How to add fresh water tank sanitizer

Donangus · 01-24-2019, 11:22 PM

A 2005 adventurer - how to add a sanitizer to clear the ta

al1florida · 01-25-2019, 05:53 AM

To sanitize the water system use a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of household bleach for every fifteen gallons of water your fresh water tank holds. Mix the bleach, with water, into a one-gallon container and pour it into the fresh water holding tank. Fill the fresh water tank almost completely full of potable water.

Use a funnel to pour the mixture in the gravity fill port for the freshwater tank. Be sure to fill the tank to 1/4 full before starting, then add more water after pour in each additional gallon of mixture.

Then take and drive around for 15-20 minutes on local streets with stops and turns to mix everything together.

Now run the water pump until you can smell the bleach coming out of each faucet, also including the hot water side.

Let sit for 8-24 hours and then flush 2-3 times.

jerrybb · 01-25-2019, 02:01 PM

I've also added the correct amount of bleach directly into the hose with a measuring cup, then connect it to the spigot. Fill tank as usual, it sanitizes the hose at the same time.

al1florida · 01-25-2019, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerrybb

I've also added the correct amount of bleach directly into the hose with a measuring cup, then connect it to the spigot. Fill tank as usual, it sanitizes the hose at the same time.

I would want to drive the RV longer if I added the full amount of undiluted bleach in one glob to be sure the bleach mixed fully with the water. Even going down the water hose pushed by water it will enter the tank pretty much intact

It takes a bit of mixing to fully mix bleach with water. When I put an ounce or so of bleach in a couple of cups of water it takes a fair bit of stirring to get it completely mixed.

bdub · 01-26-2019, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by al1florida

I would want to drive the RV longer if I added the full amount of undiluted bleach in one glob to be sure the bleach mixed fully with the water. Even going down the water hose pushed by water it will enter the tank pretty much intact

It takes a bit of mixing to fully mix bleach with water. When I put an ounce or so of bleach in a couple of cups of water it takes a fair bit of stirring to get it completely mixed.

You just answered a question I was looking for. I know I need three cups of bleach because I have a 48 gallon tank. I couldn't understand why i need the extra step of putting it in a gallon of water when I was just gonna pour it down a big ol tank of water. I didn't need realize bleach would resist mixing readily with water. Thanks for this comment!

al1florida · 01-27-2019, 06:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdub

You just answered a question I was looking for. I know I need three cups of bleach because I have a 48 gallon tank. I couldn't understand why i need the extra step of putting it in a gallon of water when I was just gonna pour it down a big ol tank of water. I didn't need realize bleach would resist mixing readily with water. Thanks for this comment!

3 cups of bleach is an overkill for only a 48 gallon tank and may be hard to flush the odor of the bleach out of the system. 1 to 1 1/2 cups will do the job just fine.

chiliman · 01-30-2019, 04:16 PM

My 2007 Adventurer owners manual says 1/4 cup bleach in whole house filter canister (without filter) then fill tank. Water mixes with bleach as it goes through the filter canister.

Run with pump until bleach sensed at each faucet (hot and cold).

Let sit for at least 12 hours (overnight better).

Dump tank (don't forget hot water heater) then fill 1/2 or more with fresh water (filter back in place). Run pump and flush through all faucets until no bleach smell. Can either dump the tank and water heater or keep if wanted.

I usually dump then use a very small amount of bleach in hose (no filter in canister) sufficient for about 1/2 tank and run that through. Put the filter back in and then I travel with this. Just a precaution here, the tanks, water heater, lines, and faucets are already sterilized from the initial step.

JoeC · 01-30-2019, 05:15 PM

I pretty much do the same thing except I fill the filter canister that I normally use to filter the incoming water through a carbon filter. I don't use the filter when sanitizing the lines and I also don't run the chlorine into my water heater by using the tank bypass valve. Other than that, the rest is the same. I do this as part of the winterization process. Everything gets flushed again in the spring before the season starts.

bdub · 01-30-2019, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by al1florida

3 cups of bleach is an overkill for only a 48 gallon tank and may be hard to flush the odor of the bleach out of the system. 1 to 1 1/2 cups will do the job just fine.

