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Topic: Sanitizing the fresh water tank - ’01 U320 (Read 990 times) previous topic - next topic

Sanitizing the fresh water tank - ’01 U320

I want to sanitize my fresh water tank. I turn the fill switch on, I hear a little click, but when I try to pour water/bleach solution down the water hose, nothing happens. The solution doesn't go down the hose. The hose is not plugged as we just used the coach on city water hookup last week. What am I missing? What is the trick to getting the bleach solution into the tank?
Royce & Denise, MC #17410
'01 U320 4220 ISM450 Build #5895 SOLD
Toad: '10 Honda CR-V

Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world. - Gustave Flaubert

Re: Sanitizing the fresh water tank - ’01 U320

Reply #1 –
The hose must be empty of water. Then attach to the coach, fill hose from spigot end with bleach, attach hose to spigot turn on water push fill valve and fill tank.  It is that easy.  David
David & Lou Ann Bouchard
Summer: Mount Vernon, Ohio
Winter: RiverBend Motorcoach Resort  LaBelle, Florida
2003 U320 38' Build #6174 "Willie"
2013 Cadillac SRX Toad
MC #17151 FMCA #F431393

Re: Sanitizing the fresh water tank - ’01 U320

Reply #2 –
My hose is on a reel so it is already attached to the coach. I have tried to empty it but haven't been very successful I guess. So I will probably have to buy a second hose to fill with bleach then connect to first hose. I was hoping someone would have an easier method. Thanks.
Royce & Denise, MC #17410
'01 U320 4220 ISM450 Build #5895 SOLD
Toad: '10 Honda CR-V

Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world. - Gustave Flaubert

Re: Sanitizing the fresh water tank - ’01 U320

Reply #3 –
Royce,

You need to put some bleach into the hose connect the hose to a water supply, turn on the water and hit the fill switch.  That will flush the bleach and water through the water hose and into the fresh water tank.  Add a couple of tablespoons for a full tank of water.  Run the pump and let water run through all of the lines, hot and cold. If you can just smell the bleach the that was about the right amount. The water filter will remove the bleach smell and taste from the filtered water.

If you want to shock the system then you need to use more bleach, fill the tank, run it through the lines, let it sit for a while and then drain everything out.  Add new fresh water to everything and then drain all of that out.  You can then add more fresh water and you should be good to go.

Barry Beam's site has this article..

how-to-sanitize-fresh-water-tanks

Roger
Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN

Re: Sanitizing the fresh water tank - ’01 U320

Reply #4 –
By my calculations (102 gallon tank that may never have been sanitized) I need to pour almost 2 cups of bleach down the hose but I can't get even a quarter of a cup down it. So back to my original thought of using a second hose.
Royce & Denise, MC #17410
'01 U320 4220 ISM450 Build #5895 SOLD
Toad: '10 Honda CR-V

Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world. - Gustave Flaubert

Re: Sanitizing the fresh water tank - ’01 U320

Reply #5 –
Do you have a water filter housing?  Take the filter out, put the bleach in the empty housing, connect water supply to housing, housing to coach hose.  Fill fresh tank.  Run faucets.  Let sit.  Empty. refill without bleach (or repeat with vinegar to eliminate chlorine smell, then refill with just water).
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320

Re: Sanitizing the fresh water tank - ’01 U320

Reply #6 –
The hose may have water in it from the last use.  Hold it back from the end about three ft or so and with the cap off spin it around and see if water comes out, it should and then you cana dd water.  You could add another short hose section on to the end of the coach hose and add the bleach that way.  We use a particulate filter between the coach hose and the supply.  A bleach mix can be added that way too. 

You may need to open the fill valve to pour in the bleach mix into the coach hose.  Maybe raise the coach hose end as high as you can will help.

Get as much as you can into the hose, add some water and then add more, repeat.  You don't have to add all of the bleach mix at one time.

Once you get through the shock treatment adding a couple tablespoons in a cup of water is easy.

Hope this helps.

Roger
Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN

Re: Sanitizing the fresh water tank - ’01 U320

Reply #7 –
I sanitized my 91 last week I poured 2 cups of bleach in a plastic seltzer water bottle and then filled it with water then screwed the hose on the bottle held it up and it emptyed into the hose and into the tank when the bottle was empty I connected hose to another hose an turned on the water. my 91 has a valve in the bathroom under the sink that needs to be open to fill tank also,once tank is filled close valve.wear old clothes in case the bleach spill on you or you will have stains ,don't ask how I know this.
91 GV U300 Unihome 40' Build 3811
6V92TA Detroit

Re: Sanitizing the fresh water tank - ’01 U320

Reply #8 –
No water filter housing. Filter is under the kitchen sink. I'll try again tomorrow. Thanks.
Royce & Denise, MC #17410
'01 U320 4220 ISM450 Build #5895 SOLD
Toad: '10 Honda CR-V

Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world. - Gustave Flaubert

Re: Sanitizing the fresh water tank - ’01 U320

Reply #9 –
Quote from: BamaFan –
No water filter housing. Filter is under the kitchen sink. I'll try again tomorrow. Thanks.
I suggest you reconsider Michelle's method.  I think this is the device she is talking about.
 http://tinyurl.com/p82azta

We always use a household filter connected to the fill hose outside of the coach to catch any sediment from the city water.
Elliott & Mary Bray
ex. 1996 36' U295 - Build 4879
ex. 2018 Coachmen Leprechaun 319MB
 

Re: Sanitizing the fresh water tank - ’01 U320

Reply #10 –
We use these, easy to flush, you can add bleach solution in the filter basin.

Drip Irrigation | Dripworks | Amiad Filters

Lots of others like this for continuous duty under pressure.

Roger
Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN

Re: Sanitizing the fresh water tank - ’01 U320

Reply #11 –
+3.  What Michelle said. 

We also use a outside filter after the spigot before the water softener and then the water hose on the reel.  The outside filter remmoves particulate from the water and makes it super easy to add bleach for sanitizing about twice a year..  We like a little chlorine in our fresh water tank.  Fill fresh water tank with softened water for use and the filter under the sink is for drinking and cooking. 
Scott & Carol Seibert
2001 42' double slide U320 - Sold
Previous - 2002 36' U320

Re: Sanitizing the fresh water tank - ’01 U320

Reply #12 –
Royce, be sure to remove the filter under the sink before sanitizing your system if it's still in good shape. Otherwise you'll need to buy a new one.
Richard & Betty Bark & Keiko our Golden Doodle
2003 U320T 3820 PBDS
Build # 6215
MC # 16926
2016 Chevrolet Colorado 4X4 diesel

Re: Sanitizing the fresh water tank - ’01 U320

Reply #13 –
So I guess it's ok to pour straight bleach into the hose. I have done that before but not to a hose that I care about. This is an old hose on my reel and I do not want the chore of replacing it right now.
Royce & Denise, MC #17410
'01 U320 4220 ISM450 Build #5895 SOLD
Toad: '10 Honda CR-V

Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world. - Gustave Flaubert

Re: Sanitizing the fresh water tank - ’01 U320

Reply #14 –
It is probably OK to put the bleach in the end of the coach hose.  I have a little funnel that fits in the end and usually put a tablespoon or two of bleach in a cup of water every time we fill the tank

It is good to do the hose too.you really want to clean all of the lines and hoses. 

The particulate filter (of any sort) is a good thing to help protect your pump, valves, faucets and the rest of the mechanical bits in the plumbing system.  I was amazed when I took all of the faucets apart to clean them how much crud had accumulated in the years with the PO.

The filter under the sink is for your drinking water at the sink.  Water with a little bit of bleach through ther is OK but if you are going for the total sanitizing I would not run the water through there. If you need a full sanitizing process it is probably time to replace the filter anyway.  We remove ours before winterizing the coach and replace it after dewinterizing.

Roger
Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN

Wahing out tanks

Reply #15 –
I had recently, while in Yuma, my black and grey tanks powerwashed clean. A lot of the scaling that accumulates in the black tank comes out. With a scope, we were able to inspect the tanks and found the black tank 90% clean of scaling. Grey tank was whistle clean. For the fresh water tanks, I have a personal scope dedicated for that tank and fitted a port to insert the probe into the top of the tank. We do use Calgon beads with Pinesol mixture in both the black and grey tanks.

Bob
Bob & Kathy
2007 Nimbus
Full Timers
Retired Charter Bus Owner/Operator

Re: Sanitizing the fresh water tank - ’01 U320

Reply #16 –
Bob,

How was this power washing of your tanks done? Through the dump pipe?

Royce
Royce & Denise, MC #17410
'01 U320 4220 ISM450 Build #5895 SOLD
Toad: '10 Honda CR-V

Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world. - Gustave Flaubert
 

Re: Sanitizing the fresh water tank - ’01 U320

Reply #17 –
Quote from: BamaFan –
Bob,

How was this power washing of your tanks done? Through the dump pipe?

Royce

Royce, you they go through the dump pipe. First, there is a fiber optic camera inserted and then a special powerwashing nozzle. You can watch the entire process on the camera and also see the waste coming out of the tanks into a clear pipe. Lots of scaling in the black tank. Here is the URL for the service:
http://www.allprowaterflow.com/default.asp. Great service - we used this on all of our commercial buses.
Bob
Bob & Kathy
2007 Nimbus
Full Timers
Retired Charter Bus Owner/Operator