Over-Bleached tank

[RollinMadhse]

Not sure if this is the right forum but here goes..

A friend at work just bought a used TT from a Craigslist ad. It was his first RV purchase and he missed checking a major item. When he got it home and tried the fresh water pump in the kitchen sink, the water smelled of chlorine so bad they had to vacate the trailer. He contacted the seller who admitted he had left the tank half full for almost 6 months and when he towed it home from the storage yard to sell it the fresh water tank was pumping green water. It is a 60 gallon tank and he poured a full gallon of bleach into it and let it sit until his periodic checks showed clear water flowing.

The tank apparently has no drain built in so they have already drained the tank by letting the pump run it through the external shower with both hot and cold open. They've filled/emptied it 6 times yet the smell remains as strong as ever.

Any suggestions as to how they might get this cleared up other than replacing the tank?

[HicksRA]

I've read that soaking and flushing it again with vinegar and water will help get rid of the bleach odor, but don't know much about it.
Someone else will probably chime in here with the proper procedure.

[damdannyboy]

Sanidumps.com: Why Should you Sanitize Your RV Water System

This said try baking Soda mixture for bleach smell.

[nosticks]

Fresh water fill with a box of baking soda, pump it through every line, and let sit a few days. Drain or pump out and fill with fresh. Test for smell again. Repeat if necessary.

[Trekkers]

WOW, a full gallon! It's good they got out immediately. Breathing that could be very toxic to the lungs.

[wa8yxm]

I will go with multiple fresh water re-fills and sumps (And it is for sure there is a drain plug or valve somewhere... Though finding it may require a detective) and finally a baking soda flush and another fresh water flush, Baking soda 1/2-1 cup in a full tank should do it .

[vraines]

Guess you were lucky that the previous owner did not decide to shock it with pool chlorine like I used to do my swimming pool.just make sure that everything is flushed like the water heater and ice maker if installed. The smell and taste will eventually go away with time.

[RollinMadhse]

He tried the Baking Soda idea and it appears to have worked. 1 Cup soda in a half gallon of warm water. Poured it on the hose with a funnel shoved the hose in the filler hole and put and put half a tank of water in. Sat for a couple of hours and ran it out. 1 more full tank flush of water and it didn't smell.

Now maybe I can get him to join the forum himself..

[PyrateSilly]

Originally Posted by RollinMadhse

Now maybe I can get him to join the forum himself..

I have tried to get Thom to join but he just says "Why? You are on it and you ask me when you need an answer to something."

[dons2346]

Originally Posted by PyrateSilly

I have tried to get Thom to join but he just says "Why? You are on it and you ask me when you need an answer to something."

Start charging him

[Romeo]

BTW... I use the vinegar method and it works well. They say it changes the chemical composition of the bleach.

[bartlettj]

Empty it dry (also empty the water heater) and use a shop vac on blow or air compressor to force air through the fill hose for a little while to get some air circulated through the tank. Chlorine bleach evaporates easily. Then fill it and flush it a few times and it should be fine.

Don't add vinegar or anything else- other chemicals can react with the bleach and give you much bigger problems with chemicals that are far worse. Plus then you have to get rid of the vinegar, and may encourage new mold growth.

I'm pretty sure it does have a tank drain, you just haven't found it. Sometimes they are hard to locate.

[RanCarr]

Pond dechlorinator should also work. It neutralizes chlorine to keep it from killing pond fish, frogs and other sensitive little critters.

[Gma-n-Gpa]

My manual says vinegar - but if baking soda works it wont hurt my feelings - go with what works for you.