I wanted to share this...

[Prepilot_3ck]

So, a few months back I decided I was going to sanitize my freshwater tank and change my water filter so I can drink from the tank (which I haven't been brave enough to do just yet). I read all the directions and I think I even posted here on the process. It seemed easy enough, whatever it was-parts of bleach to whatever it was-parts water drop it in, let it sit, run the faucets, etc... boom-bada-bing. Done.

Well, not so easy. I get out to the RV park where I'm going to do this (I don't have a yard, driveway and I'm unable to park on my street so my RV is in storage. That leaves local RV parks for me to do my non-invasive maintenance). I get my bottle of bleach out and I measure the appropriate amount for my size tank. I trot around to the business side of my RV, open the compartment where the fresh water filler deal is...[whistle whistle..] this is so easy, I'm wife's going to be please-e'd, I'm flush'n my tank, so it doesn't get rank [whistle whistle] as soon as I get my compartment door open I'm immediately perplexed. My little whistle song rapidly turned into a barrage of profanity as I realize that I have NO WAY to get anything into the screw-on hose fittings where everything hooks up.

My last TT had like a "filler" type thing where you could stick on hose in there or a funnel if you were filling from a water jug etc... Nope. Not on the 'ol DP. This is a standard hose fitting, the very same kind that the city water hooks up to... How in the NAME of Bozo's red nose am I going to get gravity-fed bleach into a hose fitting?

Oh, you guys should have seen this... I was like frick'n Mcgyver out there, I had all kinds of tricks I was trying. I cut up water bottles, I tried making a bellows sort of thing out of a milk jug, I had tape all over the place, I had bleach all over the place (thankfully we live in the desert and it was all just rocks and concrete around), it was a mess. Water, bleach, and all kinds of home made gizmos strewn about the campsite trying to figure out how to get bleach in the dang tank. I even tried filling a water bottle with bleach and squirting it up the overflow... I really though THAT was going to be the ticket. Not so much.

Finally, after stringing together every swear word I knew in every possible combination (which is a lot...think about it...do the math...), I came up with a solution. It was free, clean, and had a slight bonus feature.... ready for this? I'm actually more proud of this solution then the idea I had that involved using the generator exhaust extension, connecting it to the water inlet then getting on the roof and hoping the 12 feet, 2 inches at 9.81 Meters/second-squared would develop enough pressure to get in the tank. No, this is WAY better.

Step 1: Turn off the city water supply at the pipe in the ground.
Step 2: Connect your hose to the faucet.
Step 3: Holding the non-connected end of the hose up, fill the hose with the appropriate amount of bleach.
Step 4: Connect the hose to the fresh water inlet, being careful not to dump any of the bleach out.
Step 5: Turn on the water.
Step 6. Have a beer.

In 15 minutes or so, your tank is full of the appropriate solution. Drain her out, rinse and repeat. Nice. Elegant. Clean AND! You get your hose sanitized at the same time. Nice!

So, how does everyone ELSE do it?

Brian

[wnytaxman]

We do it the same way you did it other than your steps 1-99. We just dump the bleach in the hose, hook up the hose and then turn on the water. But don't fret, I didn't figure that out myself. The wife figured it out and I don't think she will ever, ever forget that she figured it out and I didn't!

[Prepilot_3ck]

Originally Posted by wnytaxman

We do it the same way you did it other than your steps 1-99. We just dump the bleach in the hose, hook up the hose and then turn on the water. But don't fret, I didn't figure that out myself. The wife figured it out and I don't think she will ever, ever forget that she figured it out and I didn't!

HAHA! My wife was inside the whole time watching TV. "Can I use the water yet?" I don't blame your wife for taking credit for this, this was quite the mystery for me.

Brian

[tmmar]

Well, it took some messing around but that is basically the way to do it. Connect the hose to the motor home, dump some bleach into the hose and connect to the water supply. Turn on the water, and the rest is as you described. Sorry it took you so long to get there, but it paid off in the end.

[flyrotor]

Home depot has siphon tubes in the garden center that let you siphon fertilizer into your garden hose to spray on the lawn, you could put the needed amount of bleach into a glass jar, siphon directly into your hose as you fill your tank, this photo is from Amazon.com, just google fertilizer hose siphon and there are several listed

[Hipshot]

I do as you finaly did, can't take credit I read it on a RV forum maybe this one. Wasn't it a since of great satisfaction to have figured it out and wasn't the beer great.

[aintgotnun]

HEHEHEHE

Good reading....

[Acara]

Originally Posted by Prepilot_3ck

Step 1: Turn off the city water supply at the pipe in the ground.
Step 2: Connect your hose to the faucet.
Step 3: Holding the non-connected end of the hose up, fill the hose with the appropriate amount of bleach.
Step 4: Connect the hose to the fresh water inlet, being careful not to dump any of the bleach out.
Step 5: Turn on the water.
Step 6. Have a beer.

So, how does everyone ELSE do it?

Brian

Your steps are backwards.

Have the beer first ....

Corona long-neck works best ...

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by Acara

Your steps are backwards.

Have the beer first ....

Corona long-neck works best ...

And just what is wrong with having a cold 1 both before and after the chore.