How to sanitize fresh water system on 2015 Berkshire XL?

williamthiess · 06-30-2015, 05:27 PM

How do you sanitize the fresh water system in a 2015 Berkshire XL? There is no gravity fill where I can put in bleach/water mixture.

fonzie · 06-30-2015, 05:28 PM

add bleach to garden hose then connect to fresh water tank and fill

KennyGolub · 07-01-2015, 07:02 AM

On my 400QL, I use the suction hose at the water pump.

bubbles · 07-01-2015, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KennyGolub

On my 400QL, I use the suction hose at the water pump.

This is fine if one only want's to sanitize the plumbing but does nothing to sanitize the holding tank. Reference first reply.

waiter21 · 07-01-2015, 09:15 AM

I'm not sure how close the Berkshire is to an older Mirada, but I wrote up a "How-To" for my Mirada.

On mine, there is a way to fill / sanitize the fresh tank and plumbing, but the water system valves need to be set in an undocumented way.

Goto the article and scroll down, see if this is similar to yours, or may give you some ideas.

WINTERIZING / DEWINTERIZING | 2001 Coachmen Mirada 300QB

..

KennyGolub · 07-01-2015, 11:01 AM

I beg to differ.

It goes into my fresh water tank. From there, I run the pump and open up all the lines until I smell the bleach.

TURBS · 07-01-2015, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KennyGolub

I beg to differ.

It goes into my fresh water tank. From there, I run the pump and open up all the lines until I smell the bleach.

So you use the pump to fill your fw tank?
Not sure how you use your pump to get bleach into tank and the turn around and draw water out of it as well?

Confused.

TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "11 nights"

Phil57 · 07-01-2015, 11:33 AM

I'm confused as well. That valve is for winterizing the water system and should not add anything to the tank itself. If you are adding bleach to the tank without changing valves around pictures and a right up would be appreciated.
I have always poured bleach into the hose and then hooked it up to tank full.

TURBS · 07-01-2015, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil57

I'm confused as well. That valve is for winterizing the water system and should not add anything to the tank itself. If you are adding bleach to the tank without changing valves around pictures and a right up would be appreciated.
I have always poured bleach into the hose and then hooked it up to tank full.

I think you'd have to turn three valves to make that all happen?

TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "11 nights"

KennyGolub · 07-01-2015, 11:54 AM

I am at work right now, but I will take some photos along with a description of what I did while we are on the road this weekend. We head out Friday and are in the middle of loading up so I'm not sure how much time I will have in the next two days.

I had to turn two valves and put the suction hose into the bleach bottle to get it to pull the bleach into the FW tanks. Is this not the way you can fill your FW tanks via 5gal containers when city hookup isn't available ?

I apologize that I can't elaborate more right now.

TURBS · 07-01-2015, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KennyGolub

I am at work right now, but I will take some photos along with a description of what I did while we are on the road this weekend. We head out Friday and are in the middle of loading up so I'm not sure how much time I will have in the next two days.

I had to turn two valves and put the suction hose into the bleach bottle to get it to pull the bleach into the FW tanks. Is this not the way you can fill your FW tanks via 5gal containers when city hookup isn't available ?

I apologize that I can't elaborate more right now.

I'm curious to see. Ty

TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "11 nights"

Phil57 · 07-01-2015, 12:20 PM

Kenny when we have dry camped I always tried to figure a way to do that but failed. I ended up making a setup with a 12v pump from HF. It worked but was frustrated because I had a much better 12 V pump already on the rig. No rush but I will be interested in the way you do it also. Thanks for taking the time.

KennyGolub · 07-01-2015, 12:42 PM

HHmmmmm

I have always owned 5er's prior to the Berk, and all of them would allow you to refill your FW tanks with a 5 gal. container that I always carry for that purpose. Many times we can only get a spot at our favorite state park without water hookups. So I would trot over to the water fill station, fill the jug and refill the FW tank.

SO ..... I'm reading everyone's posts in this thread and a thought slowly creeps through my thick skull. ALL these guys can't be wrong.

So I mentally went thru the procedure I did this spring. Throw the valves by the pump. Check. Stick the hose into the bleach bottle. Check. Have DW throw the pump switch. Check. The bleach disappears. I then fill the FW tanks in the normal fashion. After filling, I run the pump with all the faucets open until I smell the bleach coming from them.

This seemed to me like it went smoothly. But the OP said it only sanitizes the lines. Could it be I fooled myself into thinking I sanitized everything ? Did all that bleach go only into the lines even though none of the faucets were open ? I really don't know and now having second thoughts. I based my assumptions on how my 5er's worked and now wondering if MH's don't do that.

