completely. Close the drain and start adding water. Before tank in full, add the correct amount of solution. Fill up the fresh water tank to the top. Turn on the pump and run water to and through all the taps (don't forget the hot water tank and the shower) until you smell the bleach. Then allow the system to stand for four hours. Then drain and flush the system until no smell of chlorine. Several flushes may be required. (I've only had to flush once). After all done, and you have clean (no heavy chlorine smell) water at all taps install your water filter(s). (this is all per Holiday Rambler). It assumes you use 5.25% Sodium Hypochlorite.)

I've noticed that some of the bottles of bleach are only 3% (the cheap stuff) and others (the more expensive bleach) have almost 8% concentrate for the concentrated brands...so it worth the time to check the label and find the one at 5.25%. The closest I could find was 6%. I'm not a chemist so I don't stand behind these numbers provided by Holiday Rambler, but I've done this every year and never gotten sick. It's important to not just dump in the Chlorine straight.....it is way to concentrated and will damage stuff. As long as you get the total about of necessary bleach into the full tank, you will be good....in my case I have a 100 gallon tank, so I need to inject 6 2/3 cups of of 5.25% household bleach in my tank. Good luck.

Must be an industry standard. My Newmar has almost identical instructions.
jt

[Nxkharra]

Thanks to all i did complete the process today. It wasnt difficult as some of you mentioned. Since this is a fairly new coach and we have been the only owner I decided not to use too much bleach as some recommended. I tried to pour some bleach through the city water hose but dont think much went in. I am using spiral hose. We are allergic to bleach anyway. I filled the water tank half way once and emptied it after an hour or so. I then filled it again and am planning to empty it in couple of days when we get on the road.
I will change all the filters after i empty the tank.
The batteries were low after 6 month of storage so i have connected the electricity hoping that it will recharge them in few days.
I could not start the generator. Low batteries may be? I have been starting in few times this winter with no issues. Any ideas?
Thanks again to all who participated.

[Bigd9]

Very well could be low batteries. Did you check the voltage on both battery banks? Plugging it in should charge them back to normal and hopefully all will be good. Make sure you check the water level in each battery and only add distilled water if need be.
Keep us posted....

[Nxkharra]

Thanks bigd9 for good comments

[NITEHAWK]

If you are allergic to bleach, use hydrogen peroxide instead. It will break down into just plain H2O after awhile and no taste leftover.

[golfpgb]

I like that idea. Hydrogen peroxide is not as harmful.

[Bigd9]

Here is an interesting discussion on using Hydrogen peroxide to disinfect a water system. Also check out the amount of hydrogen peroxide needed to do the job, and the harmful effects on plastic plumbing in high dosages.

Using Peroxide in Water Tanks - Water and holding tanks - FMCA Motorhome Forums