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7_3_psdman's avatar
7_3_psdman
Explorer
Sep 21, 2017

Sanitizing the water system

I see that information about sanitizing the water system has turned to some peoples opinion on whether they think it needs to be done. Because everybody's circumstances vary it is sometimes practical to sanitize a water system that has sat for a long time. Sure you don't have to sanitize the system in your rv or house if you use it all of the time but when the rv sits for a half a year or longer whether it had water in the lines or not I will sanitize mine. My window air conditioner is used all summer but that doesn't stop mold from forming on the coils or front cover if it isn't cleaned. I like to read tips about things that I am doing to my rv. So I will look further to make sure that I don't miss anything.

47 Replies

  • 7_3_psdman's avatar
    7_3_psdman
    Explorer
    Sep 25, 2017
    I drained the treated water and refilled the freshwater tank. I removed the plug-rod from the W.H. and got doused because I hadn't relieved the pressure first. Then I opened the relief valve and the water ran out of the W.H. tank while I changed clothes. So I turned the pump on and tried to run water from the faucets in the bathroom. Very little water came out and the pump wouldn't stop running. So I figured I must have blown a water line and I went out to see where it was running down from and that's when I realized that I hadn't closed the W.H. relief valve. So all is good now.
  • TechWriter's avatar
    TechWriter
    Explorer
    Sep 25, 2017
    MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
    Hint: IODINE is by far the most effective disinfectant but care and common sense must be used when iodine is utilized. Iodine absolutely kills 100% of living organisms.

    Bleach still wins the day. See Disinfection 101.
  • 7_3_psdman's avatar
    7_3_psdman
    Explorer
    Sep 23, 2017
    I used about two cups of bleach for forty gallons- half a fresh water tank. Pumped some through the lines and when it came out of the faucets it smelled like a swimming pool. Waited a couple of days and decided to flush the toilet and add a cup of water from the faucet there was hardly any smell left at all. So I drained the fresh water tank. I plan on flushing the water lines with city water and then filling the fresh water tank about half full. I will drain the hot water tank too.
  • mike-s's avatar
    mike-s
    Explorer
    Sep 23, 2017
    TechWriter wrote:
    So give us a link to the type of iodine you use.
    TechWriter wrote:
    Manufacturer info for the first link (BTF Iodophor Sanitizer) says "Do NOT dump into sewers, on the ground or into any body of water."

    The second, StarSan, states "contact with soft metals, rubber, and plastic should be kept to a minimum".

    Both of these are sanitizers, not disinfectants, so they reduce bacteria, viruses, & fungi, but they don't kill them.
    First, there are costly regulatory reasons which prevent manufacturers from calling things which are perfectly acceptable disinfectants, "disinfectants." Second, disinfectants kill stuff, that's their purpose. You shouldn't dump bleach on the ground, either. The warnings aren't any different than "McDonald's coffee is hot" or "Everything is known to the State of California to cause cancer." You might turn some grass brown. Third, iodine and organic acids are less reactive than chlorine, so better is better.
  • TechWriter's avatar
    TechWriter
    Explorer
    Sep 23, 2017
    TechWriter wrote:

    So give us a link to the type of iodine you use.


    mike-s wrote:

    Just Google "iodophor." This is probably the most popular and easily found. Very popular with homebrewers. So too is organic acid based StarSan, which I mentioned previously.

    Manufacturer info for the first link (BTF Iodophor Sanitizer) says "Do NOT dump into sewers, on the ground or into any body of water."

    The second, StarSan, states "contact with soft metals, rubber, and plastic should be kept to a minimum".

    Both of these are sanitizers, not disinfectants, so they reduce bacteria, viruses, & fungi, but they don't kill them.
  • mike-s's avatar
    mike-s
    Explorer
    Sep 22, 2017
    TechWriter wrote:
    mike-s wrote:
    TechWriter wrote:

    Finally, while iodine may be great at sanitizing water, it's not recommended for sanitizing hard surfaces like a water tank which the OP was orignally asking about. Whoosh!
    Which is why iodophor is used, not elemental iodine.

    So give us a link to the type of iodine you use.
    Just Google "iodophor." This is probably the most popular and easily found. Very popular with homebrewers. So too is organic acid based StarSan, which I mentioned previously.
  • TechWriter's avatar
    TechWriter
    Explorer
    Sep 22, 2017
    mike-s wrote:
    TechWriter wrote:

    Finally, while iodine may be great at sanitizing water, it's not recommended for sanitizing hard surfaces like a water tank which the OP was orignally asking about. Whoosh!
    Which is why iodophor is used, not elemental iodine.

    So give us a link to the type of iodine you use.
  • mike-s's avatar
    mike-s
    Explorer
    Sep 22, 2017
    TechWriter wrote:
    mike-s wrote:

    TechWriter wrote:

    Toilet seals aren't an issue unless you just dump bleach in the loo and let it sit there. So don't do that.
    Holding tank gate valve seals, like Valterra's, are also probably made of Santoprene.

    Wrong. After putting disinfectant in the fresh tank, you fill all the plumbing with it. It ends up in the loo and waste tanks. Duh.

    You're right. For those once or twice a year RV plumbing sanitizing, the bleach/water solution will be in the system several hours each time.

    I guess this is why we keep hearing so much about those catastrophic neoprene gasket failures in RVs.
    Exactly. See, you learned something today.
  • TechWriter's avatar
    TechWriter
    Explorer
    Sep 22, 2017
    mike-s wrote:

    TechWriter wrote:

    Toilet seals aren't an issue unless you just dump bleach in the loo and let it sit there. So don't do that.
    Holding tank gate valve seals, like Valterra's, are also probably made of Santoprene.

    Wrong. After putting disinfectant in the fresh tank, you fill all the plumbing with it. It ends up in the loo and waste tanks. Duh.

    You're right. For those once or twice a year RV plumbing sanitizing, the bleach/water solution will be in the system several hours each time.

    I guess this is why we keep hearing so much about those catastrophic neoprene gasket failures in RVs.
  • mike-s's avatar
    mike-s
    Explorer
    Sep 22, 2017
    joebedford wrote:
    Where are you folks getting water that you need to do all this sterilizing?
    A couple of campsites ago, we got a load of water with iron and sulfur bacteria in it, not uncommon for well sources. We don't go to many campsites with municipal water, the idea is to get away from the city. While safe to drink and potable when drawn, if it sits in a tank you do end up with hydrogen sulfide "rotten egg" smell, and it can form a slime. And, the bacteria sticks around to do the same thing with any new water which might have sulfates in it.

    So, disinfect.

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