I now have a pressurized leak (very small) somewhere in the lines behind the manifold system and can't run the pump or have city water hooked up unless I want water to start getting in the water compartment. I hope to get that fixed at Goshen. Currently, I can only run the pump for short periods as water is needed and then immediately shut the pump off and release the pressure in the lines. So I can't do a lot of testing until it's fixed.

Hopefully, I'll run into some of you fine folks at Goshen and we can discuss this more.

I probably should have stayed in my corner and not chimed in

TURBS · 07-01-2015, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KennyGolub

HHmmmmm

I have always owned 5er's prior to the Berk, and all of them would allow you to refill your FW tanks with a 5 gal. container that I always carry for that purpose. Many times we can only get a spot at our favorite state park without water hookups. So I would trot over to the water fill station, fill the jug and refill the FW tank.

SO ..... I'm reading everyone's posts in this thread and a thought slowly creeps through my thick skull. ALL these guys can't be wrong.

So I mentally went thru the procedure I did this spring. Throw the valves by the pump. Check. Stick the hose into the bleach bottle. Check. Have DW throw the pump switch. Check. The bleach disappears. I then fill the FW tanks in the normal fashion. After filling, I run the pump with all the faucets open until I smell the bleach coming from them.

This seemed to me like it went smoothly. But the OP said it only sanitizes the lines. Could it be I fooled myself into thinking I sanitized everything ? Did all that bleach go only into the lines even though none of the faucets were open ? I really don't know and now having second thoughts. I based my assumptions on how my 5er's worked and now wondering if MH's don't do that.

I now have a pressurized leak (very small) somewhere in the lines behind the manifold system and can't run the pump or have city water hooked up unless I want water to start getting in the water compartment. I hope to get that fixed at Goshen. Currently, I can only run the pump for short periods as water is needed and then immediately shut the pump off and release the pressure in the lines. So I can't do a lot of testing until it's fixed.

Hopefully, I'll run into some of you fine folks at Goshen and we can discuss this more.

I probably should have stayed in my corner and not chimed in

Lol I'm glad you did chime in.
If in fact it is how you'd say I'd like to know the method.
We boondock 3 times a year .

TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "11 nights"

Phil57 · 07-01-2015, 01:16 PM

Kenny thanks for the input. You still may be right. Good luck with the leak. It couldn't be in a worse spot. It's so hard to get to that spot. We will be at Goshen and hopefully we can have a couple of adult beverages and discuss the finer points of MH maintenance.

Richard D · 07-01-2015, 09:24 PM

I am guessing that I do not understand the question. I have always just removed the filter from the whole rig filter housing, put bleach in the filter housing, and then used a hose to run water thru the system to get the bleach in the lines. It just hit me that you may be wanting to get bleach into the fresh water tank. I do believe that when you connect a hose to fill the fresh water tank, it bypasses the whole rig filter. If that is the issue forget what I am saying and I will continue to read what others have to say about getting bleach into the fresh water tank.

Phil57 · 07-01-2015, 10:04 PM

Richard I believe that the filter housing is after the tank. Adding bleach to that will not sanitize the tank itself but only the lines and such. The only way that I am sure of is pouring bleach in the hose and then connecting the hose to fill the tank.

bubbles · 07-01-2015, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard D

I am guessing that I do not understand the question. I have always just removed the filter from the whole rig filter housing, put bleach in the filter housing, and then used a hose to run water thru the system to get the bleach in the lines. It just hit me that you may be wanting to get bleach into the fresh water tank. I do believe that when you connect a hose to fill the fresh water tank, it bypasses the whole rig filter. If that is the issue forget what I am saying and I will continue to read what others have to say about getting bleach into the fresh water tank.

Your fresh water holding tank connection goes directly into the holding tank (does not pass go does not collect $200) and no where else. All water inputs (pump from holding tank/shore water hook up) to your plumbing lines/faucets goes through your whole house filter.

Mbh818 · 07-02-2015, 03:31 AM

Our 75 gallon tanks require 1.5 cups bleach to be properly sanitized. Easiest thing to do is to pour the bleach in the hose, attach the hose to the fill and fill the tank. Then run water through all the lines until you smell the bleach and let sit for about 12 hours. Empty the tank, drain the lines and refill with fresh water about half full. I'll then run the fresh water thru the lines to get rid of the bleach smell and take the rig for a few miles drive so the half full tank gets sloshed around to remove bleach from the walls. Empty everything a second time and you are sanitized.

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fonzie · 07-02-2015, 05:30 AM

You can use the on board pump to put bleach into your fresh water tank with a few mod using the external shower. Need to adapt external shower hose to garden hose, then connect garden hose to fresh water fill. Put anti-freeze (winterizing) suction line into bleach container and draw using on board pump into water system, out through external shower into fresh water tank........

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