Sterilizing new fresh water tank

[forestdweller]

About to fill up the water tank for the first time and the manual says to sterilize it with a mixture of bleach and water. Is this a necessary thing to do? Is there some substitute I can use for bleach?

[Wiscampsin]

Bleach works the best for getting rid of any bacteria in the tank and your water lines.

[HangDiver]

Yes. Its important to do. We generally use 1/4 cup of bleach for every 15 gallons of water. You can pour the bleach directly into the garden hose and then fill the fresh water tank full. Turn on the water pump, open faucets and run the chlorine solution through both hot/cold water plumbing. Let sit for at least 4 hours.

When you're done drain all the chlorine out of the camper and rinse thoroughly with fresh water. Run the faucets to clear out the lines completely.

We do ours once each spring. Good luck

[rbq]

Use the bleach. Make sure that is not a scented bleach, just plain bleach. You only need 1/4 cup for every 15 gallons of tank. 30 gallon tank gets 1/2 cup. Pour the bleach in and fill tank. Turn on you pump and run water through the lines to all faucets until you can smell the bleach. Let it sit for about 12 hours. Drain the tank and fill with fresh water & run faucets until you no longer smell bleach. Your water system in now sanitized & ready to use.

[forestdweller]

Originally Posted by rbq

Use the bleach. Make sure that is not a scented bleach, just plain bleach. You only need 1/4 cup for every 15 gallons of tank. 30 gallon tank gets 1/2 cup. Pour the bleach in and fill tank. Turn on you pump and run water through the lines to all faucets until you can smell the bleach. Let it sit for about 12 hours. Drain the tank and fill with fresh water & run faucets until you no longer smell bleach. Your water system in now sanitized & ready to use.

So should can i just pour the straight bleach directly into the tank before adding water?

[TheWolfPaq82]

Originally Posted by rbq

Use the bleach. Make sure that is not a scented bleach, just plain bleach. You only need 1/4 cup for every 15 gallons of tank. 30 gallon tank gets 1/2 cup. Pour the bleach in and fill tank. Turn on you pump and run water through the lines to all faucets until you can smell the bleach. Let it sit for about 12 hours. Drain the tank and fill with fresh water & run faucets until you no longer smell bleach. Your water system in now sanitized & ready to use.

12 hours sounds quite excessive. I've never gone longer than 2-3 hours. Bleach kills fast.

[Dave Lyon]

Originally Posted by rbq

Use the bleach. Make sure that is not a scented bleach, just plain bleach. You only need 1/4 cup for every 15 gallons of tank. 30 gallon tank gets 1/2 cup. Pour the bleach in and fill tank. Turn on you pump and run water through the lines to all faucets until you can smell the bleach. Let it sit for about 12 hours. Drain the tank and fill with fresh water & run faucets until you no longer smell bleach. Your water system in now sanitized & ready to use.

X2

[itat]

Originally Posted by TheWolfPaq82

12 hours sounds quite excessive. I've never gone longer than 2-3 hours. Bleach kills fast.

You’re adding a diluted bleach solution so you need what’s referred to in the water supply industry as “contact time”. I leave the the bleach mixture in the tank and pipes overnight.

[bob213]

I like to put the bleach in the hose I'm using to fill the fresh water tank and then turn on the water. Sanitizes the hose at the same time.

Food grade hydrogen peroxide can be used but is more expensive than bleach.

[auroraRNT]

Yes, you need to sanitize the entire water system, including the hot tank. If you don't sanitize it all, you may as well not bother with any of it cause the germs/microbes travel through the water. Then flush the entire system with fresh water - or use a solution of baking soda or white vinegar to neutralize any bleach residue is what I do.

[Philkaty]

I have watched several videos that they use vinegar instead of bleach. They both kill germs. I need to do it soon also. We haven't had any problems yet except that twitch... JK.

[BobHanke]

You can “just pour in” if you have a gravity feed to your tank otherwise the hose method is best. Most suggest sanitizing while hot water heater is in bypass mode. If your camping season is long, you might repeat after six months or so.

[Jesse]

Bleach will corrode rubber after a length of time, don't leave it too long. It will eat rubber washers and other rubber gaskets and eventually corrode some metals as well.

[forestdweller]

Originally Posted by Philkaty

I have watched several videos that they use vinegar instead of bleach. They both kill germs. I need to do it soon also. We haven't had any problems yet except that twitch... JK.

How much vinegar would you use for a 50 gal tank?

[auroraRNT]

Originally Posted by forestdweller

How much vinegar would you use for a 50 gal tank?

If you're goal is to sanitize the fresh water system, vinegar is not going to do the job as well as the bleach system. At the 1:4 ratio, that's 10 GALLONS of vinegar to treat a 50 gallon tank! It takes a bit less than a cup of bleach to effectively treat the same tank.

[Vince and Charlette]

Regardless of how much bleach you use, keep in mind the tank is a dark, warm, wet area. Bacteria grows quickly under those conditions. Throughout the years, the majority of people on this forum have stated that they avoid drinking the water from the tank regardless. We have two refillable 2 & 1/2 gallon clear jugs that we fill up at Walmart or Krogers for just 18 cents a gallon. These containers are very easy to clean and dry thoroughly.

[PFLOYD75]

I was underneath my 2014 Coachmen Clipper 17FQ a week ago and while I was taking off the cap to the freshwater tank, I looked up and could see dark "gunk" resting on the bottom of the tank.

I don't use the freshwater for anything other than showers (during which I keep my eyes and mouth shut! lol!) and the toilet. I use bottled water for every other need.

However, as I honestly have never sanitized the freshwater tank, I don't know if the dark spots I'm seeing are just dirt or some kind of mold. I fill it up as needed and empty it out when it won't be used for a long while.

Anyone else ever seen this "stuff" before residing on the bottom of your freshwater tank?

I 'spose I really should do a good sanitization--can't hurt, but I'm just curious if anyone else has experienced this before? I've not ever had an issue (illness of any kind) using the water from this tank, but....anything is possible!

[lacamastraveler]

I follow the US Public Health Service for sanitizing, which I do twice a year.

US Public Health Service
The sanitizing procedure is in conformance with the approved procedures of RVIA and ANSI A119.2 and the U.S. Public Health Service.

Use one of the following methods to determine the amount of common household bleach needed to sanitize the tank:

Multiply “gallons of tank capacity” by .13; the result is the ounces of bleach needed to sanitize the tank.

The standard solution must have four (4) hours of contact time to disinfect completely. Doubling the solution concentration allows for contact time of one (1) hour

After I flush the bleached water I add a gallon of white vinegar to the tank, refill and flush again. The vinegar dissipates the bleach smell/taste and the vinegar smell/taste dissipates itself quickly.

[Philkaty]

Originally Posted by forestdweller

How much vinegar would you use for a 50 gal tank?

I am not sure about 10 gallons.

[TheWolfPaq82]

Originally Posted by itat

You’re adding a diluted bleach solution so you need what’s referred to in the water supply industry as “contact time”. I leave the the bleach mixture in the tank and pipes overnight.

A teaspoon in a gal of water will sanitize dishes or children's toys in 3 minutes of contact time.