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Old 07-02-2014, 09:22 AM   #1
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New Owner - Can you sanitize fresh water system without bleach?

We picked up our 2015 Grey Wolf 23DBH almost 2 weeks ago. Camped with it 3 nights on the way back home. We drank bottled water, but definitely want to utilize the fresh water system. I plan on adding an inline filter - the kind that stays outside the camper - in the near future. I know I need to do an initial sanitizing of the fresh water system. My quetion is - can it be done without bleach? I'm OCD when it comes to what my children are exposed to and putting bleach in the water lines doesn't get me too jazzed up. Is this my only option?
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Old 07-02-2014, 09:35 AM   #2
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I have read about people using hydrogen peroxide in place of bleach for everything that bleach is used for. Cleaning around the house, laundry, etc. So with that being said, and you may want to research the idea, but investigate if peroxide can be used in place of bleach. My wife and I started using it for our laundry and we have be pleased with the results
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Old 07-02-2014, 09:37 AM   #3
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Thetford makes a fresh water tank sanitizer. Camping World has it.
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Old 07-02-2014, 10:15 PM   #4
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Navy has used bleach for years. As long as you can dilute to 4 parts per million (where you cannot taste it), sodium hypochlorite works best at killing bacteria. We just certified two plants today on board after copious amounts of bleach flush.
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Old 07-02-2014, 10:42 PM   #5
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If you go with a small amount of bleach as suggested above, it is no worse than what goes through the city water. Run it through and flush system really well after sanitizing. We bypass water heater when doing this. Certain concentrations of hydrogen peroxide are actually used to clean medical instruments so I guess in theory it can be used but I have no idea what the correct concentration would be. We sanitize with the bleach but only use fresh for cooking, dishes and showers. Then again, I drink bottled water out of taste preference at home as well.
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Old 07-02-2014, 11:13 PM   #6
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Use the liquid chlorine you buy for a pool or just fill the tank with city water it already has chlorine in it, run it through the lines and drain the system. My self would use the chlorox it's cheaper and is the same thing. Every time I fill the tank I put about an 1/8 of a cup in or less but then again the water that the state parks have here have their own water plant and it has chlorine in it.
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Old 07-02-2014, 11:34 PM   #7
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Old 07-03-2014, 12:25 AM   #8
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This is 0.04% Sodium Hypochlorite (Bleach). You may as well use bleach and dilute it yourself and save some money.
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Old 07-03-2014, 02:26 AM   #9
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If you are worried about what you are drinking i'm not sure I would use the fresh water for drinking. If the campground has a well, many I have camped at do, the water coming out is not regulated or tested at all that I know of. I know people with residential wells that have had thier water tested and found chemicals from industrial plants that polluted the ground water. I always use a filter to keep the rust and gunk out and they work great for that. I'm not sure they can do much more than take out rust. I'm sure most campground water supplies are fine but something to consider if your worried about a small amount of bleach in your water.

The other thing to remember is rv water supplies sit empty most of the time for weekend campers. Unless you blow out the lines each time I would imagine the stagnent water left in the lines would be worse than a little bleach.

Before everyone who has been using their fresh water tank for drinking for twenty years jumps all over me. I am just pointing out that if you are worried about drinking a little bleach there are probably other things to consider. Just my two cents
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Old 07-03-2014, 03:08 AM   #10
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You might want to try a product that West Marine sells, It is called fresh water with no taste. Couldn't tell you whats in it but we used it in our sail boat in many 3 world countries. Where the water was iffy at best. There quite a few cross over products from just them that you can use in an RV. Hope it helps. Your right it takes me forever to get that stuff out, because the drain on the tank is in the side not the bottom. At Least that is where mine is located. We also use a pur water pitcher with a carbon filter. We fill that and only drink that and use it to make coffee. Just as a safety measure. One filter will last 30 days. We found it makes a big difference in the taste, and just feel safer. In the State of Virginia the VHD makes it rule that all wells need to be tested to EPA standards. I even had to send a sample in to get it tested before they would give me a permit to use my newly dug well on my property.
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Old 07-03-2014, 05:43 PM   #11
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In NY if the well is used in a commercial setting it has to be tested and treated but I still carry drinking water mostly because I don't like the taste of tap water and good water makes good coffee.
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Old 07-03-2014, 05:51 PM   #12
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If your home water is provided by the town or city it more than likely chlorinated anyway so you are already exposed to "bleach" in the water.
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