Question Sanitizing your RV fresh water tank

[Neal]

I admit I don't do this often, maybe once a year I'll put Clorox in the fresh water feed line and then fill the fresh tank. I've heard of other chemicals being used, variations in how often it's done, etc. I guess too climate (heat) matters, if I was in Florida I'd probably do it more as the heat may make things grow more than other climates. I also try to rotate my fresh tank when I can by using the water pump even when on city water to feed the water out of the bottom of the fresh tank. Where I am now in sunny warm freaking cold Arizona I'm actually filling fresh then disconnecting the water softener and stowing it, stowing the city water line and running the fresh tank near dry before the next fill.

Do you sanitize your fresh water tank?​

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How often?​

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What chemicals are you using and how much?​

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Do you drink that water or drain it then refill?​

 

[NWIP]

Prior to fulltime when my stored, I would always sanitize using bleach when I de-winterize. I would fill tank approximately 1/2 full drive around and then drain. Once refilled we would use the water for drinking as it was filtered.

My feeling now is the fresh water is cycled regularly and not necessary. I could be persuaded to do something different?

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

I sanitize our fresh water tank each spring with this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001TIV1KA/?tag=rvf01-20

Not a fan of the chlorine bleach method for a couple of reasons; residual taste and potential health issues. YMMV

The procedure I use is what Thetford recommends on the package:

"Step 1: Clean with the detergent

1. Empty the tank and add 1 ounce of concentrated detergent solution to the fresh water tank for every 4 gallons of tank capacity.
2. Fill the tank with water and run the diluted detergent through each faucet, shower, and water outlet for 1 minute or more.
3. Empty the tank and rinse the faucet lines and tank by running fresh water through them.

Step 2: Sanitize the water

1. Shut off incoming water line and prepare a solution of 2 ounces of product per 8 gallons of water.
2. Apply or circulate solution to wet all surfaces, allowing it a minimum contact of 60 seconds.
3. Drain the solution and return to service by reopening incoming water lines."

The only thing I add to the above is that after finishing with Step 2, I repeat Step 1 with just fresh water. Probably not necessary, but I like to be sure there is no residual stuff in the system.

TJ

 

[sheridany]

@TJ&LadyDi could you elaborate how you get detergent and thetford solution into your water tank?

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

@TJ&LadyDi could you elaborate how you get detergent and thetford solution into your water tank?

Yes. I remove the water filter from the canister in the wet bay and put the detergent (and, later, the sanitizer) in the empty canister. That way, incoming water carries the solutions into the freshwater tank. Once the tank is filled, I turn off the water supply and use the on-board water pump to circulate the solutions throughout the coach.

TJ

 

[whereRVapp]

We sanitize about once year as well. I try to cycle through our fresh water tank regularly by primarily using the water pump to draw from the tank.

We use Purogene (PUROGENE-One quart) to do the sanitizing. You can do a "deep" sanitizing or just for preventative purposes.

While we don't drink from the tank, I do drain and re-fill following sanitizing.

 

[AbdRahim]

Exactly, Every spring with bleach.

 

[Buly]

Twice a year, remove the filter element, and put the required amount of bleach in the filter canister.
Fill the tank. Run all faucets until smell bleach. Leave it alone for 4 hrs.
Drain and refill the tank, flush the lines.
Drain and refill again. Install new filters. DONE.

 

[Neal]

My fresh tank had "that smell" we often hear about. I've had it before and I've used chlorine before but I think at 5 years into ownership it's probably time to do a real sanitizing with the Purogene recommended above in post 6. A few days ago I did just that with the activator crystals as well and I'm happy to report it worked. No smell, tastes fine, and I'm relieved knowing I'm not drinking anything funky. Now that I've gone through this and trust the product, neither my dog nor I have keeled over yet, I'll be doing this annually.

 

[Neal]

Getting ready to hit the road after far too long number of months. Resurrecting this thread, need to sanitize fresh and I'm going to use bleach. What is the amount of bleach to use?

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Getting ready to hit the road after far too long number of months. Resurrecting this thread, need to sanitize fresh and I'm going to use bleach. What is the amount of bleach to use?

@Neal I would not use bleach! I would use what most all water treatment facilities use! Clorine dioxide! It can be found in the camping area at Walmart, or I buy it in larger volumes at KVlabs on Line. Clorine should NEVER be used!!!
Clorine dioxide I not what you may think it is,it is chlorite, a different beast!

 

[Kevin D Pem]

 

[Texas Clodhopper]

1 ounce of bleach per 8 gallons of water. 1¾ cups for our 105 gallon tank.

 

[team bradfield]

I use I/4 cup per 16 gallons, I fill my FW hose with the bleach and then fill tank

 

[Wemustrv]

Prior to fulltime when my stored, I would always sanitize using bleach when I de-winterize. I would fill tank approximately 1/2 full drive around and then drain. Once refilled we would use the water for drinking as it was filtered.

My feeling now is the fresh water is cycled regularly and not necessary. I could be persuaded to do something different?

We do the same and we also use our twice filtered water for drinking. I had the coach out the other day for the first time this season last week and notices the water had some after taste. I had not sanitized it yet and the coach has sat longer than it usually does.

 

[DennisT]

We do ours once per year using the recommendations in the manual.

We do spring the water from the tank when needed - outside three filter setup, softener, and whole house filter.

Being full time we keep the fresh tank full while parked and travel with about 1/3 tank.

The other piece that we do more often is the supply hose. That gets sanitized about every 8 weeks on my current schedule. Using the whole house filter for adding sanitizing materials does not get the hose. I use the regen housing from the softener to do the hose portion sanitize.