To sanitize your RV's water system, use a quarter cup (two ounces) of household bleach for every fifteen (15) gallons of water that your fresh water tank holds. Proper tank sanitization doesn't happen immediately. You will need a cup of bleach for every 15 gallons of water in the tank. It will take at least 20 minutes for the water to reach at least 130 degrees. Depending on the type and size of an RV, these tanks often range in size, from the smallest being five gallons to 100+ gallons for the most expansive. Shut off the inflow valves to anything in the RV that requires water, such as water filtration systems, and ice makers. If the heater is on while you drain the tank, it can become damaged trying to heat an empty water tank. Add three ounces of bleach for every 25 gallons of water. Leave it overnight for the best results. Repeat until there is no longer the smell of bleach. Step #2: Turn off the water heater. Once you've got the right solution, pour it into the tank using a funnel. Flip the switch to stop the pump. 3. Other options to sanitize the RV tanks To remove stubborn spots, you can use a razor blade. 2. I then hook up the fresh water hose to the tap at the house and fill the tank. When it's full, turn on the water outlets and faucets, even the shower. The tank should now be full. Turn on each faucet in the RV again, and run clean water until you can no longer smell bleach at each faucet. Pour the bleach and water mixture into the pop-up camper's fresh water tank. Step 6: Let The Water Sit For 12 Hours. Measure the amount of bleach based on these ratios so you can begin to mix the cleaning solution. Step 4. parts per million of chlorine residual achieved by adding 5% chlorine bleach, in the amounts below. Step 2: Create the water sanitizing solution. It is a good idea to sanitize the fresh water tank of an RV at least twice a year, or once every six months. Start on an empty freshwater tank. Top up the fresh water tank with water again. Leave it like this for 8-10 hours. If your faucets come with filters in them, remove these filters so . If the overflow hose begins spurting water, you're overfilling the tank. However, this can be done overnight and doesn't require any monitoring on your part. The process is actually to sanitize your tanks from this point on. To make the solution, mix one-quarter cup of bleach with one gallon of water. Because my RV has a 40 gallon tank, a six gallon water heater . Step 3. Step 11: When the pitcher is empty, turn off the water pump. This will pump the water/bleach mixture into your RV water system. The following materials require you to sanitize and clean your RV freshwater tank. But you can also buy an RV solution at any store . Otherwise, it may damage your water heater. Step 10: Place the end of the tube in the pitcher and turn on your RV water pump. Mix the bleach, with water, into a one-gallon container and pour it into the fresh water holding tank. Step 12: Clean out the winterizing tube by re-filling the pitcher with fresh water and pumping it into the tank. The first step is to drain the fresh water system. Step 1: Drain the RV Fresh Water Tank. This involves several steps. Make sure you close the taps again. 2 Vinegar. When you add it, you need to make sure that all faucets and valves are . You should use a quarter cup of bleach for every 16 gallons of water your fresh water tank holds, our one ounce for every eight gallons. If your vehicle comes with an ice maker or water pump, you'll need to turn them off. If the bleach odor persists after the fresh water tank is empty, refill the tank and repeat the process until the bleach smell is gone. After about 15 minutes, you are ready to sanitize your tank. Once your tank is full, replace the cap on your freshwater inlet. If you have a water heater or water filter, turn them off, drain all the water, and shut off the valves feeding them from the storage tank. Fill the water tank with fresh water. Prepare a bleach and water solution. Drain the water heater once the heating element has cooled. If you use a 50 PPM solution of household bleach, you want to add 8 ounces (1 cup) for every 50 gallons of water. Use a short section of hose (I cut a 3' section of old hose to winterize and use this) to siphon the solution into the tank. Drain any water from the freshwater tank by opening the freshwater drain plug. For best results, wait a minimum of 3 to 4 hours to sanitize RV water system. You must also remove an external water filter (if you have one). Use a funnel to add this solution to your fresh water tank. 21. Remember to also turn off the ice maker, if any. If you don't have an inflow valve on the filtration system, remove it. Step #4: Mix the bleach and water. Refill your fresh water tank with clean water. Drain the RV's Fresh Water System. You may also consider using an RV water filter when filling your tank to use the cleanest water possible when sanitizing your tank. Turn the water off and turn on the water heater. You can use items commonly found in a bathroom to clean and freshen up a tank while the fish are in a different bowl or container. There is a drain valve under your RV