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03-07-2016, 06:12 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: NE Florida
Posts: 498
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Bleach vs Vinegar for Fresh Water Decon
I want to do a thorough decontamination of my fresh water system. It's more of a prevention thing and not a result of anything bad.
What are the thoughts on using bleach vs Vinegar? I've seen both recommended at various times.
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John & Carolann
2021 Keystone Carbon 338
2021 Ram 3500 DRW 4x4
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03-07-2016, 06:16 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,188
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What does your owner's manual say? Mine says use a bleach solution ... so that's what I go with.
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SpaceNorman
2012 HR Endeavor 43' DFT, 2022 Jeep Wrangler
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03-07-2016, 06:31 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 515
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Bleach is the standard everywhere for killing germs.
Vinegar is used to remove mineral deposits. I haven't had to do that to my fresh water system. I've used vinegar in the toilet to dissolve deposits so that water would stay in the bowl.
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03-07-2016, 06:33 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 8,055
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Vinegar is the "green" OMG bleach is a chemical response. It is not even close in effectiveness at equivalent concentrations. We use bleach. By the second tank of water what comes out tastes like what went in.
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03-07-2016, 06:37 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club Coastal Campers Carolina Campers
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 560
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nothermark
Vinegar is the "green" OMG bleach is a chemical response. It is not even close in effectiveness at equivalent concentrations. We use bleach. By the second tank of water what comes out tastes like what went in.
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Um, vinegar is also a chemical response. Vinegar is actually an acid and it used to be used to sterilize equipment in hospitals. Vinegar is more effective than bleach in killing mold, BTW. Bleach lightens the black stain, but vinegar actually kills it. "Equivalent concentrations" is the operative phrase here...
__________________
2019 Newmar Bay Star 3626
(Replaced our 2014 Newmar Bay Star 3308)
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03-07-2016, 06:39 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 2,569
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Bleach is the standard. Health codes for restaurants require bleach, not heard of using vinegar.
__________________
American Tradition 42R-Cadillac SRX Blue Ox Koni 5050XL MCD Scangauge D Samsung rf197
Fulltime since 2012
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03-07-2016, 06:42 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 269
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...
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03-07-2016, 06:56 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 8,055
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Patti Brown
Um, vinegar is also a chemical response. Vinegar is actually an acid and it used to be used to sterilize equipment in hospitals. Vinegar is more effective than bleach in killing mold, BTW. Bleach lightens the black stain, but vinegar actually kills it. "Equivalent concentrations" is the operative phrase here...
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Agreed. There is a huge amount of material posted many places about it. Mostly by people who are afraid of bleach or who do not understand that everything is a "chemical". ;-))
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03-07-2016, 07:01 AM
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#9
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: West Palm Beach, FL. USA
Posts: 27,519
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The substitute for bleach is hydrogen peroxide, though that requires a stronger concentration than the bleach.
Vinegar is not approved for disinfecting in hospitals, according to the EPA and CDC. However, at full strength it is effective for something.
Here is what the CDC has to say:
Quote:
Some environmental groups advocate "environmentally safe" products as alternatives to commercial germicides in the home-care setting. These alternatives (e.g., ammonia, baking soda, vinegar, Borax, liquid detergent) are not registered with EPA and should not be used for disinfecting because they are ineffective against S. aureus. Borax, baking soda, and detergents also are ineffective against Salmonella Typhi and E.coli; however, undiluted vinegar and ammonia are effective against S. Typhi and E.coli 53, 332, 333. Common commercial disinfectants designed for home use also are effective against selected antibiotic-resistant bacteria 53.
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__________________
Gary Brinck
Former owner of 2004 American Tradition and several other RVs
Home is West Palm Beach, FL
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03-07-2016, 07:20 AM
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 8,777
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnH12
I want to do a thorough decontamination of my fresh water system. It's more of a prevention thing and not a result of anything bad.
What are the thoughts on using bleach vs Vinegar? I've seen both recommended at various times.
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JohnH12
I've sanitized my fresh water system twice (once in '01 and agiain in 2014).
Both times I used a solution of Clorox un-scented bleach, (1/4 cup of bleach for each 15 gallons of tank capacity in a gallon of water), as recommended in my owner's manual, (and here): http://rvbasics.com/techtips/sanitiz...er-system.html
Mel
'96 Safari, 146k miles
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03-07-2016, 09:26 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 8,055
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FWIW anyone who winterizes should consider sanitizing with bleach when opening up the system in the spring. Aside from any potential microbial problems it also cleans out residual pink stuff and/or blowby oil from the compressor used to blow the water out of the lines.
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03-07-2016, 09:41 AM
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 8,777
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nothermark
FWIW anyone who winterizes should consider sanitizing with bleach when opening up the system in the spring. Aside from any potential microbial problems it also cleans out residual pink stuff and/or blowby oil from the compressor used to blow the water out of the lines.
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nothermark
I have never used pink stuff in my fresh water system... (nor have I blown it out with compressed air)... but I did sanitize it in '01 when my coach was new to me...(and again in 2014).
Mel
'96 Safari
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03-07-2016, 10:11 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 136
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Use the pink RV antifreeze for winterizing. Then go through a 4 step process in preparing to roll again.
1. Fill and rinse with plain water to move the pink stuff out.
2. Treatment with bleach. Fill. Let stand 4 hours. Drain.
3. Add baking soda, fill, and rinse. Freshens and removes any lingering bad taste from anything.
4. Fill with plain water, drain, and refill.
Luckily I also have an exterior intake direct into the tank.
When hooked up for customary water intake, all water into the coach is filtered.
This was recommended process in several articles and seems to work well. Water in the moho is always clean and good tasting - unless we pick up some bad water or hard water along the way. Then sometimes I will drain and refill when good water is located.
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Al Z
2003 Monaco Safari Trek 2810
Coos Bay, Oregon
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03-07-2016, 10:17 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Jayco Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Weatherford, TX
Posts: 975
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Nothing survives chlorine, not even mold spores. That's why bleach is the standard... and not vinegar.
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Jack and Dee Dee Weatherford, Texas
2014 Ram 2500 Crew Cab 4X4 w/CTD 6.7
2016 Jayco White Hawk 28DSBH Travel Trailer
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