Trying different method of fresh water tank sanitization

[Camper_Jeff___K]

Completion Video Thread:
Today, I'm going to try the hot white vinegar solution method for cleaning the water system. I usually do 1/4 cup bleach in 35 gallons and leave it sit a couple hours, then flush it out.
The vinegar method requires a couple gallons white vinegar to 35 gallons water. You then turn on your water heater and with a hose adapter if necessary, connect a hose from your kitchen sink fawcet out the door and into your water tank fill. You then turn on your hot and cold water and keep recirculating the water until the water temperature is 130 degrees F. This method is considered safe and effective. It is also supposed to help clean calcifications in the system. Not a big deal in the PNW but in other parts of the country. It's also recommended to swap out your water heater anode afterward. I will let y'all know how things work after I finish.
J&K

[Camper_Jeff___K]

Bedlam wrote:
We typically are out twice a month with the camper and draw from the tank to keep the water fresh. We may fill from city chlorinated water or from well, but I avoid filling any water that is heavy in mineral or smell. We have not gone more than three weeks without use, so I have not treated or cleaned the fresh tank. I flush the hot water tank one or twice a year and have not seen enough build up worry about cleaning it. You can pump a vinegar dilution into your hot water tank by using the winterizing siphon and not running the tank bypass if you don't want to pickle your fresh tank.

"Pickling" the fresh tank was one of the objectives. Certainly a lot of detractors to this method but it is an experiment and I'm the one who chose to try it. Seemingly, the process worked. No smell or taste in the water now. Had hotter than my hands could stand water flowing through the entire system at 130? for 30 to 40 minutes plus ambient time afterward for as long as the water held temperature. I figure the water was scalding hot for perhaps an hour total combined with the acidity of the vinegar water solution. The heat itself in the system is a big plus for any attempt at cleaning. I rather doubt there is any significant bacteria left in the system, no more than there ever is. I've been drinking the water from the TC for a couple days now and no ill effects. I may take the TC down to the waterfront tomorrow to hang out, do some work, and bake a couple loaves of bread using the water from the fresh tank.
Next time, I may try this Purogene Water Treatment Preserver.
Hope all's well with you guys...

[woodworker414]

first: To each his own
I have had rvs for 30+ years. I have always used bleach.
I rinse, rinse , rinse. I too drink from my fresh water rv system

The tank is always filled with city water. If by chance we don' go any were for over 30 days, I drain and refill the water tank.
Works for me. The vinegar method sounds really interesting

[Flapper]

Most city water systems are designed to have minimal chlorine in the water by the time it reaches the home. Can be variations, depending on how far from the treatment plant you are. But in no case is it enough to sanitize, just barely enough to keep already sanitized water from re-growing things....

[Bedlam]

We typically are out twice a month with the camper and draw from the tank to keep the water fresh. We may fill from city chlorinated water or from well, but I avoid filling any water that is heavy in mineral or smell. We have not gone more than three weeks without use, so I have not treated or cleaned the fresh tank. I flush the hot water tank one or twice a year and have not seen enough build up worry about cleaning it. You can pump a vinegar dilution into your hot water tank by using the winterizing siphon and not running the tank bypass if you don't want to pickle your fresh tank.

[Camper_Jeff___K]

mkirsch wrote:
I left chlorinated city water in my fresh tank for 3 weeks, and it was a swamp in there when I went to use it the next time. It was a late night flushing it out with bleach to get the funk and algae out of the tank.

There have been a few times my TC sat for over a month, this being one of them. Usually I fill the tank full of city water when I get home from a trip. This time was different. I was going to make a quick turnabout and head out again but my fridge cooling unit died and I was stuck. The last tank of fresh water was from a clean mountain glacial spring. I did not fill the tank as per usual M/O. This time I did smell the slightest bit of funkiness. Well I was reading recently about cleaning water tanks and I came across this Vinegar and Hot Water Heater Method and thought Hmmm, I'll give it a try. The water smells clean and tastes fresh now. I'm happy with the results. Take care...

[mkirsch]

I left chlorinated city water in my fresh tank for 3 weeks, and it was a swamp in there when I went to use it the next time. It was a late night flushing it out with bleach to get the funk and algae out of the tank.

[stevenal]

I sanitize with bleach once a year, letting it sit overnight. I follow with a vinegar soak to kill the bleach smell. Open taps to get bleach or vinegar through all the lines. Follow with a plain water soak before filling. Water heater remains bypassed until final step because both bleach and vinegar are corrosive and will attack the aluminum water heater tank.