that empties the fresh water tank and water lines. Prepare the RV Water System. Going by that measurement, You'll need 1/4 cup of bleach for every 16 gallons of water in your freshwater tank. To sanitize the water system use a quarter cup of household bleach for every fifteen gallons of water your fresh water tank holds. You also want to make sure to empty your water heater tank. Approx. Drain the water sytem. In other words, a 40-gallon RV tank would require 2.5/4 cups of bleach. Open your kitchen faucet and run your water pump until water comes out and you smell vinegar. Open the grey tank valve and empty it, leave it open during the draining process. You may remember in a previous article about using five gallon buckets for storage and as tools, and this next step is a good example of using a bucket for both. As your system drains, measure out the chlorine bleach you'll need to effectively sanitize your tank. So first of all, make the calculations based on these ratios. If you have a 30-gallon fresh water tank, add cup of bleach. The Step-By-Step Guide Step 1: Turn Off Water Heater Let's start by turning off your rig's water heater and allowing it to cool down. Let the water run until you begin to smell the vinegar. Fill your freshwater tank with water from a municipal source. Mix bleach in a pitcher with water and pour into city water fill on the side (not using the city water hook up spot). You will need one ounce of bleach per eight gallons of water. How To Sanitize. Add and thoroughly mix household chlorine bleach.1Online directions vary for how much bleach to add based on tank volume. Go for a 10 to 15-minute casual drive to let it mix around in the tank. Turn the water pump on, open all hot and cold . After emptying the freshwater tank with the water mixed with bleach, fill the tank again with fresh water. Use a scrubbing brush to scrub the area. 1 Turn off the RV's water pump. Fill your fresh water tank with clean water until it is halfway full Add the correct amount of diluted bleach to the tank Add fresh water to fill your tank to capacity Do this by turning on the Fresh Water Tank Fill switch. Fill your fresh water tank with at least 15 gallons of a 50/50 solution of water and white vinegar. . But, it's perfect for destroying bacteria, molds and mildews, and most viruses. I usually wait 6 hours. 4. How to flush the fresh water system in the spring: Shock the system. For a 50-gallon tank, you would add 8 ounces (1 cup), and for a 200-gallon tank, you would add 32 ounces (4 cups). In case limescale builds up in your tank or if you have particularly hard water, feel free to try using a 2: 1 vinegar solution (2 parts vinegar to 1 part water). Conclusion. Mix 1/2 cup of bleach to about 4 gallons of water in a 5-gallon bucket. Open all of your hot and cold faucets in your sinks and showers until you see/smell the sanitizer, then shut off the water. To clean out a water tank, first thoroughly flush the tank using a bleach solution of 1 part Clorox Regular Bleach 2 per 150 parts water (a 500ppm bleach solution). With the water pump on, open the city water valve, and let the pump push water through the fill line for a minute or so. This can be done by opening the water valves for the tank and the water lines. What you want to do is fill your fresh water holding tank with a mixture of bleach and water. Open and drain each tap in the RV including the indoor and outdoor showers. Step 4: Use Bleach. It will be in a chamber inside the RV. 2. Measure 1 teaspoon/gallon of household bleach (aluminum) or vinegar (plastic) into the tank and add fresh water until it's full Let it sit for 24 hours to sterilize, then drain the water Fill with fresh water and drain repeatedly until all the bleach/vinegar odor is gone This job should take you anywhere from 5-10 hours. Empty the tank after the allotted time. Check the list below: 1-gallon pitcher Safe hose for drinking water Clorox disinfecting bleach Water transfer pump (Self Priming) Deodorizer and system cleaner for freshwater Measuring cup Funnel How to Sanitize the Fresh Water Tank On An RV Fill it a few feet (quarter-full) with treated potable water. If you start this process in the afternoon, just let it sit overnight and then come back in the morning. Step 1: The first step is to drain the water system. Now switch on your water pump, stopping the freshwater supply as well. For most, eight gallons of this cleaning solution should be enough. To clarify, the fresh water tank is used for faucets, toilets and showers. Turn the water pump on, open all hot and cold faucets and run the water . Then you need to fill the tank again with fresh water. Cleaning the Fish Tank (Freshwater Tank) Get rid of the tank. Look inside the storage bay above the fresh water tank. Remember, the correct measurements are cup ounce of bleach per 16 gallons. Take a short drive or rock your RV for a few minutes to agitate the sanitizer. Storage Tank Gallons. We've been drinking the water directly from our RV's fresh water tank for over 12 years with no problem at all. Sanitizing fresh water tanks, especially for fish, is not difficult. Use a scrubber out of your kitchen sink to remove stubborn spots. Time needed: 12 hours and 30 minutes. An RV fresh water tank is the holding tank for the water system on an RV. Mix a cup of tank cleaner or bleach with a gallon of water. Once you do that operate the water pump, run the drains lines, the cold drain lines and the hot one, until you are able to detect the bleach smell coming out of each of these faucets. 