Foretravel Owners' Forum

Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Discussions => Topic started by: George Stoltz on July 09, 2010, 01:24:45 am

Title: Sanitizing our fresh water tank
Post by: George Stoltz on July 09, 2010, 01:24:45 am
It will soon be time to sanitize our fresh water tank.  This involves putting laundry bleach into the white hose with a funnel and then hooking the white hose to city water.

In the absence of city water, could I hook the white hose up to the faucet in the utility bay? 

We now have about a half tank of water and a 200 mile drive ahead of us.  I thought this would be a good time to put in the bleach, but there is no water supply where we are camped.

Title: Re: Sanitizing our fresh water tank
Post by: Tom Lang on July 09, 2010, 02:57:34 am
Sorry to say it won't work.

Problem is that opening the valve to fill the fresh water tank sends the pressurized water that would have gone to the faucet into the fresh tank instead.  You won't have much if any pressure or flow through your white hose.
Title: Re: Sanitizing our fresh water tank
Post by: amos.harrison on July 09, 2010, 06:49:36 am
Your approach will work just fine.  You're setting up a closed loop.  Why do you think it's time to sanitize?  Did you get a bad load of "city water"?  I've full-timed for 18 years and never sanitized my water system.  I just add a little bleach when I have to use water from a private well.
Title: Re: Sanitizing our fresh water tank
Post by: John S on July 09, 2010, 08:37:43 am
George, you are a full timer and are using your coach. I would say just go to a park that has city water like in Houston Texas or in a major city you will be able to smell the chlorine they put in there. I used my pool testing kit one time and found the drinking water was over 1 ppm out of the tap at my uncles house and is almost that at my old house. If you fill up with that water a few times a year that should be fine. The sanitation of the of a new tank or one that sits outside and gets no use for months.  I will fill up with city water every trip out if I can.
Title: Re: Sanitizing our fresh water tank
Post by: Paul Wildenstein on July 09, 2010, 10:13:01 am
Or, another alternative is to add 1/10 oz. of chlorine per ten gallons of fresh water capacity a couple times a year.  That's what I have been doing since 1978 and have never had any problems.

" George, you are a full timer and are using your coach. I would say just go to a park that has city water like in Houston Texas or in a major city you will be able to smell the chlorine they put in there. I used my pool testing kit one time and found the drinking water was over 1 ppm out of the tap at my uncles house and is almost that at my old house. If you fill up with that water a few times a year that should be fine. The sanitation of the of a new tank or one that sits outside and gets no use for months.  I will fill up with city water every trip out if I can."

Paul 36' 2000 U320
Title: Re: Sanitizing our fresh water tank
Post by: Gayland Baasch on July 09, 2010, 10:18:48 am
So the perfect place to ask a dumb question.  NO OUTSIDE FILL???  Book says to fill the hose with chlorine mix then force it in.  Not a real elegant solution, especially if you need to put in a bunch of anti-freeze.  Has anyone/is there a way to add an outside fill?
Title: Re: Sanitizing our fresh water tank
Post by: John S on July 09, 2010, 11:10:08 am
Yes Barry and Cindy posted something on that but you can put antifreeze in by taking the suction side of the pump off and put a T in and switch it to the antifreeze bottle.  Easy.
Title: Re: Sanitizing our fresh water tank
Post by: Barry Beam on July 09, 2010, 02:16:29 pm
Quote
Has anyone/is there a way to add an outside fill?

Here is some photos and instructions of what some others have done.
http://beamalarm.com/Documents/water_tank_gravity_fill.htm (http://beamalarm.com/Documents/water_tank_gravity_fill.htm)
Title: Re: Sanitizing our fresh water tank
Post by: Gayland Baasch on July 09, 2010, 03:01:02 pm
So many mods, so little time........ :))
Title: Re: Sanitizing our fresh water tank
Post by: Gervin C. Friedrich on July 16, 2010, 02:04:13 pm
I use my overflow pipe and put a whit hose down it and the pour whatever I'm using to sanitize the tank, then I can also yop it off that way