Sanitizing water tank.

[mizdeb]

This newbie would like to know how you sanitize your water tank. I have had the camper 7 years now and never put water in the fresh tank. Thinking I may want to do it before I leave here or PA at least but should I worry about it? I will be in campgrounds I am thinking. But ya never know when a Walmart might sneak in there. I have really no reason to boondock on this first trip. I have Thousand trails membership which also includes RPI and Enjoy America and belong to Good Sam which just more than paid for itself at Camping World with the bike rack and new bed.

Advice please.
Deb

[BayouLady]

don't know, but I just seen some stuff at Walmart for that.

[JudyJB]

Even if you don't boondock, it is nice to have water in your tanks available to rinse dishes, flush the toilet, and wash your hands while you drive.

All you really need to do is to put a cup of bleach mixed with a gallon of water into your fresh water tank, fill it 3/4 with water, and drive around for a few minutes to slosh it around. Open each of your taps just long enough to run a bit of water through them, and let the whole thing set for a day. (I have to use a funnel and short piece of clear hosing to get the bleach into my tank. If you have not used your water pump for a long time, it may take a while to prime.)

Then drain the fresh water out into your grey or black water tanks, and refill with fresh water.

If I have been using nothing but campground water through my city water connection for a few weeks, especially if the weather is hot, I add a cup of bleach and just use that water only for washing until I can refill with fresh. Then I feel confident I can drink the water. Normally, I try to keep the tank at about a quarter full. Trust me, you do NOT want to have nothing to flush the toilet with on the road.

[dpf]

I use dry granulated chlorine like is used for swimming pools. A heaping teaspoon will do the job. Fill the tank add the chlorine, wait a bit then fill your lines and let it set for a day. Then you can run the remaining water in your fresh water tank through the gray and black water tanks and it will help to clean them. Or drain directly from the fresh water tank.

[Bethers]

I use the chlorine and drive for whatever my destination that day is - planning a place with hookups overnight. That sloshing is really, really good for getting all the walls and top, etc. Then I dump the tank (after running through all the lines) refill with fresh water, dump again, then refill with fresh water again. I use the water in my tank, so want to make sure I get it all out. Sometimes I'll drive the 2nd day after the first refill, then dump to refill. While you can use it and even drink it after the first time, I can always still smell the chlorine - so like to do it twice if I can.

I do this whenever I've been awhile not using the tank regularly - like the three + months in Alaska right now - have used it occasionally, but not enough to feel it's keeping it totally clean, so will clean it before leaving.

[Sunnyphillips]

All good suggestions. After the initial cleaning as everyone else answering this question has suggested, I fill my tank each week and use it to the very bottom - shutting off my fresh water if I am sitting for a bit. This keeps the water flushing in and out of the tank on a regular basis and also keeps the water pump running regularly. So far, so good over the last two years and I have camped in some very hot locations, such as south Texas!