Sanitize freshwater

No water enters my trailer's system, fresh or city water, unless it runs through a water filter. That helps to keep many contaminants out of the system.

Since it is a well diluted solution of bleach water, I run all faucets and let sit about 30 to 1 hour. Depends on what I am doing. Bleach can be very damaging to all plastic and rubber gaskets, as I am sure you know, so very important to dilute a lot.

modern family wrote:
Since I am in Florida, I always flush the FW tank before every use and I sanitize 2 times a year. I use about 2 cups of bleach, add about 15 gallons, run through the lines, then drain it all. Add another 15 gallons, run through lines again and drain. I (we) are paranoid and have no desire to drink or wash with any possibility of mold. Vacations really suck with sick kids.

Do you let your chlorine solution sit in your FW tank and lines for a few hours to sanitize? The manufacturer of my RV recommends at least letting it sit for 4 hours to actually work (or an hour if I make the chlorine ppm high enough).

Since I am in Florida, I always flush the FW tank before every use and I sanitize 2 times a year. I use about 2 cups of bleach, add about 15 gallons, run through the lines, then drain it all. Add another 15 gallons, run through lines again and drain. I (we) are paranoid and have no desire to drink or wash with any possibility of mold. Vacations really suck with sick kids.

I'm a first time RV'er, and this will be my 2nd season for flushing out my freshwater lines after the winter. Lots of pink antifreeze.

The bleach water method is simply making a chlorine solution to sanitize the lines. While some may think it's not necessary, I feel it's better to err on the side of caution when it's the life of myself and my family at risk. :)

Someone mentioned using peroxide instead? I'm pretty sure that would be cost prohibitive, seeing as how in order to make a peroxide solution concentrated enough to sanitize a 30 gallon+ system would be... well.. let's just say a quarter cup of bleach to a gallon of water creates a chlorine solution that should more than accommodate most RV plumbing systems.

I bypassed my HW tank last season, but this season I think I'll sanitize it as well with a bleach (chlorine) solution. It's drained for the winter so I doubt I need to do a vinegar approach just yet.

Think anything grew in there over the winter?? Hmmmmm

I just de-winterized yesterday by filling up the FW tank and running the sink and shower faucets for a long time. I have never actually used bleach to sanitize.

I put of mixture of bleach and water into the FW tank. I fill the FW tank and run the water thought the sys including the water heater. Then I drain the FW tank. Refill it with enough fresh water, which is alway run through a filter, to exchange the water in the heater. That's it. Ready to rock & roll.

After the bleach sanitizing, I flush with a full tank of fresh water, then refill the fresh water holding tank with 1 cup of baking soda mixed in, then flush again. This removes all trace of the bleach taste.

has anyone tried peroxide to sanitize fw tank? told works easier than bleach and doesn't leave a bad taste to the water.