I sanitized our fresh water tank this weekend. We are normally in full hook-up sites but next week will be in a partial hook-up so we will be using our fresh water tank. I had to fill it and flush three times to get the bleach smell out. It occurred to me that I was just pouring 40 gallons of water out and letting it run down the driveway. I captured what I could in a 5 gallon bucket and carried it to the flower beds, lawn, etc. It would have been so much easier if I could have attached a garden hose to the outlet, but for whatever reason the manufacturer didn't see fit to install a hose connection. Does anyone know why they don't? I like to do my part in water conservation. I'm assuming it would be easy enough to rig something up, but that still doesn't explain why they're made the way they are.

I don't know, but you could opt for running a faucet and draining out the gray tank. Are you sure you want bleach on your plants?In RV construction, everything is about cost.

They make them as cheap as possible. I installed a fitting with a shutoff under mine.Why not do the same with yours and rig it with a hose connection?jack L

If the drain is threaded there is more than likely a pipe thread to garden hose adapter you could get for that. I don't think I want bleach water on my plants or yard. Yes, 120 gallons seems like a lot to waste but the authorities in the central valley have no problem letting millions of gallons run to the ocean to make room for more run-off or protect some little fish.

I seem to remember when people were talking about sanitizing tanks a week ago that someone said there was something you could put in the tank to get rid of the bleach smell to reduce the flushing. We'll see if someone pops up with it later today.Let us know how the plants do in a week or so with the bleach. I know my lawn didn't like the vinegar I drained out from flushing the hot water tank.Bill

ScottG wrote this:"If you have any bleach/Clorox smell leftover, put in an ounce or two (or more, doesn't matter) of Hydrogen Peroxide. It's perfectly safe (you can drink it) and the chemical reaction kills all the bleach on contact."

Draining fresh water (waste of water) | Good Sam Community

2oldman
Explorer II
Jun 05, 2017
I don't know, but you could opt for running a faucet and draining out the gray tank. Are you sure you want bleach on your plants?

In RV construction, everything is about cost.
NanciL
Explorer II
Jun 05, 2017
They make them as cheap as possible.
I installed a fitting with a shutoff under mine.
Why not do the same with yours and rig it with a hose connection?

jack L
bob213
Explorer
Jun 05, 2017
If the drain is threaded there is more than likely a pipe thread to garden hose adapter you could get for that. I don't think I want bleach water on my plants or yard. Yes, 120 gallons seems like a lot to waste but the authorities in the central valley have no problem letting millions of gallons run to the ocean to make room for more run-off or protect some little fish.
Trackrig
Explorer II
Jun 05, 2017
I seem to remember when people were talking about sanitizing tanks a week ago that someone said there was something you could put in the tank to get rid of the bleach smell to reduce the flushing. We'll see if someone pops up with it later today.

Let us know how the plants do in a week or so with the bleach. I know my lawn didn't like the vinegar I drained out from flushing the hot water tank.

Bill
2oldman
Explorer II
Jun 05, 2017
ScottG wrote this:

"If you have any bleach/Clorox smell leftover, put in an ounce or two (or more, doesn't matter) of Hydrogen Peroxide. It's perfectly safe (you can drink it) and the chemical reaction kills all the bleach on contact."
Oasisbob
Explorer
Jun 05, 2017
A solid hose connection would pressurize the FW tank and it would rupture. Just think of it? I suppose it depends on the part of the country you live in but I have never sanitized my FW tank in 15 years. I flush once a year.
K_Charles
Explorer
Jun 05, 2017
Watch what the bleach does to the flowers.
languiduck
Explorer
Jun 05, 2017
Why more people don't use calcium hypochlorite is beyond me. It is how the CDC and WHO recommends sanitizing water over bleach. There's no taste and it works better than bleach! It takes very little, has a great shelf life. The only caveat is that it takes so little you need to calculate the ppm very carefully. Once you have it right, it's easy to make small batches of sanitized water.
DownTheAvenue
Explorer
Jun 05, 2017
Flushing out your holding tank is not a "waste of water" it is making the tank safe for potable water. But I suppose that the water going down the drain while taking a shower is a waste, too.
SoundGuy
Explorer
Jun 05, 2017
salem wrote:
It would have been so much easier if I could have attached a garden hose to the outlet, but for whatever reason the manufacturer didn't see fit to install a hose connection. Does anyone know why they don't?

The standard water pipe thread size in the RV industry is 1/2" NPT so of course that's what you should expect anywhere in the trailer. Secondly, the trailer manufacturer has nothing to do with this as the tanks are produced by third party manufacturers and sold to the trailer manufacturer. Personally I think you're making a mountain out of a molehill but if this issue is so important to you simply use an adapter to convert your fresh water tank's 1/2" NPT fitting to a standard 3/4" GH fitting to which you could then attach your garden hose.