Cleaning the fresh water tank?

[Gracy]

What would you use to clean the fresh water tank out if it had water sitting in it for a long period of time?  Baking Soda? Bleach? Chlorine?

[Old Goat]

Liquid clorox will do the job..just read the mixing directions on the bottle for disenfecting and rinse well...

[flyfisherman]

I use both ... chlorine bleach (Clorox), let the mixture stay in the tank for about an hour, drain and then fill with a baking soda mixture to subdue the chlorine taste, let that stand for a few minutes, rinse and ready to go.

My little Starcraft has two seperate, portable, 5/gal water tanks ... which I like as I can take them outside and do the cleaning business. And I like it when using them at a campsite as when one tank of water is used up, switch over to the second tank and then remove the empty from the PU and re-fill.





Fly

[He Ruide]

Gracy,

You should also sanitize the pipes, facuets and hoses as well.  Hopefully this will be of help.

Ruide

[PattieAM]

I use Clorox as directed in my owners manual and fill the holding tank with water - hook up the trailer and tow it over a semi-bumpy road (lots of them close by), return home, allow to sit for a few hours, then open her up, pump the chlorinated water through the faucets to sanitize the lines, and drain the tank, put in fresh water, pump through the lines and again drain and rinse the tank.

My Fleetwood owners manual says prepare chlorine solution using one gallon of water and 1/4 cup of Clorox or Purex.  Pour the solution into the tank and complete the filling ofthe tank with fresh water.  Turn on the water pump and open faucets individually until all air has been released.  Allow to stand for 3 hours, then drain entire system by opening all valves and faucets.  Flush with potable fresh water for several minutes to flush out chlorine solution, close all faucets.  Refill the bult in tank with fresh potable water and it's ready to use.  To remove any excess chlorine taste or odor, prepare a solution of one quart vinegar to five gallons of water and allow solution to agitate in the tank for several days by vehicle motion.  Drain tank and flush with fresh water.

As I mentioned, I slosh the chlorine solution by towing the trailer over a slightly bumpy road.  While very sensative to the chlorine odor, I've not yet had to do a vinegar rinse.

[joandthe3boys]

He Ruide,
Thanks for the how to pic's
We purchased an EV2 at the end of last year and I am starting to get it ready for our first run of the season in a few weeks.


You how2 pic's worked well...  
I am looking into changing the 12 V to dual 6 V... And other pic logs I can us?

Been reading about LED light change out and BBQ hose adapters to a Weber Q.

Thanks again for the detail.


Greg


   

[tlhdoc]

You should sanitize your water system any time it has not been used for a "while".  I put 1/4 cup of Clorox bleach into a gallon container and then fill it the rest of the way with fresh water.  Pour that into your holding tank.  Fill the holding tank the rest of the way.  You want to pump this bleach/water through all of you water lines and water heater if you have one.  Then I refill my fresh water tank. Let is sit for an hour or two.  If you leave it sit for hours or overnight you will have more of a problem with a residual bleach smell in your water lines.  That is why I only leave the bleach water in the tank/lines for 1 to 2 hours.  Drain the fresh water tank and water heater if you have one.  Then fill the water tank with fresh water, pump that through the lines and drain the system again.  You can do more than one rinse, but I have found that doing one rinse is sufficient if I don't leave the bleach in the system for more than two hours.

Just a few side notes:  use regular bleach, not concentrated or scented
also a stronger bleach solution does not work better

[He Ruide]

He Ruide,
Thanks for the how to pic's
We purchased an EV2 at the end of last year and I am starting to get it ready for our first run of the season in a few weeks.


You how2 pic's worked well...  
I am looking into changing the 12 V to dual 6 V... And other pic logs I can us?

Been reading about LED light change out and BBQ hose adapters to a Weber Q.

Thanks again for the detail.


Greg


   

Greg,

You are welcome. I'm sorry I don't have pictures with the conversion to 6 volt batteries as I went with the 12 volt battery and generator.  

However, you might want to spend some time looking at the other galleries as I hope there are other topics that might be useful.

Ruide

PS sorry for the hijacking of the thread.

[Gracy]

Thanks for the tips..... I don't know how I missed reading these until just this morning........ DH actually used a box of baking soda this morning so I wonder if he can just drain that and used the bleach now???  Thanks