I'm a full-timer in need of advice...

[chofujohn]

First, I'm not a newbie. I've been full-timing for the last 3 1/2 years in a 39 foot '02 Dutch Star diesel pusher. I don't know everything there is to know about my Newmar, but I've endured and survived the learning curve to this point pretty well. For the last year I've been down here in SE FL parked and connected to full hookups. My 100 gallon water tank is full and has been the whole time I've been in Florida, which is about 1 1/2 years. I'm heading to the Rockies in the next 2 weeks and in preparation for the road I'm wanting to have the freshest water possible. So, I'm thinking I should simply drain my tank completely and then before I refill it pour a bit of Clorox into the fill hose. How much Clorox should I put into my fill hose? How much is too little and how much is too much. Or, should I just not do anything and head down the road with the water I've got.

Thanks in advance, fellow RV'ers.

John Dent

[HoneyBadger]

Personally, I would add a half cup of bleach to the water you have in there now and top it off with fresh water to get the tank completely full. Let it sit overnight and then drain it. Refill it with fresh and add a cup of white vinegar- this should kill any remaining bleach odor without affecting the taste.

Roll on to Colorado.

[TLGPE]

Taste the water from the tank. It may be fine.


Tom

[SarahW]

Personally, I'd sanitize and refill. Check this video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOlPwmwlaMo

[MSHappyCampers]

Originally Posted by SarahW

Personally, I'd sanitize and refill. Check this video...

X2!

[Koop]

I've used chlorine bleach before, last time I used sodium dichlor. I posted about it here - read about halfway down the post where I described it.

[Ray,IN]

This pdf tells you how to disinfect drinking water. No need to drain the water tank unless it is growing algae, if that happens no amount of chlorine will solve that. Here is the procedure for eliminating algae from the water system.

[JoeSR]

Per Winnebago

Pre-mix a ¼ cup of liquid household bleach in a gallon of water. Pour the solution into your empty fresh water tank. Use a one gallon solution for each 15 gallons of tank capacity. (7 gallons of bleach/water solution for a 100 gallon tank.) Fill your tank with fresh water. Using the MH water pump, open one faucet at a time until you smell chlorine. Don’t forget the hot water taps. Leave the chlorine in your water system for at least four hours. Now dump the fresh water tank and fill with fresh water. Pump the fresh water thru your system. You are good to go.

Winnebago says that if you are in a rush, double the amount of bleach. Leave the bleach/water solution in your water system for at least one hour. Remember to dump, refill and flush.

I always go a little bit extra on the bleach and top my tank off after running the bleach solution thru the water system.


Don't like that? Read your manual.

[oakcreekeric]

Originally Posted by TLGPE

Taste the water from the tank. It may be fine.

Tom

Really... Water that's been in a tank for 1-1/2 years.. "it may be fine" ??

Yikes ... I'd get that water out of there and flush twice with chlorine (just for good measure)... but that's just me...

[chofujohn]

I have smelled and tasted the water and I can't find fault with it. I am, as a precaution, going to do a drain and refill with Clorox, let sit and drain and refill.

You guys are the BEST!!! I knew I could count on getting some expert opinions and procedures and you didn't disappoint. Thanks...

Getting road ready after sitting for 1 1/2 years is getting interesting, especially in 95 degree heat with 85 percent humidity. I'm 1/4 mile from the Atlantic ocean and I've had to replace some things due to salt air damage. I'm looking forward to the Rockies and the high desert.

John

[Doggy Daddy]

Annually sanitizing your water tanks is a good habit. Filtering the water entering your tanks from sand particles is recommended. I use a Everpure ADC EV959206 carbon filter hooked to the cold water line under the kitchen sink to eliminate any odors to include chlorine. I empty my water tanks every 30 days of any water remaining in them and refill and refill them to keep the water fresh and to avoid skanky fish tank smelling water. I intentionally do not use a carbon filter when filling my water tanks as I prefer to keep any city water chlorine in my tanks.

[biosensai]

Originally Posted by TLGPE

Taste the water from the tank. It may be fine.


Tom

I'm sure this was meant in jest, but as a retired science type, bacteriology at that, let me assure you that an organoleptic analysis is the very last thing you want to do.