I have the translucent pex tubing that you can see through that is like the plastic in milk jugs. There is as light pinkish orange discoloration on the inside of the tubing. I believe it to be the same algae stains that are around the edge of the tub. I plan on doing a good cleaning of the trailer soon and will be winterizing. I was thinking of using the winterizing connection and adding either dilluted peroxide or straight white vinegar into the lines and soaking for a couple days before flushing and sanitizing and then winterizing the water ststem. I would like to dissolve any organics in the tubing to get rid of them. I know bleach will sterilize everything but i also want to remove any deposits left in the tubing. Any recommendations from anyone that has done anything similar? I'll be doing the cleaning the FW tank too.

Are you sure it's not staining from RV antifreeze dye or possibly some mineral deposits?I don't think you'll find anything that will dissolve algae or bacteria cells but not be harmful to plumbing or human cells. Some sort of mechanical cleaning (i.e. scrubbing or flushing with a lot of water) would probably be the most effective if it is indeed some biological contaminant.

It's not antifreeze. I haven't use it in years. The discoloration occurred long after the last time I used it. I have also had the algae in my white city water hoses. Before bleaching them I have run a string through them with a wad of cloth attached at the end to wipe the inside of the hose. Like running a cleaning patch through a rifle barrel. Can't do that with the plumbing. That's why I was thinking about the peroxide or vinegar. They shouldn't hurt the plastic tubing and fittings. Vinegar will dissolve calcium deposits in coffee pots and is recommended by Atwood to kill the sulfer odor that can occur in their water heaters. So I am leaning towards using it.

I've never seen calcium with color. Have you tried bleach yet? I've seen that before in the shower and bleach kills it off

Please reread my op. I never said it was calcium. It is organic probably algae. I don't want to just change the color. I know about using bleach and have used it many times in the past to sanitize the FW tank and lines. I'm looking for suggestions from those with similar past experience and if they used peroxide or vinegar or something else besides bleach. Ultimately I will be using bleach in the final step to sanitize once again but I'd like to make sure I get rid of any residue or deposited since I can't scrub out the lines like i did my FW hoses.

All I can say is, try it! See what happens, and give us a report back, because it's quite obvious up to post #6, no one has done this. Maybe post #7 has?

Pinkish-orange algae in water lines | Good Sam Community

25 Replies

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Nov 19, 2016
All I can say is, try it! See what happens, and give us a report back, because it's quite obvious up to post #6, no one has done this. Maybe post #7 has?
mobeewan
Explorer
Nov 19, 2016
Please reread my op. I never said it was calcium. It is organic probably algae. I don't want to just change the color. I know about using bleach and have used it many times in the past to sanitize the FW tank and lines. I'm looking for suggestions from those with similar past experience and if they used peroxide or vinegar or something else besides bleach. Ultimately I will be using bleach in the final step to sanitize once again but I'd like to make sure I get rid of any residue or deposited since I can't scrub out the lines like i did my FW hoses.
SCVJeff
Explorer
Nov 19, 2016
I've never seen calcium with color. Have you tried bleach yet? I've seen that before in the shower and bleach kills it off
mobeewan
Explorer
Nov 19, 2016
It's not antifreeze. I haven't use it in years. The discoloration occurred long after the last time I used it. I have also had the algae in my white city water hoses. Before bleaching them I have run a string through them with a wad of cloth attached at the end to wipe the inside of the hose. Like running a cleaning patch through a rifle barrel. Can't do that with the plumbing. That's why I was thinking about the peroxide or vinegar. They shouldn't hurt the plastic tubing and fittings. Vinegar will dissolve calcium deposits in coffee pots and is recommended by Atwood to kill the sulfer odor that can occur in their water heaters. So I am leaning towards using it.
DrewE
Explorer II
Nov 19, 2016
Are you sure it's not staining from RV antifreeze dye or possibly some mineral deposits?

I don't think you'll find anything that will dissolve algae or bacteria cells but not be harmful to plumbing or human cells. Some sort of mechanical cleaning (i.e. scrubbing or flushing with a lot of water) would probably be the most effective if it is indeed some biological contaminant.

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Pinkish-orange algae in water lines

25 Replies

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