Using bleach to clean water tanks

2gypsies wrote:
We full-timed for 16 years getting water at many different sources. We never sanitized the tank and never had any ill effects. We used it for everything, including drinking.

Yeah, my friend the cigarette smoker says something like this.

toedtoes wrote:
A lot depends on how often you use your RV and how long you let the water sit in the tank. I sanitized when I got my clipper (and the TT before it), but haven't needed to re-sanitize. My city water is clean and I always fill at home. I use the clipper often enough that the water doesn't sit and stagnate in the tank.

Rather than using bleach, I use chlorine granules. 1/2 teaspoon for my 40 gallon tank. I'd rather smell a bit left over chlorine in my water than left over bleach.

And the difference is??? What you're smelling when you use bleach IS the chlorine in it

it only takes a couple hours over night ?it might leave a tastes in the water for a long time, might hurt the pipes to.

We full-timed for 16 years getting water at many different sources. We never sanitized the tank and never had any ill effects. We used it for everything, including drinking.

A lot depends on how often you use your RV and how long you let the water sit in the tank. I sanitized when I got my clipper (and the TT before it), but haven't needed to re-sanitize. My city water is clean and I always fill at home. I use the clipper often enough that the water doesn't sit and stagnate in the tank.

Rather than using bleach, I use chlorine granules. 1/2 teaspoon for my 40 gallon tank. I'd rather smell a bit left over chlorine in my water than left over bleach.

ricelake922 wrote:
I would like to clean my water tanks

you have more than one?

1/4 cub of house hold strength bleach (5.25%/6%) per 15 gallons of water to sanitize rv fresh water tank/plumbing system


If you fill water tank via a hose connection.....pour the bleach into end of hose, connect and turn on water source.

When you have bleach/water in fresh water tank..turn on pump and run mixture thru plumbing system (open faucet hot/cold until you can smell bleach). Don't forget toilet (and sprayer if you have one).
Do you have a washing machine...don't forget those lines and the outside shower
Also run some water out of the 'low point drains' so those lines get treated.

I only do mine when I first purchase RV (new or used) and then ONLY if an issue occurs.

vic46 wrote:
Have a look at using peroxide rather than chlorine bleach!

The comments regarding city water doing the job sure make sense to me!

Around 1985 we were getting ready to move to a different house. While I was visiting my doctor for yet another round of kidney stones I asked about moving off of San Jose water, which is ground water that is hard, meaning calcium. I was thinking of moving to where I could get San Francisco lake water.

He told me that the Hetch Hetchy water in San Francisco contains Giardia, at a very low rate, and that San Francisco does not remove it.

Drinking water should be filtered to 2 microns or less in order to remove the 2.5 micron E. Coli.

Federal drinking water standards do not require water to be completely free of a lot of things. It is legal to have a very small amount.

When was the last time you read the water quality report for your city water? Do you know what is in it? When visiting a campground I don't even know how to get a copy of the water quality report.

Have a look at using peroxide rather than chlorine bleach!

The comments regarding city water doing the job sure make sense to me!

Kayteg1 wrote:
What dirt you have in your fresh water tank?
I would not put any chemicals there unless it was exposed to some disaster.

Most manufacturers recommend a once a year sanitizing of the fresh water holding tank and fresh water supply lines. This is easily handled but adding a small (repeat small) amount of bleach to the freshwater tank and running the water through the water heater and all faucets. Letting it stand overnight allows it to kill any bad things that may have entered the water system. Flush completely with fresh water.