Oh yes! I mistyped that. It's three gallons of bleach solution 1/4 cup per gallon, so it's 3/4 cup bleach total according to the guidelines provided by Winnebago.

SCVJeff · 01-31-2019, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdub

Oh yes! I mistyped that. It's three gallons of bleach solution 1/4 cup per gallon, so it's 3/4 cup bleach total according to the guidelines provided by Winnebago.

WHAT?

jbrattain · 01-31-2019, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by al1florida

I would want to drive the RV longer if I added the full amount of undiluted bleach in one glob to be sure the bleach mixed fully with the water. Even going down the water hose pushed by water it will enter the tank pretty much intact

It takes a bit of mixing to fully mix bleach with water. When I put an ounce or so of bleach in a couple of cups of water it takes a fair bit of stirring to get it completely mixed.

I pour the gallon of water/bleach mix into the tank first, then fill the tank from the pressure "city" fill. The pressure fill mixes the water. I guess a short drive wouldn't hurt either.

David K · 01-31-2019, 07:54 AM

I do not use bleach to sanitize my tank and lines in the RV. I use peroxide for this. I buy a 2 quarts of hydrogen peroxide (I have a 100 gallon water tank). I then fill my outside water filter container with the peroxide and then fill my water tank. I then pump the water through all of my plumbing and usually will drive the MH around to "slosh" the solution around in the water tank. Sometimes I will drain the water tank and other times I will not as the peroxide solution will not harm you at all and it also does not have any heavy smell to it. Makes the sanitization very easy to do --- it also will not hurt your water heater.

jmo01830 · 01-31-2019, 08:03 AM

We use a little more than two quarts in the 55gal. fresh water tank. Peroxide is cheap at Wally Mart, that's where we get ours . Been doing it for 18 years in both our Itascas. Never and issue.

bdub · 01-31-2019, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCVJeff

WHAT?

The manual from Winnebago says that before first use, you should sanitize the system using 1/4 cup of bleach diluted in one gallon of water, for every 15 gallons of tank capacity. Then you fill the tank completely, run the taps until you smell chlorine and let sit for 4 hours. Then completely drain and flush until you no longer smell chlorine from the taps and refill the tank. I've got a48 gallon, so I'd need three gallons of the diluted mixture. Am I missing a step?

old_engineer · 01-31-2019, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerrybb

I've also added the correct amount of bleach directly into the hose with a measuring cup, then connect it to the spigot. Fill tank as usual, it sanitizes the hose at the same time.

This is what I do. It is a lot easier than trying to find a funnel or having 1/2 the bleach not make it into the fill tube.

Chiefig · 01-31-2019, 09:24 AM

Reading the manual is a really good source for how much bleach to add and methods to add it....just sayin.

valsamik · 02-18-2019, 04:33 AM

First I flush the waterline anti-freeze. I then use a water filter housing (https://www.lowes.com/pd/Whirlpool-S...System/1188335) and modified it to use hose connections to attach to the RV and my water hose. I open the filter housing and add the required amount of bleach. Reinstall the filter housing and turn on the water. I fill to the required water amount. Pump through the water system and drive the MH to slosh around to get all areas of the fresh water tank. My drive to slosh the tanks is to get my propane refilled. After I let it sit for about 4 hours, I drain and flush the water system...drive to the campground down the street and dump my tanks. I can usually get all this done in one-day along with some other de-winterizing tasks.

Oldmanlampe · 03-26-2019, 05:37 PM

bdub, thanks for the infor. Another question I have 26ft outlook, 2019. What is the best way to dewinterize it. It was done at the dealer because it was my first winter. He use the pink antifreeze. I have watch many youtube videos and read the manual several times. Any pointers?
Thanks and happy rolling. Old man

FlyingV · 07-03-2021, 11:38 AM

I need to sanitize before our initial use. My issue is that I can’t drain my system at my house and there are no facilities at the storage lot. So where do you drain your system. I’m using camco sanitizer. I was think of draining it at a nearby rv wash bay. Any ideas?

al1florida · 07-03-2021, 04:12 PM

Why can't you drain the water from the fresh water tank? It is no different than using a water hose and running water on the driveway or grass. The amount of bleach you add to the large quantity of water does not harm the grass. Or is the sanitizer solution the problem? I have never used anything other than a weak bleach solution.