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09-30-2015, 10:25 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 15
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Sanitizing fresh water tank
Was looking this up on Youtube and thinking about filling the tank with water and bleach on last trip so can agitate it on ride home. There is a recommended amount of bleach per gallon of water but I have no clue how big my tank is (I got zero literature). I have a '15 Wildwood X-lite 262bhxl. Thanks.
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09-30-2015, 11:12 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Whereever our Berkshire is Parked!
Posts: 7,082
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Product Spec Page ( Wildwood X-Lite Travel Trailers by Forest River RV) says you have a 40 GAL Fresh Water Tank.
Here is our Sanitizing procedure:
- Start with a nearly empty fresh water tank.
- Turn the water heater off and let the water cool.
- Dilute 1/4 cup of household bleach for each 15 gallons of tank capacity in to a gallon of water. (For your tank just use 1 cup of bleach)
- Add the chlorine/water solution to the water tank. (Never pour straight bleach into the RV fresh water tank. )
- Fill your Fresh Water tank until full
- One faucet at a time, let the chlorinated water run through them for one or two minutes. You should be able to smell the chlorine. (Make sure you are using the water pump and not an external water supply.)
- Top off the RV fresh water tank and let stand for at least three hours over night is better.
- Completely drain the system by flushing the faucets for several minutes each. Open the fresh water tank drain valve to speed up emptying the tank.and Open the hot water tank drain plug and drain until it is empty.
- Close all valves and faucets and drain plugs.
- Fill water tank with fresh water.
- Flush each faucet for several minutes each repeating until the tank is again empty. (Make sure you are using the water pump and not an external water supply.)
- Fill the tank again. The water should now be safe to drink but if the chlorine odor is too strong you can repeat the fresh water flush.
- Your RV fresh water system should now be safe for use.
__________________
Bob & Anne-Marie [BamaBob & 6 Actual]
| 2017 Berkshire XLT 43A with Ultrasteer Tag | Blue Ox Avail + KarGard II |
| SMI AF-1 Air Brake | 2016 Jeep Cherokee Overland TOAD | Pedego Bikes |
Nights Camped: 2013 - 24 2014 - 42 2015 - 56 Jul 2016 - Fulltime
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09-30-2015, 11:32 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,106
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BamaBob
Add the chlorine/water solution to the water tank. (Never pour straight bleach into the RV fresh water tank. )
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Why not. I always do , and I use double what you suggest.
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Terry/Bernadette Lily the Yorkie 2019 Dodge Ram Sport 1500 2019 FR Vibe 28RL
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09-30-2015, 11:41 AM
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#4
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Phat Phrog Stunt Team
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 34,507
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Std method is 1/4 cup per 15 gallons.
TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "27 nights"
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10-01-2015, 08:29 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Whereever our Berkshire is Parked!
Posts: 7,082
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rugged Brown
Why not. I always do , and I use double what you suggest.
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Because it has the potential to damage your tank and fittings. Every sanatizing process out there warns "Never pour straight bleach into the RV fresh water tank." So why take chances?
__________________
Bob & Anne-Marie [BamaBob & 6 Actual]
| 2017 Berkshire XLT 43A with Ultrasteer Tag | Blue Ox Avail + KarGard II |
| SMI AF-1 Air Brake | 2016 Jeep Cherokee Overland TOAD | Pedego Bikes |
Nights Camped: 2013 - 24 2014 - 42 2015 - 56 Jul 2016 - Fulltime
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10-01-2015, 12:32 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario
Posts: 118
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No straight bleach
Question, how does it make a difference if you pour straight bleach in and then immediately follow up with freshwater fill?
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10-01-2015, 12:43 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Whereever our Berkshire is Parked!
Posts: 7,082
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Have you tried dumping straight bleach into your FWT inlet? Hint: try with plain water in a bleach bottle first
Plus, this is a everyone and every site says "Don't DO it" issue. That alone would give me pause to reflect on my actions
Then again I'm from the South and have seen many "Here, hold my ber and watch this!" bad endings
(Pro tip: when we sanatize in the spring I use a very large funnel and pour the bleach-water mix into our drinking water hose and siphon the hose into the FWT, leaving bleach water mix in the drinking hose. Cap it off and let the hose sit for a hour then fill the FWT with water from the tap. This sanatizes the drinking water hose in the process.)
__________________
Bob & Anne-Marie [BamaBob & 6 Actual]
| 2017 Berkshire XLT 43A with Ultrasteer Tag | Blue Ox Avail + KarGard II |
| SMI AF-1 Air Brake | 2016 Jeep Cherokee Overland TOAD | Pedego Bikes |
Nights Camped: 2013 - 24 2014 - 42 2015 - 56 Jul 2016 - Fulltime
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10-01-2015, 05:06 PM
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#8
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Corbin, Kentucky and Tampa, Florida
Posts: 49
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We are full timers and never use the fresh water tank. What is the best thing to do with the tank until we use it, if ever? We had a TT for 8 years and never did use the tank.
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10-02-2015, 01:59 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Whereever our Berkshire is Parked!
Posts: 7,082
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Quote:
Originally Posted by James Briar
We are full timers and never use the fresh water tank. What is the best thing to do with the tank until we use it, if ever? We had a TT for 8 years and never did use the tank.
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Even though we only use our FWT occasionally, we always keep @ 1/3 tank of water (you just NEVER know when you will need it!...too many years living in the Southwest.) We sanatize yearly (hey, it sanatizes the plumbing too which you DO use all the time and your fresh water hose as well.)
__________________
Bob & Anne-Marie [BamaBob & 6 Actual]
| 2017 Berkshire XLT 43A with Ultrasteer Tag | Blue Ox Avail + KarGard II |
| SMI AF-1 Air Brake | 2016 Jeep Cherokee Overland TOAD | Pedego Bikes |
Nights Camped: 2013 - 24 2014 - 42 2015 - 56 Jul 2016 - Fulltime
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06-29-2016, 10:41 AM
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#10
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Member
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 78
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BamaBob
Even though we only use our FWT occasionally, we always keep @ 1/3 tank of water (you just NEVER know when you will need it!...too many years living in the Southwest.) We sanatize yearly (hey, it sanatizes the plumbing too which you DO use all the time and your fresh water hose as well.)
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We also keep approximately 1/3 tank in FWT for possible on-the-road flushes. Is once or twice a year drain and sanitize (with rest of system) often enough... or should that water in the FWT be drained more often... since when used it pushes that stale water in the rest of the system?
I have started draining and re-filling (to 1/3 tank) about every other month... am I wasting my time?
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07-03-2016, 03:24 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 5,037
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DJP6371
Question, how does it make a difference if you pour straight bleach in and then immediately follow up with freshwater fill?
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Straight bleach will cause deterioration on a lot of metals that it touches. Even if you immediately rinse with water. The effect is cumulative.
FWIW, I also brew beer and store it in those stainless steel pop syrup containers that used to be used. We NEVER store even dilute bleach water in them because it WILL eat holes in the stainless! I never sanitize those with bleach water instead I use an iodine based solution.
__________________
Al
I am starting to think, that I will never be old enough--------to know better.
Tolerance will reach such a level that intelligent people will be banned from thinking so as not to offend the imbeciles. Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, Russian Novelist
S.E. Mich. Flagstaff 26FKWS / 2022 F-150 3.5 EcoBoost SCrew Propride
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