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Sanitizing Waterlines

atrerice
Explorer
Explorer
Getting our camper ready to use and wondering if we should be doing anything to sanitize the fresh water lines? We are only planning on using the city water connection and not use the fresh water tank. I hooked it up, flushed out the antifreeze from all faucets, took the waterheater out of bypass and tested that. I think I found the low point drains - do I need to drain those out too? Also, do I need to drain the water heater before taking it out on the road? Anything else I need to do to de-winterize it?
17 REPLIES 17

colliehauler
Explorer III
Explorer III
Cocky_Camper wrote:
Do you ever sanitize your home waterlines? Why do you do this? If you ever hook up to city water, it has chlorine in it and will sanitize for you...
Where my seasonal is at it is on well water. After several seasons of not sanitizing I had black stuff growing in the pex water lines that are semi transparent. I now sanitize every spring with bleach. Chlorine in home water probably would not have the same issue.

It's not difficult to look at the semi clear pex lines and see if you have any issues. Blanket statements are not always true.

troubledwaters
Explorer III
Explorer III
colliehauler wrote:
Aftermath-I believe a lot of people empty the water heater because the water can get nasty if it sits a couple of weeks of non use, not so much to save weight.
Exactly

Guy_Roan
Explorer
Explorer
"The point of emptying your HW tank to save weight is rather silly in my opinion."

It might be silly to you, but every fifty pounds means a lot to me! If that is silly, so be it.
Also, it gets the crud out of the hot water tank

And on sanitizing the water pipes: Like you say "to each his own".
If you drain your house like many snow birds do; do you sanitize them when you come back in the spring. I sure don't

Guy

rbpru
Explorer II
Explorer II
Sanitizing your TT is like chicken soup, it cannot hurt.

We use the camp water if it is available but we carry about a half tank fresh water from home. More than once we have stopped at a campground with really nasty tasting water. That said, our TT water from home comes from a well and I am sure it would make some people choke.

Some folk are very sensitive to the taste of their water, and use bottled water. The fact is, water sitting around in the TT tank in hot weather can taste "old" for lack of a better word.

Draining the water between trips and a dose of bleach during the season seems to do very well for us.

It might be different if we live in the hot sunny south or were sensitive to the taste of water but I still drink from the garden hose.
Twenty six foot 2010 Dutchmen Lite pulled with a 2011 EcoBoost F-150 4x4.

Just right for Grandpa, Grandma and the dog.

Cocky_Camper
Explorer II
Explorer II
Do you ever sanitize your home waterlines? Why do you do this? If you ever hook up to city water, it has chlorine in it and will sanitize for you...
2004 Sea Breeze by National RV - 8341

Former Coaches:
2006 Keystone Zeppeline 291 - TT
2000 Aerolite Cub F21 - Hybrid TT
1991 Coleman Pop Up

Formerly known as: hybrid_camper

colliehauler
Explorer III
Explorer III
Aftermath-I believe a lot of people empty the water heater because the water can get nasty if it sits a couple of weeks of non use, not so much to save weight.

aftermath
Explorer II
Explorer II
Guy Roan wrote:
In thirty years of RV'ing I have never sanitized the pipes, but we always drink spring water.
I also never use the fresh water tank
After the winter when we get to our first camping place, I just flush the pink stuff.
I like traveling with a empty hot water tank, since it is that much less weight

Guy


You are not alone, there are others out there that do what you do. I am still somewhat surprised that people will spend a great deal of money on a modern trailer and refuse to use some of the systems that make a trailer better than camping in a tent. People are fearful of driving down the road with their refrigerators running. After spending for this appliance they instead fill their fridges and freezers with ice to keep things cool!

Having onboard water will always come in handy and, in an emergency, could be pretty important. I sanitize the system each year and fill the water tank at least half full before each trip. And (insert gasp here) I fill it with the hose on the side of the house. I live in a city that has clean water regulations and they monitor the water quality. I am in my late 60's now and have been doing this for over 35 years. No one has gotten sick yet.

The point of emptying your HW tank to save weight is rather silly in my opinion. It is not the weight of your trailer that creates the largest issue, it is the big frontal surface area that eats up the gas.

To each his own fits in here. I know that I got very tired of camping out of a tent. Packing water everywhere and lifting ice boxes filled with food and drink almost did me in. The fact that some people still do this even when they have a modern trailer confuses me.
2017 Toyota Tundra, Double Cab, 5.7L V8
2006 Airstream 25 FB SE
Equalizer Hitch

atrerice
Explorer
Explorer
Ok thanks for the advice! We weren't planning on using the freshwater tank but Wildtoad makes a good point. We would rather not be without water, so we will sanitize the whole thing and use the freshwater tank. Anything special I need to do with the water heater? Drain it and let it fill with the bleach water mixture?

Dick_B
Explorer
Explorer
It would not hurt to pour a little clorox into the end of the supply hose that you use at the campground to sanitize it when you are sanitizing the system.
As you have read with these responses there are many ways to RV...
Dick_B
2003 SunnyBrook 27FKS
2011 3/4 T Chevrolet Suburban
Equal-i-zer Hitch
One wife, two electric bikes (both Currie Tech Path+ models)

Lwiddis
Explorer II
Explorer II
X2, wildtoad.
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad

wildtoad
Explorer II
Explorer II
Just a thought...

Several times we have been at a campground and they had to cut off the water due to some needed repair. Once it was off all day and night. We were so glad we had just filled our onboard water tank so we could do whatever we needed to do from drinking to bathing. We always carry a full tank of water in our MH - Just in case.
Tom Wilds
Blythewood, SC
2016 Newmar Baystar Sport 3004
2015 Jeep Wrangler 2dr HT

ppine
Explorer II
Explorer II
Use household bleach to sanitize the lines and the tank, same as charging a well. Always drain your water tank when not in use.

Lwiddis
Explorer II
Explorer II
โ€œWe are only planning on using the city water connection and not use the fresh water tank.โ€

So if you find an absolutely beautiful dry campsite...youโ€™re outa luck! Or if you find water close to that absolutely beautiful dry campsite youโ€™ll need to take hours to sanitize your onboard water system. Or if for some reason the RV parkโ€™s water system is shut off...youโ€™re outa luck.
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad

colliehauler
Explorer III
Explorer III
The clear pex lines are easy to spot mold if you don't sanitize. Yes I sanitize every spring just as I winterize every fall.

Westend-described it well.

If your RV is in continuous use it might not be necessary.