keeping the fresh water tank sanitary over the winter

bid_time wrote:

copeland343 wrote:
Think about this. When was the last time you sanitized you water lines and water heater tank at your house? Not saying you don't need to sanitize,just that it might be overdone a little. If you ever seen the stuff that comes out of a fire hydrant you might not drink or bath in it. What might grow in you tank is nothing compared to what is in your house water system. Yes, you need to clean your tank and lines when you first get your RV, after that your RV system is a lot cleaner than a lot of city water systems.

You are wrong in so many ways that it would take 3 pages to explain it all to you so you could understand it. Just suffice it to say that what you see coming out of a fire hydrant is bacteria free. And by the very nature it is a fire hydrant (with an opening 50 times bigger than the one for your house), it is used to flush the rust out of the main so it doesn't get in your house. the growing conditions necessary to grow bacteria, aren't present in an operating water main; the same can not be said for your water tank (which is open to air).

You would be ill advised to not sanitize your RV fresh water system at least at the beginning of the year, depending on your use. That would make any efforts at keeping it sanitized over the winter a moot point.

And I always thought that fire hudrants were used for fighting fires. Learn somethng new every day.

On your last trip, open the drain on the way home. Most tanks won't drain completely when parked, but it will as the water is sloshed about while driving.

If you have a gravity fill with a vent screen, you might want to cover it to keep surface water out.

if you want a placebo, pour some high-test vodka down the gravity fill before storing for the winter.

copeland343 wrote:
Think about this. When was the last time you sanitized you water lines and water heater tank at your house? Not saying you don't need to sanitize,just that it might be overdone a little. If you ever seen the stuff that comes out of a fire hydrant you might not drink or bath in it. What might grow in you tank is nothing compared to what is in your house water system. Yes, you need to clean your tank and lines when you first get your RV, after that your RV system is a lot cleaner than a lot of city water systems.

You are wrong in so many ways that it would take 3 pages to explain it all to you so you could understand it. Just suffice it to say that what you see coming out of a fire hydrant is bacteria free. And by the very nature it is a fire hydrant (with an opening 50 times bigger than the one for your house), it is used to flush the rust out of the main so it doesn't get in your house. the growing conditions necessary to grow bacteria, aren't present in an operating water main; the same can not be said for your water tank (which is open to air).

You would be ill advised to not sanitize your RV fresh water system at least at the beginning of the year, depending on your use. That would make any efforts at keeping it sanitized over the winter a moot point.

Gene_M wrote:
What will keep the bad stuff from growing in the fresh water tank over the winter, some clorox, some antifreeze?

I know I couldn't get all the water out because of where the tank outlets are so I am interested in putting something in there that will keep it sanitized.

You're way over thinking this ... just empty the FW tank as best you can, call it good for the winter, and sanitize with a bit of bleach / water mixture in the spring ... just as all the rest of us do. ;) The FW tank in my current rig drains from the side of the tank so when draining I drag the tires on the opposite side up on to a few levels of Lynx to tilt the trailer side to side and the tank does drain more completely ... not absolutely necessary as any remaining water has plenty of room to expand without issue but I do it for no other reason than I can. :W

Think about this. When was the last time you sanitized you water lines and water heater tank at your house? Not saying you don't need to sanitize,just that it might be overdone a little. If you ever seen the stuff that comes out of a fire hydrant you might not drink or bath in it. What might grow in you tank is nothing compared to what is in your house water system. Yes, you need to clean your tank and lines when you first get your RV, after that your RV system is a lot cleaner than a lot of city water systems.

Just drain in the fall, and then sanitize system in the spring.

Our fresh water tank doesn't drain completely, so there is always some water left over the winter. I have never noticed any indication of algae or bacteria growing in there when I sanitize the system in the Spring. I would think that it would be much more likely that bad stuff would grow if the RV was stored in a warm or hot climate for a long period of time.

Chlorine bleach decomposes over time, so it isn't going to last the Winter. The alcohol type RV antifreeze might provide longer term protection from bad stuff, but some folks are concerned with damage to seals with that antifreeze formula.

If you are really concerned, sanitizing the water system to kill off any bad stuff before you winterize should do the job, especially for your cold upstate New York location.

I know the need for sanitizing a few times during the camping season, my problem is this:

The physical location of the ports on my tank are on the sides, I cannot get all the water out. I know that bad stuff likes to grow in damp dark places and I want to keep ahead of the sanitization curve.

so the question is: Is there a chemical/additive that can be put in the fresh water tank to keep it clean over the winter?

It is recommended to sanitize the fresh tank at the beginning of every season. IIRC, recommendations are for 1/4 cup bleach mixed into the fresh tank with 10-20 gallons of water, run water through all water lines, let sit for a few hours or overnight, then dump. Fill tank with fresh water and cycle water through lines.

I do not recall ever reading to sanitize fresh tank or water lines prior to winterizing... and if using pink stuff in the lines, better to sanitize at the beginning of the season.