Plastic taste in water

[Hudgen]

We have had our new 251RKS a week and the water taste so bad you can't drink it. The taste is plastic or glue and not going away. It does not taste like this from campground so does it go away?

[MillerTime]

Have you sanitized the system with bleach water in the holding tank?
Your owners manual should state to do this and has a recommendation on how much bleach to use.

[Hudgen]

Guess I need to read the whole thing. Thanks, haven't done that yet . . .

[Ford Idaho]

1/4 cup of unscented bleach to 15 gallons of water allow it to sit overnight then use the water pump to run the mix thru all of the water lines and low point drains till you smell the bleach.

After you have emptied the FW tank refill with fresh water and flush everything until you no longer can smell the bleach be sure to open the low point drains to flush them and do the same for the outside shower line.

[MillerTime]

Originally Posted by Ford Idaho

1/4 cup of unscented bleach to 15 gallons of water allow it to sit overnight then use the water pump to run the mix thru all of the water lines and low point drains till you smell the bleach.

After you have emptied the FW tank refill with fresh water and flush everything until you no longer can smell the bleach be sure to open the low point drains to flush them and do the same for the outside shower line.

I couldn't remember the mix ratio. I thought it was about 1 cup for a whole tank.
We did this to our first camper, but since we never use the holding tank or drink the water, we haven't ever done it on our other camper.

[Ford Idaho]

Originally Posted by MillerTime

I couldn't remember the mix ratio. I thought it was about 1 cup for a whole tank.
We did this to our first camper, but since we never use the holding tank or drink the water, we haven't ever done it on our other camper.

That is the "suggested" ratio to sanitize, for drinking it is way lower I think it is 1/2-1 teaspoon per gallon.

We rarely even use the FW tank but I do sanitize it and all of the lines every year to clear out the antifreeze and keep the tank clean just incase the need to use it occurs.

[PSU Turf]

I have rinsed baking soda through the tank and lines after sanitizing with bleach. It helps a little with the taste but we still carry a 7 gallon jug of water, from home, for drinking.

[hiinthesky]

Yes, I agree the tank needs flushed/sanitized. Are you using a white RV water hose or a green garden hose? Is bottled water out of the question?? As previous post suggest, flush and sanitize each year just in case you may need to drink from the FW tank. I do this every year, but primarily drink bottled water.

[JLeising]

Originally Posted by hiinthesky

Yes, I agree the tank needs flushed/sanitized. Are you using a white RV water hose or a green garden hose? .

Hose is a big issue. I think the gray "potable water hoses" also will give a plastic taste. The white "potable" hoses don't, in my experience. I was amazed the one time I filled with the "wrong" hose that the entire tank was contaminated (plastic flavored). Took a few "flushes" to correct. I now sample (taste) each water source before putting it in my tank, and only use my own (white potable) hose.

[hankpac]

It is only my personal preference, and frankly I have drunk from everything, including a muddy elephant foot print, a rushing stream, a military water tank (we called it a buffalo) and a canteen that had halogen in it.
I simply do not drink from my RV system Ever.
I sanitize with bleach, and baking soda, and use the white hose only, and a filter outside the rig, as well as an internal house filter, and ETC.
But...I carry a crate of water bottles, for drinking. Two crates if I am going to be dry camping at elk camp, since that is a month. I use it to cook, and to brush teeth, and to drink, or make tea. I do not drink from the tanks. Ever.
I fill tanks from a home water system, and I also use a spring near Elk Camp, and I sanitize so the water can be used for bathing and washing. I also put a dose of bleach into the water when I fill it for use (AFTER THE SANITIZING STEPS).
Personal preference but it has stood us in good stead. We drink more water that way , as well, since it is so easy to grab a bottle and drink it down, anytime.

[Hudgen]

Well I flushed my fresh water tank today prior to sanitizing. Tons of plastic shavings came out the drain and after flushing three times, it's clear. Guess I will sanitize the entire system tomorrow. Do they ever flush tanks prior to shipping the tt?

[Ford Idaho]

Originally Posted by Hudgen

Well I flushed my fresh water tank today prior to sanitizing. Tons of plastic shavings came out the drain and after flushing three times, it's clear. Guess I will sanitize the entire system tomorrow. Do they ever flush tanks prior to shipping the tt?

That's a good one!

[randman132]

I don't know about everyone else but I never drink the on board water. I always buy gallons of drinking water. Only $1 a gallon at Walmart!!!

[bob dirt]

Originally Posted by randman132

I don't know about everyone else but I never drink the on board water. I always buy gallons of drinking water. Only $1 a gallon at Walmart!!!

There you go...never know who did what in the tank before it was installed

Before I joined this forum, I never knew anyone who drank from their tank. I consider it non-potable...but to each his own

[MillerTime]

Well we don't usually drink out of the lines at our camper. Wifey drinks bottled water, and i drink Pepsi and beer!
Occasionally i will drink some of the water when im brushing my teeth or in the middle of the night.
We've been at our campground for almost 3 years now, so im not worried about the water. Its the same water our landlord drinks in his house.
Like stated previously though, we never use the holding tank, we have full hookups at our site.

[MillerTime]

Originally Posted by Hudgen

Well I flushed my fresh water tank today prior to sanitizing. Tons of plastic shavings came out the drain and after flushing three times, it's clear. Guess I will sanitize the entire system tomorrow. Do they ever flush tanks prior to shipping the tt?

That would be....negative ghost rider!
It would require too much time to run water in the system and then drain it all out, and in the cooler months, to winterize it.

We've had a big hole cutout get stuck in a valve on one of our grey tanks in one of our campers. It came out after i opened the valve again, luckily!

[Mr Havercamp]

I would think that if you find the greenest and cheapest garden hose which should be made of PVC and use that to fill the tank which is made of MDPE, the difference in plastics should offset each other and you get 100% pure, clean, odorless spring water.

Seriously, dump some Arm and Hammer in it.

Originally Posted by hankpac

frankly I have drunk from everything, including a muddy elephant foot print,

So please tell us.......what did that taste like? I recently had my granddaughter at the zoo, and as a fundraiser you could get your picture taken right there with one of their elephants, as in right beside her. I still remember looking down and seeing her nasty toenails. Talk about a case of nail fungus and possible toejam. I can't help thinking of her mashing a patty down in with her nasty hoove and you taking a good long drag out of that depression.

[DKRITTER]

We don't drink the water from the trailer, not necessarily because of the trailer but because we don't know the water supply.

It's easy to use bottled water to cook, make coffee and such and then we aren't concerned.

[youroo]

I am Not sure but, PEX,Fresh Water Tanks,White garden hoses,and most drinking cups are "Some Form of PLASTIC"! So throw away Water Bottles are Better? I will properly Sanitize our Fresh water system and use it as it was intended for! Youroo!!

[KyDan]

The OP doesn't say whether they are using city water inlet or pumping from
the fresh holding tank.

We use a charcoal "taste and sediment" filter on our inlet hose and often
use it to fill our holding tank if that's what we're going to use.

We have found that even the white hose with the filter still has a bad taste
if the hose is sitting in the hot sun. We try to fill coffee pots and drinking
water bottles after a good flush of the system. IE: after a shower or after doing the dishes etc... Many KY state parks have the water spigot way
back in the site. It's not unusual to need 50 or 75 feet of hose to reach it.
That much hose laying in the sun will give a bad taste fer sure! In those
cases we fill a blue tote at the spigot or at home.