Sanitizing water Lines - Where to go.

[vjohnny]

We are getting ready to hit the road in our new to us 2008 Allegro Bus. I need to sanitize the water lines first but have no access for filling and flushing at home or where it is stored. Is there anywhere you can go to do this or do you just go to a campground for a day?

[luvlabs]

Since all you need is some bleach, a water hose, and some time, why don't you a) do it when parked at your house; or b) do it when you get to the campground?

[vjohnny]

We are currently in a condo...no access for water or sewer. Would prefer to do it before we depart as we may be dry camping on the way. Camping World does have facilities for this nearest one is an hour away. Could shop while waiting $$$

[nothermark]

You can do it anywhere you can get a potable water source. It is just a matter of adding some bleach when you fill the water tank. You might want a few gallons of drinking water separate from tap water while you use most of the first tank in case you get too much bleach. Too much is better than too little as long as you are in the range of reasonable. You can also add water after the tank level is down to cut the concentration. The first few minutes of flow and the mix sitting in the lines are what do the sanitizing.

[wa8yxm]

Have done it at home, in campground and flying J.

As noted you need a source of water (filtered is nice, but bring your own filter, or make your own, More later on that)

some bleach (1/4 cup per 15 gallons of tank capacit
A half cup to a cup of baking soda

Some time and a place to drain FRESH WATER

NOTE: There is no where you can legally park where you can not drain fresh water on the ground.. but if it's a J, (or other truck stop) try to park near a storm drain and be prepared to prove it is fresh, or bleach or soda water

Fill with water and bleach (I like to half fill and then add bleach, full strength, to the hose or mix the bleach with around 5 gallons of water and add via gravity fill)

Pump through all lines.
Dump
Fill with fresh water and baking soda (1/2 to 1 cup for most tanks) mix sodawith water and pour in via gravity fill.

Pumthrough all lines (Oh by the way do not forget shower and toilet)

Dump again.

Fill with fresh and flush lines

OPtional dump and re-fill with fresh (The remaing soda should not bother you)


Routine drinking water if on a well fed site I'm stuck in Georgia where mold loves to grow in water tanks and the park is a well fed park so I'm adding 1 ounce of bleach to 80 gallons of water when I re-fill the tank and using the on-board pump Works great, I do not taste the bleach (But then I post-filter) and the mold does not appear (or has not anyway)


Filter note:

Take One foot or so of 2-3 inch PVC pipe.. get a pair (one male one female) threaded adapters, two stainless steel drain covers and a set of reducers and adapters to get it down to garden hose fittings (one male one female)

Assemble as follows

Garden hose fitting (Does not really matter which one but in my case the Male to reducer(s) till you get it up to the one that goes on the pipe

Cut down teh drain cover so it just fits inside the largest reducer adapter and then attach to the end of the pipe.. CUT the pipe far enough from the other end that you can put the two adapters on it and put on one of the threaded fittings (on each part)

On the other end of the short part do the same thing you did on the first end only use the other hose adapter.

From the FISH isle at Wal*Mart or other pet supply

Get a bag of filter floss
Get a bottle of activated charcoal NOTE: Basic not the anti-algae type.
Fill long pipe as follows
about half to 3/4 full of filter floss, pack it down some. You want at least 1/3 of the pipe so filled.

Charcoal on top of that.

Depending on how much pipe you have left stuff the short section with floss or finish filling the long one

Join pipes, tighten well tape is optional on plastic fittings. (Teflon pipe thrad tape)

I used a 3" pipe and it takes a full bottle

Change at least every 3 months (I usually go six)

ALL water into the RV goes through the filter... Drinking water goes through a Brita filter as well.

[vjohnny]

Thank you all for the ideas. I'm ready to roll now.

[jerichorick]

Originally Posted by vjohnny

We are currently in a condo...no access for water or sewer. Would prefer to do it before we depart as we may be dry camping on the way. Camping World does have facilities for this nearest one is an hour away. Could shop while waiting $$$

I suggest a rest area with a dump station.

[Mentor]

Use hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach, it is safer. Bleach is not the kind of thing yo want in your body in any amount (chlorine and chlorine dioxide). It is in toothpaste and many other "edibles". Pour it into tank and then fill to brim. I use 250 CC in my 80 gal tank, pump it through the lines 'til you think it's passing through and then give it another gallon or 2 discharge to be sure. The HP will dissipate within 24 hours and you are fine but I usually dump that tank and refill. There is no shortcut for your situation as it all takes time.

