Disinfecting Water Connections
I just purchased a new TT and haven't used it yet. I know I have two available water intakes. With the city water connection, do I need to disinfect it and the kitchen and bath faucets? If so, how?...
Forum Discussion
There seems to be a big lack of understanding about municipal water systems, and their safety! Did you know that MANY of the brands of bottled water come straight from the tap of wherever their plant is located? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saSgpX186MM) But this is not the place for an extended lecture that will not change many minds, anyway. Using bottled water because of taste preference is fine, but you're not being healthier by using it.
Private wells are a different matter, and commercial use (campgrounds) in most areas of the country have to be tested, periodically. Of course, that depends on the local officials, and their level of concern.
mowermech hit the issue of sanitation on the head - it takes any practical concentration of a chemical time to do it's work, and many solutions dissipate really quickly. A bleach solution should be in contact for about 5 min. to do it's job, and that solution should be made fresh. In restaurants, that means several times a day, unless they have test kits to verify the bleach is still active. Bleach does NOT clean - it only sanitizes. You need a cleaner - detergent or other, to clean first. Then sanitize.
As far as dogs...well, gross as it is, urine is normally sanitary! As any medical professional. And there are very, very few things you can catch from a dog. The bathroom and kitchen is much more contagious for people-to-people transmission problems.
Bleach only acts on what it can touch, so if there is a layer of dirt or grim, you'll get a surface that is sanitized, but nothing under it is. Lots of restaurant food illnesses caused because the food residue was only sprayed with bleach, and not cleaned off first.
Bleaching a hose bib may make you feel better, but if first you do not thoroughly clean it, bleaching will do little - any "stuff" on it can still come through the water system. Simple flushing with water will take care of far more than a spritz of bleach - and is very effective in removing dog residue, kid spit, and all the rest!
Spritz away if if comforts you, but it's not doing anything to keep you healthy, unless you spend a moderate amount of time scrubbing and soaking.
Myself - I bleach my tanks a couple of times a year. Flush off all connections before hooking up. Drink the local water. Do use a PUR faucet filter to improve taste. Am thinking about a filtration system to keep sediment out. But it's not something I worry about much.
Private wells are a different matter, and commercial use (campgrounds) in most areas of the country have to be tested, periodically. Of course, that depends on the local officials, and their level of concern.
mowermech hit the issue of sanitation on the head - it takes any practical concentration of a chemical time to do it's work, and many solutions dissipate really quickly. A bleach solution should be in contact for about 5 min. to do it's job, and that solution should be made fresh. In restaurants, that means several times a day, unless they have test kits to verify the bleach is still active. Bleach does NOT clean - it only sanitizes. You need a cleaner - detergent or other, to clean first. Then sanitize.
As far as dogs...well, gross as it is, urine is normally sanitary! As any medical professional. And there are very, very few things you can catch from a dog. The bathroom and kitchen is much more contagious for people-to-people transmission problems.
Bleach only acts on what it can touch, so if there is a layer of dirt or grim, you'll get a surface that is sanitized, but nothing under it is. Lots of restaurant food illnesses caused because the food residue was only sprayed with bleach, and not cleaned off first.
Bleaching a hose bib may make you feel better, but if first you do not thoroughly clean it, bleaching will do little - any "stuff" on it can still come through the water system. Simple flushing with water will take care of far more than a spritz of bleach - and is very effective in removing dog residue, kid spit, and all the rest!
Spritz away if if comforts you, but it's not doing anything to keep you healthy, unless you spend a moderate amount of time scrubbing and soaking.
Myself - I bleach my tanks a couple of times a year. Flush off all connections before hooking up. Drink the local water. Do use a PUR faucet filter to improve taste. Am thinking about a filtration system to keep sediment out. But it's not something I worry about much.
