How to add bleach to the fresh water tank

[Craig36]

We only use our fresh water tank for toilet flushing and hand washing while traveling, but after several years, I think I need to add some bleach to kill any bacteria.

As my only way of filling the tank in my 2007 KSDP seems to be with the hose connection, I was wondering what is the best way to add bleach, and how much.

My first thought is a short hose and funnel.

Is there a correct way, and how much should I add?

[Oemtech]

That's what I did.

[DGBPokes]

I use the clear hose used to winterize the tanks. Fill a bucket 7/8 with water 1/8 Clorox. Turn the valves and the pump and suck into the tank. I worry about 100% Clorox on seals, valves, and pump.

[Spk64]

You can just add to your hose and connect it and fill the tank. Or if you have a whole house filter just remove filter and add there.
You want around 50 ppm chlorine to properly sanitize.
If you have 100 gallon tank it is about 1/2 cup of concentrated bleach (8.25%)
Or 1-1/2 cups if not concentrated (5.25%)
Fill tank run till you can smell at each faucet. Let sit for 6-12 hours.
Drain, fill with fresh flush out lines. Repeat till chlorine smell gone.

[Bob_C]

1/4 cup per 15 gal.......

[nothermark]

All you need to know about ratios from the folks who know:

https://www.cscinc.org/wp-content/re...ip%20Sheet.pdf

Pour enough bleach to match your water tank capacity into your water hose then connect it to the spigot and fill your tank. Run all your faucets until the bleach/water mix comes out. Let it soak for longer than the minimum time and then drain your tank and refill it. Run the faucets again to get the lines clear.

[DrPhil]

I use this thing, and I suck up the appropriate amount of bleach for my tank size diluted into about a gallon of water.

Jacks Classic 70010 Hozon Brass Siphon Mixer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003TPBF1Q..._jUGfBbEFG9YG6

[brucemcdou]

Craig - agree with the other comments that you need to pour the chlorine into the fill hose, then run water through it.

Rather than liquid bleach, we've used the "dry" swimming pool granules for years. Same drill, pour them into the end of the hose then hook up the hose and run water. But being dry, they take up a lot less space in your storage and (at least in my opinion) less likely to spill and less dangerous to you and your clothing if they fall on your pants/shoes etc. You can buy the granules anywhere in the "spa" or "swimming pool" section of a hardware store. A little goes a very long way. Just an option to consider

[Sneelock]

I pull the filter from the housing, add the liquid bleach to that, then add the appropriate amount of water.
Don't forget to shut off/bypass the hot water tank and the ice maker if you have one before flushing the system.

[richpatty]

Originally Posted by Sneelock

I pull the filter from the housing, add the liquid bleach to that, then add the appropriate amount of water.
Don't forget to shut off/bypass the hot water tank and the ice maker if you have one before flushing the system.

In the past I have used a pump attached to a drill to pump water/bleach from a bucket to get the mix into the tank, but like this idea better!

[Sneelock]

It's a good idea to replace the filter when doing tank maintenance so I'm already opening it up anyway.

["007"]

Originally Posted by Spk64

You can just add to your hose and connect it and fill the tank. Or if you have a whole house filter just remove filter and add there.
You want around 50 ppm chlorine to properly sanitize.
If you have 100 gallon tank it is about 1/2 cup of concentrated bleach (8.25%)
Or 1-1/2 cups if not concentrated (5.25%)
Fill tank run till you can smell at each faucet. Let sit for 6-12 hours.
Drain, fill with fresh flush out lines. Repeat till chlorine smell gone.

Did this for years most easiest cleaned the hose and plumbing system, also feed through the HWH so you do not get the egg smell during warm months. Her is a link with it all which ever way you wind up for winter.

[chuckbear]

We have used the following technique to clean our boat freshwater tanks for decades and now our RV tanks. This was written by Peggy Hall, an expert in all things marine sanitation. The recommendations for adding bleach to fresh water is 1/4 teaspoon or 8 drops of regular, unscented chlorine bleach per gallon. Let sit for at least an hour before using. Hope this helps...

Peggie Hall has the 8 ounce solution

Fresh water system problems–foul odor or taste–are typically caused by allowing water to stagnate in the tank and especially the lines, creating the ideal environment for molds, fungi and bacteria that thrive in damp dark places. Here’s the recommended method for recommissioning fresh water systems; this should be done at least annually:

Fill the water tank with a solution of 1 cup (8 oz) of household bleach per 10 gallon tank capacity. Turn on every faucet on the boat (including a deck wash if you have one), and allow the water to run until what’s coming out smells strongly of bleach. Turn off the faucets, but leave the system pressurized so the solution remains in the lines.

Let stand overnight– at least 8 hours–but NO LONGER THAN 24 hours. Drain through every faucet on the boat (and if you haven’t done this in a while, it’s a good idea to remove any diffusion screens from the faucets, ‘cuz what’s likely to come out will clog them). Fill the tank again with fresh water only, drain again through every faucet on the boat, repeating till the water runs clean and smells and tastes clean.

Cleaning out the tank addresses only the least of the problem…most of the problem occurs in the lines, so it’s very important to leave the system pressurized while the bleach solution is in the tank to keep the solution in the lines too.

People have expressed concern about using this method to recommission aluminum tanks. While bleach (chlorine) IS corrosive, the effect of an annual or semi-annual “shock treatment” is negligible compared to the cumulative effect of holding chlorinated city water in the tank for years. Nevertheless, it’s a good idea to mix the total amount of bleach in a few gallons of water before putting it into either a stainless or aluminum tank.

Chuck

[Waiter21]

When you get ready to fill the tank, dump about 1/2 cup of bleach into the hose, connect the hose to the MH and fill up the tank.