[nothermark]

Can you provide the concentrations to use for disinfection? I cannot find a table but I can for chlorine.

FWIW neither chemical is something you want in your body if you read up on them. The reason they are disinfectants is that they kill living tissue. In effect switching from one to the other is picking your poison.

[Mentor]

Originally Posted by nothermark

Can you provide the concentrations to use for disinfection? I cannot find a table but I can for chlorine.

FWIW neither chemical is something you want in your body if you read up on them. The reason they are disinfectants is that they kill living tissue. In effect switching from one to the other is picking your poison.

I use 300 cc per 100 gals and that is what most other boaters and RVrs do in my circle of friends and to date it has worked well. Because it dissipates rapidly it is much safer than chlorine as chlorine will linger for weeks. As I said it is found in many things, toothpaste being one. It is of course never wise to ingest the stuff but if per chance you did it would be far less harmful than bleach (chlorine)
here is some info
hydrogen peroxide as a disinfectant

[TechWriter]

Originally Posted by Mentor

Use hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach, it is safer. I use 300 cc per 100 gals and that is what most other boaters and RVrs do in my circle of friends and to date it has worked well. Because it dissipates rapidly it is much safer than chlorine as chlorine will linger for weeks. As I said it is found in many things, toothpaste being one. It is of course never wise to ingest the stuff but if per chance you did it would be far less harmful than bleach (chlorine)
here is some info
hydrogen peroxide as a disinfectant

I'm guessing you're using over-the-counter Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) which is probably a 3% or 6% solution. You're fooling yourself if you think you're actually sanitizing your water tank with the H2O2 you're using.

To disinfect, you need a 35 - 50% solution of H2O2. Check the article that you linked to above. BTW, at 35 - 50% H2O2 is very hazardous.

To OP, if you use a 100ppm bleach solution (that's 1/2 cup bleach per 15 gal instead of a 1/4 cup), then you can leave this solution sit in your RV for just 1 hour instead of 4 hours. This is chapter and verse from NFPA Standard on Recreational Vehicles (2011).

[gemini5362]

IF you have a built in water filter you need to remove the cartridge. A lot of filter cartridges remove clorine as part of the filtering process. This would stop you from getting the chlorine in to the lines to disinfect them.

If your allegro is like my bus I have a hose reel and there is not an easy way to get bleach in. I just unrolled my hose reel took off my regulator ( it has a one way valve built into it which helps the process. Took a regular bottle of bleach and added some bleach to the water line. Screwed my regulator onto the line ( one way valve kept the bleach in) I then hooked up to a source of potable water and added about water until my tank was 10 per cent full. This is not very scientific about the amount but the bleach you buy is not a very strong solution of chlorine. I let it sit for 24 hours then ran fresh water through my system until I could no longer smell the clorine. If you cannot get potable water where you are at then just find somewhere that will let you hook up a hose and use their water supply. You need to use potable water but for instance do you have a public school near you. Do they use buses. I imagine the bus garages have potable water valves you could hook up to.
Perhaps the city water treatment plant they might have a potable water hose you can use. Just make sure it is potable and it will not take you ten minutes to poor in the bleach and hook up to run water.

[nothermark]

Originally Posted by TechWriter

I'm guessing you're using over-the-counter Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) which is probably a 3% or 6% solution. You're fooling yourself if you think you're actually sanitizing your water tank with the H2O2 you're using.

To disinfect, you need a 35 - 50% solution of H2O2. Check the article that you linked to above. BTW, at 35 - 50% H2O2 is very hazardous.

To OP, if you use a 100ppm bleach solution (that's 1/2 cup bleach per 15 gal instead of a 1/4 cup), then you can leave this solution sit in your RV for just 1 hour instead of 4 hours. This is chapter and verse from NFPA Standard on Recreational Vehicles (2011).

He should read his link. No useful dosage information but some interesting reactions with common valve metals. Chlorine will dissipate in ~24 hours in an open container. Roughly the same as Hydrogen Peroxide.

One thing worth mentioning is that Clorox and presumably others doubled the concentration of Sodium hypochlorite in bleach a year or two ago. That changed all the disinfection charts. Make sure you are using the current numbers. I do not think a 2011 standard is correct. I think they are double the current dosage.

[gemini5362]

Originally Posted by jerichorick

I suggest a rest area with a dump station.

If you read most dump station fresh water placards they specifically say not potable water. I would never use that water in my fresh water tank. You do not know why they warn not to use it for potable water.