30-gallon tank: two cups of bleach. RV fresh water tank cleaning solution: Common household items: Step-by-Step Instructions. Fill and empty the water tank twice with clean water. Let it sit for 4 hours minimum, over night is better. You can then turn off the pumps and the taps to allow this cleaner some time to go to work. One cup of bleach to four gallons of . Filter the bleach from Step 1 to the freshwater fill. The next step is to prepare your RV's water system. Let the water sit in the tank overnight or for 24 hours. Place the mixture into the tank and turn on the water pump until it's full Switch off the water pump and turn on your shower, faucets, and other water outlets When you detect a strong bleach smell from the outlets, switch them off Refill your tank with cold water and let it sit for 12 hours Mix a bleach solution. Here's the procedure in a nutshell: Dilute some bleach with water, fill your tank with it, let the bleach/water solution sit for a few hours to kill bacteria, drain it out, and flush the tank and system with clean water. Fill a pitcher with water about to full and add the bleach. Fill the fresh water tank almost completely full of water. To do this, you want to get the right measurement of bleach according to the size of your water tank. The best and most recommended solution is bleach. Method No. Baking soda. It is suggested to let your RV fresh water tanks sit for 10 to 12 hours while sanitizing. 4. Mix the bleach, with water, into a one-gallon container and pour it into the fresh water holding tank. 1. Rob. Fill the tank with clean, potable water. Here's how we sanitize the system to keep our. The water in these tanks lets users flush toilets, run faucets, and take showers when not connected to a water source. Step 4: Flush the Fresh Water System. How often do you need to sanitize your RV water tank? This will agitate the water in the tank, helping to clean it as you drive, and make sure the top of the tank gets splashed too. Step 12: Refill the fresh water holding tank with clean water, turn on faucets again, and repeat. glass to remove You should remove any algae that has stuck to your walls. Clean, safe, sanitary drinking water is a breeze when you take a few basic steps to manage the fresh water system on your motorhome, travel trailer or fifth wheel. Continue to fill the water tank until it is 3/4 full or so. Now, go around your RV and turn on all the taps and faucets. Shop Cleaning Products from BoatLIFE Drain and Rinse Some instructions will say to mix the bleach in a bucket or other container with fresh, potable water and then pour that into your fresh water holding tank. Opening the drain valve to drain the fresh water tank, then close it again. Some RVers recommend going more light at 1 full cup for every 60 gallons of water tank capacity, Others recommend more strong, at 40 gallons of capacity. Allow this water to sit in the water tank for at least four hours. To avoid damaging the pump, shut it off before draining the water. Step 11: Turn on your water pump and the faucets again. We recommend using the table below to prepare a free chlorine concentration of 50 mg/L (parts per million or ppm). So, if you have a 30-gallon tank, you will need a 1/2 cup of bleach. The amount of bleach depends on the capacity of your freshwater tank: 15-gallon tank: one cup of bleach. Put the fresh water tank valve back, and turn the water pump on. Measure cup of bleach for each 15 gallons of fresh water tank capacity and add this to the water in the pitcher. This is best done outside over grass. Switch it off once half-filled. Step 1: Fill The Freshwater System With Bleach Mix. Once enough time has passed, open the faucets again and let the tank empty itself. If you are frequently on the road, however, it is better to do this once a month. You can leave the water pump on. Step 5. Gently tip the tank over to remove any remaining water. To sanitize the water system in your RV, use a quarter cup (four ounces) of household bleach for every fifteen (15) gallons of water your fresh water tank holds. If you are using antifreeze, then it is important to remove it. Aquarists usually use a 1: 1 vinegar solution, mixing clean water and regular vinegar. Numbers are rounded for easier measuring. If your tank holds 25 gallons, use 1/2 cup. It just depends on your preference, your peace of mind, and how foul your tank is. It also kills most forms of algae. The second most popular method of disinfecting an aquarium is vinegar. Shut off the faucets and let the water and vinegar mixture sit in the system for at least 3 hours. What You Will Need. Stir the bleach into the water and let stand 30 minutes. But do not let it sit for more than twelve. Add 1 gallons of water to the two-gallon