Sanitizing Fresh Water System

[EVsCoach]

Hello Entegra Owners,

While searching for this topic I couldn't find any information on this forum relating to personal experiences on sanitizing our systems. The Entegra Owners Manual is pretty clear but refers you to the Aqua Hot Manual which has a NOTICE about prolonged exposure to sodium hypochlorite (bleach or liquid bleach). This Manual also refers the user to NFPA 1192; instructions for disinfection of potable water systems. This gives the ratio of bleach per gallon of water and time to allow solution to disinfect.

I don't have a smell or bad taste or anything that I would consider being infected that would require disinfecting, as we change our filters regularly, in addition to filtering and softening the water before it goes into our tank.

So it seems like the Entegra and Aqua Hot Manuals are covering this topic but I have concerns about what is prolonged exposure to the Aqua Hot coils? per Aqua Hot and their statement 'Using products containing bleach, including water refreshers may cause corrosion resulting in catastrophic failure of the Aqua Hot system'? Can the Aqua Hot system be isolated during sanitizing, and if so how? Neither manual covers this unless I have just overlooked it.

Thanks for comments and providing your experiences.

Jack

[757driver]

Originally Posted by EVsCoach

Hello Entegra Owners,

While searching for this topic I couldn't find any information on this forum relating to personal experiences on sanitizing our systems. The Entegra Owners Manual is pretty clear but refers you to the Aqua Hot Manual which has a NOTICE about prolonged exposure to sodium hypochlorite (bleach or liquid bleach). This Manual also refers the user to NFPA 1192; instructions for disinfection of potable water systems. This gives the ratio of bleach per gallon of water and time to allow solution to disinfect.

I don't have a smell or bad taste or anything that I would consider being infected that would require disinfecting, as we change our filters regularly, in addition to filtering and softening the water before it goes into our tank.

So it seems like the Entegra and Aqua Hot Manuals are covering this topic but I have concerns about what is prolonged exposure to the Aqua Hot coils? per Aqua Hot and their statement 'Using products containing bleach, including water refreshers may cause corrosion resulting in catastrophic failure of the Aqua Hot system'? Can the Aqua Hot system be isolated during sanitizing, and if so how? Neither manual covers this unless I have just overlooked it.

Thanks for comments and providing your experiences.

Jack

Jack,

Above the Aquahot unit you should have 3 valves. Two that are open (inline) and one that is closed. If you close the two that are open and open the one that is closed you will bypass the Aquahot unit with potable water. After disinfecting don't forget to reverse everything.

[nothermark]

There are undoubtably folks who never sanitize and live just like their are folks who drink tank water all the time and folks who do a lot of other things that we see widely disparate opinions on. What to do and generally how to do it are very well documented by the makers, survivalists, and folks like Clorox. Whether to do it somewhat depends on how one uses their MH. Does one let the tank sit for long periods of time or constantly use tank water so it is continually refreshed? I would not finish off any kind of half bottle of water that sat for 6 months. That includes our RV in winter storage. Sanitizing it solves the problem of anything that grew over the winter. Constantly using tank water solves the rest.

As 757 driver said, don't soak your aquahot just like I don't fill my HW tank with antifreeze. That is why we have bypasses in the plumbing. Where we differ is that if I had that kind of system I would switch the bypass closed and open the valves when I was going to flush out the sanitizing mix. That would push a slug of heavily chlorinated water through the heat exchanger for a short period of time. That should not hurt the pipes but be a better flush job than nothing.

[luckyd]

For years I have used Apple Cider Vinegar.
I can either dump as much as I want into the system,
along with the water, or drain the system, use a strong
mixture in the fresh water tank, fill the system, let sit over night
and then flush in the morning.

Leaves a fresh smell, non corrosive, and you can drink it,
(if you like vinegar).

I use vinegar in the coffee machine, washer, etc.

[royals1212]

I use 1/4 cup bleach to 10 gallons of water. I normally let it sit in the lines and tank for ~4 hours then rinse thoroughly. I do this every 6 to 9 months. Remove filters first then replace once thoroughly flushed. Seems to work for us

[Jose67]

Originally Posted by royals1212

I use 1/4 cup bleach to 10 gallons of water. I normally let it sit in the lines and tank for ~4 hours then rinse thoroughly. I do this every 6 to 9 months. Remove filters first then replace once thoroughly flushed. Seems to work for us

X2.

[Flanz]

Below are the instructions sent to me by Entegra CS....

