Forum Discussion

vanGogh's avatar
vanGogh
Explorer
May 10, 2014

question about sanitizing our fresh water system

Hi, We recently purchased a Coachmen Concord and we are trying to sanitize the fresh water tank and system. The coach has 3 hose connectors on the drivers side rear area of the coach.
The first one has no label. The second one is labeled city water and the third is labeled potable water only. Here's the problem, when we try to add a water bleach solution to the tank with a short hose and funnel, none of the hose connectors will accept the solution. The funnel will not drain into any of them. Does anyone have an idea of what we might be doing wrong? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated as we live almost 6 hours from the closest dealer.
Thanks,
Elle
  • mowermech's avatar
    mowermech
    Explorer
    May 15, 2014
    "City Water" is probably where you would hook the hose when using full hookups. there should be a check valve installed in it.
    "Potable water" is probably the tank fill connection. This is where you want to put the bleach solution, to sanitize the tank and all the pipes. Let the solution sit several hours, preferable overnight, then drain, flush the tank and pipes, drain again, then fill with fresh water.
    The unmarked connection is probably the black tank flush. Put water pressure to this ONLY with the black tank dump valve open!
  • Ron3rd's avatar
    Ron3rd
    Explorer III
    May 14, 2014
    Cobra21 wrote:
    It should pour into the one marked "potable" water as this is where you stick a water hose to fill the water tank??? Should not be a check valve.

    Brian


    My city water inlet has a check valve. I thought they all did.
  • Ron3rd's avatar
    Ron3rd
    Explorer III
    May 14, 2014
    I have 3 connections on my trailer too' 1 is the city water inlet, 1 is for "winterizing", and 1 is for the tank sprayer. Maybe yours is the same setup.
  • vanGogh's avatar
    vanGogh
    Explorer
    May 12, 2014
    Thanks to all for the advice. Very much appreciated. We tried the suggestion of filling the hose with the bleach and then connecting one end to the water supply and the other to the motorhome. It worked great!!
  • Bumpyroad's avatar
    Bumpyroad
    Explorer
    May 11, 2014
    Cobra21 wrote:
    It should pour into the one marked "potable" water as this is where you stick a water hose to fill the water tank??? Should not be a check valve.

    Brian

    yep, city water should be where hose connects to use campground water, third fitting could be tank flusher?
    bumpy
  • Cobra21's avatar
    Cobra21
    Explorer
    May 11, 2014
    It should pour into the one marked "potable" water as this is where you stick a water hose to fill the water tank??? Should not be a check valve.

    Brian
  • Artum_Snowbird's avatar
    Artum_Snowbird
    Explorer
    May 10, 2014
    If you fill the hose with as much bleach as you need, then connect to the vehicle on one end, and the water supply on the other, the bleach in the hose will then go into the tank.
  • obgraham's avatar
    obgraham
    Explorer
    May 10, 2014
    Try hooking up a hose to the inlet, and put your funnel in the other end of the hose. There is often a little one way check valve in that inlet that has to be pushed in.
    Rigs I've had have a separate gravity feed inlet in addition to the hose inlet. Perhaps on the other side of the rig?

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