pitcher. Open it so the water can drain out, then close it again. Step #3: Drain the fresh water tank and refill half. No water will circulate in the RV, so make sure you won't be needing it for about 5 hours. Now take a quarter cup of house hold bleach for every fifteen gallons of water that your fresh water tank holds. Purge the air from your hotwater tank so it's full with the chlorinated water. Fill the fresh water tank almost completely full of potable water. To sanitize the tank and the fresh water system, follow your RV manufacturers instructions or do the following: Prepare a chlorine solution using one gallon of water and 1/4 cup of Clorox or Purex household bleach (5% sodium hypochlorite solution).. Use a separate cleaning pad for the tank. While this is an easy step of the sanitation process, some find it hard to wait patiently. Step #9: Drain the tank. 1 PPM. Completely fill the tank with the solution and leave in the RV waste holding tank for . [3] If you have a very large tank, use a syphon hose to drain the water. The rule of thumb when adding bleach to sanitize your system is to add two cups of bleach for every 100 gallons of water. Step 1: Drain The Freshwater Tank If you choose to sanitize the cold water line only, you need to turn the water heater off and let it cool before you drain the system. After ensuring all of your drain lines are closed and drain plugs are installed, we first need to fill the freshwater tank with a bleach and water mix. When done this way, preparations the night before and the final rinse the morning after really only take a few minutes each. That means, if you have a 20-gallon freshwater tank on your trailer, you would . Step 8: After the proper waiting interval, drain the fresh water tank until empty and refill with fresh water until full. Open the taps throughout your RV and let them run through until the system runs empty. Let your mixture of clean water and bleach sit in your tank and plumbing lines for about 12 hours before draining it again. Some tips for this process are listed below. Let this solution sit in your tank for around 10 hours or a little more. Run the chlorinated water through all lines (hot and cold one at a time) for one or two minutes, you should be able to smell the chlorine. Step 9: Turn off the fresh water supply to the RV and turn on your water pump. Properly treated water should have a slight chlorine odorif not, repeat the dosage and let stand an additional 15 minutes. Follow the "Wait Time" instructions, letting the additive do its work. Follow the steps below to sanitize your RV water tank. I then run water using the pump through all of the fixtures in the trailer to get the entire system sanitized. Once you smell the bleach coming out, lock the faucets. Mix up a solution of 3.8 liters of water and 240 grams of baking soda. What You'll Need. I recommend walking away from your RV and setting a timer. In a 20 gallon tank, fill the tank approximately until there is water just covering most of the bottom. Add 1/2 cup of chlorine and fill fresh water tank about 3/4 full. Step #5: Pump bleach solution (with control board) Step #6: Pour bleach solution (without control board) Step #7: Fill the water tank. 20. Then add bleach according to the size of the tank. Add in a half cup to a cup of straight bleach. Since we'll be doing some tank flushing as part of the process, your. Fill your fresh water tank all the way up from a clean water source, preferably from a municipal water supply. You can follow the steps mentioned below to sanitize the freshwater tank in RV. Fresh, drinkable, potable H2O doesn't only come from bottled water, but right from your RV's tank. It's a crucial step to prevent the mixture . Fill the water tank again with your freshwater hose until it is overflowing. Water. Mix in your cleaner and fill the tank with enough water to dilute the cleaner to an appropriate amount. Connect your water hose to a freshwater connection and fill your tank completely so that it mixes your bleach dilution through the entire tank. How to Sanitize the Fresh Water Tank - Run all the faucets in the to put the bleach/water mix in the water lines of the RV. Fill fresh water tank level to full. Step 3: Drive the RV. The total amount of bleach-water solution you will need depends upon the size of RV waste holding tanks you have. How to Sanitize RV Water Tank. Close your water inflow valves on the water heater. Gallon-sized pitcher or bucket Follow these steps to sanitize your RV fresh water tank: 1. Step #8: Wait for eight hours. This amount is also equal to one ounce per eight gallons. Step 2: Use the RV Sanitizing Solution. Fill your RV water tank entirely with water. Fill the RV water tank until it is half full. If using pool chlorine (12% sodium hypochlorite) use half the amounts below. Supplies Needed To Sanitize Your RV Water Tank Run water out of every faucet and shower head until you smell chlorine. Let them run through your water lines until your fresh water holding tank is empty. Turn off the water heater and water pump It is highly important to turn off the water heater and water pump before draining the water system.