[JRscooby]

I wonder if it would not be good to pull the rod, replace with a plug, unhook the cold input line, pour a gallon vinegar, fill with water, re-connect, and heat for hour or so. Then with heater off pull plug and flush heater.
As for the beach smell/taste; Fill, drain, then wait a day. Most smell will be gone when you refill.
I talked to a full-timer about his fresh tank. His rule was taste/smell water before put in tank. If pass that test fill and add a qt of vodka

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

I'm a former Water Technician (owned a pool and spa store). While this hot-water and vinegar *might* work (bacteria can flourish in a 104-degree hot tub without an oxidizer like Chlorine/Bromine/Ozone) - adding some bleach is just such a simple, non-caustic way to keep your water clean.... and it does its work quickly.

I just want to add that you should use "fresh" bleach - it can lose its ability to sanitize if it has been sitting around for months, especially if it's in a warm storage area.

[JimK-NY]

It takes my water heater about 20 minutes to heat the 6 gallons of water in the tank. So in theory it would take a couple of hours more to heat all of the water in the fresh water tank. Of course, that tank and the lines are not insulated so it is likely that at a certain point the water will cool faster than it can be heated. Next you might want to do some research. 130 degrees is way, way short of the temps that are needed to sanitize. The temp should be closer to boiling and needs to be held there for a while. Depending on the bacteria and viruses, the vinegar may or may not help. You also need to consider the water and slime build up in the supply lines to the fixtures. You would need to open them to get a good flow of scalding hot water and maintain that for a while.

Altogether this seems to be an exceedingly poorly thought out and poorly researched approach. I fail to understand the benefits or the difficulty of using dilute bleach. Nor do I understand how the vinegar taste is going to rinse out of the system faster or better than the bleach. In fact any remaining vinegar is going to remain indefinitely. Chlorine bleach even in a semi-sealed water system will slowly dissipate.

Which of the internet gurus are proposing this and what research did they do to determine the ability of warm vinegar to sanitize a water system? I would think twice before using some internet scheme that has not been thoroughly researched.

[Camper_Jeff___K]

srschang wrote:
Will it hurt the pump to run 130 degree water through it? I think it is designed for cold / room temperature water.

The pump is working fine. 120 to 130 isn't that hot. I felt the pump and the motor itself never felt hot or even warm. I did rest it a couple times a couple minutes. I've had it since 2007 .

[srschang]

Will it hurt the pump to run 130 degree water through it? I think it is designed for cold / room temperature water.

[GDS-3950BH]

Camper_Jeff_&_Kelli wrote:
I figured it would take about 2 hours of continuous water heater operation and recirculation to reach the required temperature of 130 degrees F. 15 minutes per 6 gallons, 35+6=41.I don't have a thermometer to measure that but I figure I'll run the system till the water heater reaches temperature and shuts off. That should be about 2 hours to hit that tempAt the 2 hour point it is Hot to touch. I have a total of 2.5 gallons of vinegar in the system.
I kept the recirculation going about 15 m8 ures after the water heater shut off. It did not restart. I rocked the TC side to side pretty good, loud sloshing sounds, then drained the system completely. I refilled and there is no order of vinegar but there is the slightest vinegar tartness taste in the water. I'm going to leave it sit overnight then drain and refill in the Azm. I expect it to be fine after that.
It seems to have worked well especially due to the hot water recirculation. I'd call it a success. A bit more expensive than bleaching and time consuming but if you don't want nasty chemicals in your system, vinegar and hot recirculation is a great alternative.

I guess......seems like a solution looking for a problem to me. At least it gives the water heater and on demand pump a good unnecessary workout.

[Camper_Jeff___K]

I figured it would take about 2 hours of continuous water heater operation and recirculation to reach the required temperature of 130 degrees F. 15 minutes per 6 gallons, 35+6=41.I don't have a thermometer to measure that but I figure I'll run the system till the water heater reaches temperature and shuts off. That should be about 2 hours to hit that tempAt the 2 hour point it is Hot to touch. I have a total of 2.5 gallons of vinegar in the system.
I kept the recirculation going about 15 m8 ures after the water heater shut off. It did not restart. I rocked the TC side to side pretty good, loud sloshing sounds, then drained the system completely. I refilled and there is no order of vinegar but there is the slightest vinegar tartness taste in the water. I'm going to leave it sit overnight then drain and refill in the Azm. I expect it to be fine after that.
It seems to have worked well especially due to the hot water recirculation. I'd call it a success. A bit more expensive than bleaching and time consuming but if you don't want nasty chemicals in your system, vinegar and hot recirculation is a great alternative.