Sterilizing new fresh water tank

[Maxwell D Pratt]

You don’t have to worry chlorine staying in the system. It will disappear in a few hours.

[forestdweller]

Originally Posted by rk06382

Is it still full? Have you heard of "Fresh water tank self draining?"

How can i look at the tank to see if this is happening?

[Duckogram]

Originally Posted by forestdweller

How can i look at the tank to see if this is happening?

You are reacting to a “Red Herring”. The self draining tanks are an issue for Motorhomes and fill/vent tube routing. Rather than wasting time chasing ghosts,
I suggest you charge your battery and see if that does not assuage your concerns. Besides, if your tank was draining there would be water on the ground.

I know you are frustrated but you really should consider focusing on one issue at a time and working it through. YMMV

[SailorSam20500]

Just to further...

From my beer and wine making experience. The two recommended products for SANITIZING are plain chlorine bleach and Iodophor. Both work great at the proper dilution rates. Iodophor is an iodine based sanitizer - it has the potential for staining. It is widely used in the food service industry, milk producers, medicine, etc. Buy it at homebrew or wine making supply stores.
Chlorine bleach is just as effective and is significantly less expensive. One full rinse with clean water after a sanitizing treatment will usually have chlorine levels at a safe, but possibly still "smell-able" level - depends on how sensitive your nose is.

Note that most city water systems sanitize the water using chloramine - it is more stable than standard chlorine and by including an ammonia component, somewhat more effective. But remember - civilians combining ammonia and chlorine bleach is a recipe for disaster.

[Tristero]

I used starsan. Its for home brew but it's a no rinse sanitizer. Meaning if any is left in the system it' Safe and doesn't really taste. It's expensive if this is all you need it for I just happened to have it.Star San - 8 oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01467UGN8..._jR1FBb3RRW5KC

[aspengirl]

I didn't read the entire thread, so I apologize in advance if I'm repeating something someone already said. Don't use the "splashless" bleach for sanitizing. Someone told me that so I checked out the label on the Clorox bottle and it's not to be used for anything other than as a cleansing product. I don't have a bottle close by to quote exactly what the warning label says.

[mrfikser]

Some things i do to help sanitize is after filling with h20/bleach solution is to move the trailer enough to splash the stuff in the tank around, run the faucets etc..let it sit over night, drain the tank add some water to rinse the faucets, then drain all the water lines , refill the tank full, run some through the faucets again and then completely drain the tank and blow out the water lines with compressed air...then leave it a day (or week) to let it all dry out before adding water for my trip...probably overkill, but I hate the bleach smell, and I am still cholera free....also I don't use antifreeze in the pipes in the winter, I just drain the pipes, tank, water heater and blow out the lines with compressed air...that antifreeze stuff seems to get 'gelly' after a long winter in the pipes and takes a lot of water/soaking to get it all out. And the blowing out of the water lines with air has prevented any broken pipes so far... also if you have a water filter installed make sure and remove it for the winter and leave the holder off/empty..also don't forget to empty the drain traps under the sinks of water..

[Mountainmanbob]

Run some bleach? Why not.

Every time we park our trailer for a while I add just a little bleach to the water. Always seems fresh and clean. Never a buildup of the nasty things we hear about.
M-Bob

[ChrisParise]

Pour the right amount of bleach directly from your measuring cup into your hose for the fresh water system. I close off the hot water heater valve first and thoroughly drain it using a turkey baster to suck out water at the bottom. Then I use over the counter hydrogen peroxide to kill bacteria that can cause rotten egg odors for the hw heater. I pour 12 oz. through a flexible funnel directly into the anode rod opening. Once added reinstall the anode rode and open the valve to the hw heater and turn the pump on to fill. I let it sit for a half day or over night before draining. I don't rinse my hw heater. By the time you drain and refill your fresh water your mixture is extremely diluted. We don't drink our rv water water but it smells nice and fresh all the time. To each their own! Been doing it this way for 8 of the last 12 years of rving.

[jdiv]

I recommend Chlorox Germicidal Bleach available at WalMart. It is NSF food grade certified. According to label, 2 teaspoons to a gallon for sanitizing. See https://www.cloroxprofessional.com/p...h/at-a-glance/

[tlueckhoff]

ttp://rvbasics.com/techtips/sanitizing-your-rv-fresh-water-system.html

[NHHorseman]

Oh, don't make this complicated. Buy some household chlorine bleach. Not the kind that is used in Painting surfaces. Use one ounce for every 50 gallons you put in your tank. Remember, a standard garden hose, with standard pressure, puts out 6 gallons per minute. Put in bleach every year and then leave it alone!! You very seldom use the fresh water tank water anyway. If you are like most campers, you go to a campground, tie up to their water supply and don't use your fresh water tank. When you dump and get ready to leave, you clear out your tanks, as much as possible, and then dump in a capsule of black water ingredient and then you might use your fresh water, using the pump, to add water. Unless you are dry camping, don't worry about your fresh water until you either gear up after the winter or are using it as a primary water source.

[Kirk S]

Originally Posted by aspengirl

I didn't read the entire thread, so I apologize in advance if I'm repeating something someone already said. Don't use the "splashless" bleach for sanitizing. Someone told me that so I checked out the label on the Clorox bottle and it's not to be used for anything other than as a cleansing product. I don't have a bottle close by to quote exactly what the warning label says.

X2. There are many versions of bleach. Splashless and scented aren't for sanitizing. It must have a label that says it kills germs to be used for sanitizing.