Keeping new fresh water tank clean

I always fill mine at home where we go dose not have water. My tank sets between my axle's. 100 gal's.

I never haul water in the tank in my "C". We do carry bottled water for on the road. I don't want the weight behind my axles.

I disinfect mine once a year, when I de-winterize.

I use 1/4 cup of bleach per 15 gallon capacity of the water tank. Put in bleach, then fill tank with water. Drive a little to mix the bleach and water, and also to splash the bleach/water onto the top of the tank.

Run the bleach/water solution through all the pipes, faucets, showers, tanks, everywhere water can possibly go. Run it till you can smell the bleach. Let it sit for 4 hours, then drain it all out, and rinse with clean fresh water.

That is all you ever need to do.

p.s. If you double the amount of bleach, you can cut the wait time down to 1 hour. I prefer the 4 hour method. I took enough microbiology to know some bugs just take time to kill.

I've noticed that if fill my hot tub with well water it stays cleaner longer than if I use city water ! So I fill my trailer with well water.
At what temps does everyone recommend draining the tanks ? I kind feel the less air in the tank the better but we've had lows around ten this week so I drained them I figured it was better than busted valves?

Clean the tank but don't use household bleach as first choice. The stuff that CW sells and others is better. It doesn't leave the chlorine taste like household bleach either.
Use a good filter or filters close to the RV not out at the spigot.
The better filters cost more but so does pretty much everything. A carbon bloc filter with silver and a ceramic shell or separate ceramic filter after the carbon block will get pretty much everything. It will even get the lime that is suspended but not dissolved. If you use under counter filters for a drinking faucet and ice maker replace that thing every little bit. Water sitting in a filter with the nasties filtered out on one side will grow full of it. The silver in filters kills nasties.

I have never worrier about mine for decades. Never had a problem.

It sets empty when not in use.

The best way to keep growth out, I feel, is to use the tank all the time like a full timer would. But mine will sit sometimes a month or two. When I do go out it's usually to a full hookup camp. I don't want to drag 65 gallons or 560 pounds of water over the pass so I travel empty. I guess I'll keep it full at home to keep it fresh and for earthquake emergency water then drain for the trips.

If you saw the inside of your city's water main, you would never worry about the water in your RV tank again. LOL.

When the water is treated in a city system, they make sure there is enough residual chlorine to take care of any critters that are in water tanks, slow mains, etc. That's what keeps it "pure". If you fill with city water you won't have a problem through the season.

In the Spring, you should disinfect your tank using one of the tweo the methods described in this website.

If you use well water, you can add a small amount of chlorine to your tank. This website has some interesting information about treating non chlorinated water that you would store

calamus wrote:
We store it empty and every year I dump 2 cups of bleach in the tank add water run the water till I smell bleach let it sit for a half hour or so. drain and flush with clean water.I add one cap full of bleach every fill since we are on well water. We drink bottled water but I make coffee and cook with the water.

Dude, that is a bit much on the bleach. You could get by with a 1/4 cup, especially if you let it work overnight. One website's dilution ratio

Make sure to only use the white hoses meant for drinking water. Disinfect the hoses and keep them in a clean area, (plastic tote). Make sure to wipe the faucets with disinfectant wipes before you hook up,( dogs pee on them).