We never use our fresh water tank except for the occasional bathroom stop on the road. However, we're camping in a place with no hookups this weekend for the first time in years.There's no noticeable smell or anything and we won't drink from it - we will only use it to wash dishes and whatnot. Is there any product I can add to the tank to help make it cleaner? Notice that although we don't drink it, I don't want to make it impossible to drink as well.I also won't have time to do the whole fill-it-up and wash-it-out with bleach.

It's easy and cheap to Sanitize Your Fresh Water Tank.Take the time to do it right. Anything you put in the tank will have to be flushed.If there is no problem with the tank, just fill it with city water that is chlorinated.You'll be okay.

Fill it, drain it----refill and use it!Won't drink it but will wash dishes, wash hands, bath in it, brush teeth :HIF not 'safe' to drink then not safe to even use!

chracatoa wrote:.........I also won't have time to do the whole fill-it-up and wash-it-out with bleach.If you take the time to do the bleach soak and rinse at the beginning of the season, you would normally be good to go whenever the situation arises. And, you should be able to drink the darn stuff too. :B ;)

Old-Biscuit wrote:Fill it, drain it----refill and use it!Won't drink it but will wash dishes, wash hands, bath in it, brush teeth :HIF not 'safe' to drink then not safe to even use!I always have to laugh at these people who refuse to use their water tank for it's intended purpose, if you ever saw the inside of the typical city water tower.. you would not drink that either.. !!I suggest you fill the tank full with the hose and 1/2 cup of bleach, leave for a few hours then flush with clean water..

If you won't take the time to sanitize your system then fill your FW tank from your home tap (has chlorine in it) and carry some water bottles to drink from. No big deal.

Quick clean/product for Fresh Water tank? | Good Sam Community

Mr_MrsSchleppro
Explorer
Jul 24, 2016
I sanitize our fresh tank by adding a 1/2 cup of bleach, filling it with the hose with a filter on the end and pump it through the lines and let it sit for a couple hours. Then pump whats left in the tank through the lines then refill the tank two more times with fresh water and pump it through. Never had any issues. We never boondock but that's how I sanitize the lines.
Sillybugs2
Explorer
Jul 24, 2016
10 minutes? Did mine lasr night with bleach and water. Let sit overnight and took 20 minutes to drain this morning. But still glad I did. We should have water at all the places we are going but just in case.
rockhillmanor
Explorer
Jul 21, 2016
chracatoa wrote:
We never use our fresh water tank except for the occasional bathroom stop on the road. However, we're camping in a place with no hookups this weekend for the first time in years.

There's no noticeable smell or anything and we won't drink from it - we will only use it to wash dishes and whatnot. Is there any product I can add to the tank to help make it cleaner? Notice that although we don't drink it, I don't want to make it impossible to drink as well.

I also won't have time to do the whole fill-it-up and wash-it-out with bleach.

Well then you are screwed if you don't have the time!
Because that IS how you sanitize a fresh water tank. :C

When you are at a CG with full hookups it takes all of about 10 minutes to fill a fresh tank with water and bleach run thru all the lines and dump and repeat. :W
rbpru
Explorer II
Jul 21, 2016
Once a year, usually in July, I do the classic bleach treatment to the fresh water tank.

The remainder of the year before each trip; I fill it from the garden hose, add campground water as needed, then after the trip I drain it.

It is the same well water we have been drinking for the last 30 some years. I cannot imagine anything in my fresh water tank that is not in my pump tank or water heater and I do not recall ever bleach treating it.
Boon_Docker
Explorer III
Jul 20, 2016
Old-Biscuit wrote:
Fill it, drain it----refill and use it!

Won't drink it but will wash dishes, wash hands, bath in it, brush teeth :H

IF not 'safe' to drink then not safe to even use!

The OP didn't say it was not "safe" to drink. A lot of people do not like the taste of their water out of their faucet and don't drink it. Doesn't mean that they don't use it for everything else.

When I am boon docking (99 percent of the time) and fill my tank with spring water I add 1/2 teaspoon of bleach for every 5 gallons of water.
chracatoa
Explorer
Jul 20, 2016
I'll do the 1/2 cup of bleach them. Should be easy! :)

I empty it every winter, but, as I said, almost never use it.
IdaD
Explorer
Jul 20, 2016
Sanitize the system each spring and you'll be fine. If you use city water you'll have treated water going in each time. I'm on a well and I still have no issues with it. I do have a filter that runs to a separate tap in the kitchen sink that we use for drinking just because it makes the water taste better but it isn't necessary, although it is a very easy plumbing job to add one.
dahkota
Explorer
Jul 20, 2016
Not for anything but, if the water isn't good enough to drink, why would I want to clean my dishes or my body with it?

We use our water tank every day, for all purposes. Occasionally it has saved us from the foul (but potable) water sometimes found in campgrounds (The water near Cooperstown was the absolute worst we have encountered in two years full time).

Take the ten minutes you need to fill it up, add bleach, then take ten minutes to empty it out when you load up. It is pretty easy.
ksg5000
Explorer
Jul 20, 2016
If you won't take the time to sanitize your system then fill your FW tank from your home tap (has chlorine in it) and carry some water bottles to drink from. No big deal.
TexasChaps
Explorer
Jul 20, 2016
Old-Biscuit wrote:
Fill it, drain it----refill and use it!

Won't drink it but will wash dishes, wash hands, bath in it, brush teeth :H

IF not 'safe' to drink then not safe to even use!

I always have to laugh at these people who refuse to use their water tank for it's intended purpose, if you ever saw the inside of the typical city water tower.. you would not drink that either.. !!

I suggest you fill the tank full with the hose and 1/2 cup of bleach, leave for a few hours then flush with clean water..