When to sanitize
When your motor home is new.
At the beginning and end of each season.
When the water system becomes contaminated or every three months of use.
How to sanitize
1. Turn the Aqua Hot water heater OFF. Level the motor home and drain the fresh water
system (see Draining the Fresh Water System).
2. Close all low point drains, including the drains for hot/cold water lines behind the large
panel on the utility center (Fig. 1).
3. Turn water supply OFF to canister water filter (Fig 2). The valve is located behind
the large utility center panel. Remove the filter cartridge from the water purification
system canister (Fig. 3), re-attach the empty canister. See Water Purification System
for additional information on removing the filters. Replace the small cartridge filter
(Fig. 3) with the (blue) bypass tube provided. Turn the water supply valve (Fig 2) ON.
Chlorine should be kept out of these filters (water filters are located at the outside
docking (utility) center.
4. Prepare a chlorine solution using 1/4 cup of household bleach (sodium hypochlorite
solution) to one gallon (3.785 liters) of water in a container. Prepare one gallon of
solution for every 15 gallons of tank capacity. This will result in a residual chlorine
concentration of 50 ppm in the water system.
If a 100 ppm concentration is required, 15, use ½ cup of household bleach with one
gallon of water to prepare the chlorine solution. One gallon of the solution should be
used for each 15 gallons of tank capacity.
5. To sanitize the fresh water tank: Open the water tank compartment on the DOOR SIDE
of the RV. Remove the cap from the tank water
fill and pour the sanitizer solution into the fresh
water tank. Replace the cap.
6. Fill the fresh water tank using one of the
following methods:
Method 1: Remove the cap and fill the tank
using a water hose. Monitor the water level using
the water level guide.
Method 2: Attach the fresh water hose from the
hose reel to a pressurized water source. The short hose at the utility center should
connect to the City Water Inlet. Turn the Tank Fill / City Water valve on the utility
center to TANK FILL (horizontal). Turn on the water until the tank is full.
7. When the water tank is full:
Method 1; remove the hose and replace the cap on the water tank.
Method 2; shut off pressurized water source, disconnect water source from the hose
reel, press and hold the HOSE REEL REWIND switch (Fig. 3) to retract the hose back
onto the reel (release the switch when the end of the hose gets to the panel). On models
where the water hose connects directly to the (utility center) water inlet; shut off water
source, remove the hose from the city water inlet.
8. At utility center: place the city water valve to the vertical
(city water) position.
9. At the cartridge filter location on the utility panel (Fig.
3), turn OFF the drinking water valve (Fig 6), to prevent
sanitizer from entering the refrigerator and the drinking
faucet at the kitchen sink (valve is shown OFF in Fig 6).
The valve color will be either black or blue.
10. Bypass the Aqua Hot water heater. Sanitizer must be
kept out of the Aqua Hot water heater. Set the bypass valves to the bypass position (two
supply valves OFF, middle valve ON). The 3 black valves are located with the Aqua
Hot water heater (in the photo, supply valves are shown ON, bypass valve is shown
OFF)
11. Turn the pump switch ON.
12. Open the hot water line faucets one at a time (kitchen, lavatory, shower and outside
shower) until water begins to flow continuously and a chlorine smell is noticeable.
Close the hot water faucets.
13. Open the cold water line faucets one at a time (kitchen, lavatory, shower and outside
shower) until water begins to flow continuously and a chlorine smell is noticeable.
Close the cold water faucets.
14. Turn the pump OFF.
15. Let the solution remain in the system for at least four hours when disinfecting with 50
PPM residual chlorine. If a shorter time period is desired, then a 100 PPM chlorine
concentration should be permitted to sit in the system for at least one hour. For
complete fresh water tank sanitization, driving your motor home for a short distance
will allow the sanitizing solution to splash around all sides of the tank.
16. After the required sanitization period, drain the chlorine solution from the fresh water
system (see Draining the Fresh Water System).
17. Re-fill the fresh water tank. Verify that the city water valve is in the horizontal (fill
tank) position (Fig. 3). Refer to Step 6 above to fill the fresh water tank.
18. Turn water source OFF. Set the city water valve back to the vertical (city water)
position. Remove the hose from the water source. Turn the water pump ON. Open all
faucets (including outside shower) to flush all the water lines with fresh water (pump
is not used for this). Water heater bypass should still be ON (to prevent water from
entering the water heater). Drinking water valve (Fig 6) should still be OFF.
19. Drain the fresh water system again (see Draining the Fresh Water System). Re-fill the
fresh water tank with potable water. Turn the water heater bypass valves to the normal
Hot water heater. Detach the outside shower hose. Turn the drinking water valve ON
(Fig 6).
Water filter from the canister filter has been removed at the utility center.
The small cartridge water filter must be replaced with the bypass tube.
The blue drinking water valve (Fig. 6) at the cartridge water filter is OFF.
Aqua Hot water heater is bypassed before flushing the system with the vinegar
solution.
Re-flush the system with the vinegar solution through the faucets (steps 12 & 13) until
chlorine smell is gone. Then flush the system again with fresh water. ONLY after the
vinegar solution has been flushed out of the lines with fresh water, replace the water filters,
turn the drinking water valve (Fig 6) back ON, and set the Aqua Hot bypass valves back to
the normal position (hot & cold supply valves ON and middle valve OFF).

[EVsCoach]

Don, and all responding, thanks for the info. I appreciate the positioning of the valves, makes perfect sense and doesn't seem to be a very difficult or time consuming project. It'll be an early morning project between heat waves!!
Safe travels everyone........jack

[EVsCoach]

Hello Flanz,
I have been reviewing your posting on sanitizing the water system where it refers to figures. Could you post that diagram or is it specific to your year coach?
Thanks much......jack