How much vinegar to 100 gal of H2O

Question

I am coming off the desert in a 11 year old fifth-wheel trailer. The unit holds 100 gallons of fresh water in the tank. We have been down to the desert about 10 times, 1-2 months at a time.

I have noticed some calcium build-up around the faucets. I was thinking of soaking the tank with vinegar and running it through the system to make sure it gets all the tanks. How much vinegar to I place in the tank to be effective? How long should I let it soak?

dick_b · Answer

Good question and no readily available answer; not even in the `Vinegar Anniversary Book' so I'm going to take a guess at 5 gallons of White Vinegar to 100 gallons of water. Let it soak for three hours (longer won't hurt) which is the time recommended for sanitizing the system. Probably should rinse at least once.

crabbin_cabin · Answer

Dick's guesstimate of 5% should do the trick. After soaking and running thru' the system remove the vinegar taste with a 1% solution of baking soda, rinse it all out with fresh water and you should be good to go.

dannyabear1 · Answer

Coffee makers recomend 4 to 1 ratio for calcium removal; that would be 20 gallons if you fill it. I think I would try 5 gallons with 20 gallons water and take it on a good windy road to slosh it all around and then rinse everything a couple of times.

canadian_rainbi · Answer

Also, use pickling vinegar--it's a bit stronger and usually the same price.

Anything less than 5:1 will take much longer. However, most of the buildup will near the bottom or at least the lower part which is holding water longer that the top.

camperpaul · Answer

If it's 5% vinegar (5% acetic acid) use it straight.

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How much vinegar to 100 gal of H2O

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