A Women's RV Forum run by Women RVer's!

we all know that the black water sensor malfunctions early on
but can the rest start to not read correctly? when I had my tank pumped out the first time
in Q noticed that the grey water still indicated partially full which sorta irritated me
but I had them come again and same thing showed some water in the grey tanks...
Now I'm here although I've not hooked up to water yet the fresh water tank
shows full now I've not put water in for over a week keep thinking it will show less water
and it sputters some what when running water....although it's still got a green showing...
going to put water in but what gives??? Since I had some freezing if I hook water up through the
city line I seem to have leakage on the outside one day I need to have it repaired would rather use
that line and not have to use the pump all the time..but that is the other thing the pump isn't acting
like the tank is overly low...just puzzled to say the least
while on the subject how does one empty the fresh water tank if one wants to put bleach through it
which because it's used all the time I've never done...and when you do add bleach how much so you don't
have a lot of residual taste?
sheila

My sensors almost never work right for my gray and black tanks. The black tank is now always showing full even when I have just dumped. Kind of makes me nervous so if I have full hook up and my sister is along I dump every 2 or 3 days. I'm sure I have way smaller tanks than you do. I tried filling up the black tank with water and driving around and that didn't help. I'm not going to spend money trying to get them fixed when they never work anyway. In the 9 years I have had this motorhome I have only had the gray tank back up into the shower one time and it didn't leak on the floor.

Martha

The grey tank can have crud on the sides of it that affects the sensors, just as the black water tank does, but I am concerned about your fresh water tank showing full.

I once had the membrane in my water pump get a hole in it. That caused the water from the city connection to fill the fresh water tank on its own. Then it leaked on the ground through the fresh water tank overfill valve. Some RVs also have valves that can malfunction. Is there someway you can actually look from the outside at the fresh water tank to see how much water is in it? (I can see mine with a flashlight through a storage compartment.)

I add about a cup of bleach to my fresh water tank and fill it about half-full (30 gallons) and leave it for a couple of days or until I use up the water. The taste and smell go away after a couple of days, and in the meantime I only use it for showers and washing things. After a couple of days, I fill the tank with new water. I keep a jug of non-chlorinated water for drinking for those few days.

Sheila, it takes very little bleach to disinfect the tank just be sure to put some water in it first ( a third of a tank should do) and then the bleach, and then fill the tank. I would GUESS about a cup of bleach to a full tank. There should be a little spigot on the outside of the rig to drain the tank.
Marda

Sensors are prone to getting stuff on them causing a false reading. I've had some success using 20 Mule Team Borax in a half full tank before driving and dumping once I got to my destination. About 2 cup for 40 gallons. Most times is washes off the sensor but sometimes not so much. My black tank flush also sprays at my sensors and so it helps clean them off.

As for sanitizing my FW tank, I add about a cup of bleach through my FW fill connection. Finish filling the tank up (50 gallons), run water pump to pump it through all my pipes (you can smell it when you have the chlorinated water to the tap) and let it sit for a few hours. There should be a drain valve for your FW tank. Mine is a white foot long hose with a valve hanging under my trailer by my FW tank. Some FW tanks are under a seat cushion and the valve will probably be under the seat near the tank. I drain and refill the FW tank and run water until I no longer smell the chlorine. I also have a set of low point drains that hang under the rear of my trailer. They are red (hot) and blue (cold) lines each with their own valve. Note: if you have a common city/FW tank fill with a selector valve you may have to pour the chlorine into the hose, connect it and turn the water back on to flush it into the FW tank. Phoenix is pretty sensitive to chlorine so I have to be careful doing it. As a rule we drink bottled water and have gallon jugs of drinking water for coffee. Normally we only use the camper water to shower and flush toilets... It's a Phoenix thing My life is easier when Phoenix is happy

My valve for my fresh water tank is under my bed and has to be opened from inside. Weird place but at least I can do it. When I clean my tank, I add some water, some bleach, then fill to at least 3/4 full and drive to the next destination. I don't use that water for drinking, but can for anything else. I like that the driving swishes it all around. I usually drain the tank at the destination and refill with fresh water. But you can do as Judy, also.

For my black tank, and this doesn't "clean" the tank but has always temporarily helped me with the sensors, I occasionally when I'll be driving to either full hookups or a location with a dump station, after emptying the tank, I fill the black tank with as much ice as it will hold. Driving the couple/few hours, it bounces around and melts and almost always when I dump that, my sensors read (for a little while anyway) correctly. This rig is much worse sensor-wise than my last was.

thank you all for your help will have to look and see if I can find it
how important is it to put bleach through occasionally when in use full time
I totally get it when it's been stored for several months...but when it gets fresh water
every week or so not sure the reason behind it but thought perhaps I ought to since
others do it...not sure where I'd look for the fresh water tank to see if I can see it they
can be under the bed but if it is it's under the small amount of storage that is directly
under the bed...
one day I will understand this contraption that I live in
sheila

Sheila, which model of 5th wheel do you have? The water tank is probably in the belly of the 5th wheel near the FW/city water connection. My drain line comes out the bottom of the trailer, drivers side, a couple of feet aft of the fill connection.

Since you live in your 5er I'd only sanitize my tank once a year or if the water smelled or tasted funny.

Sheila, I only do mine a little more often because the tank doesn't get used as much when I'm connected to city water for long periods, like now workamping. So the water might get stagnant, although I try to not let it happen, it's not the same as using the tank continually. I agree with Melissa that once a year is probably plenty for you.

My black tank has a washer function and that has kept my sensors problem free. Recently when my rig was having work done on it for 6 days the fresh water tank sat unused for that time. Normally I use it a lot and refill it often. So when I got to a place with hookups I let the fresh water tank run until it was empty by turning on the sink, then filled with fresh water and let it run empty again. Then filled it with nice fresh water. I use my fresh water tank for drinking as well as the other uses. So far it has been fine, it tastes great and I'm still alive!

I have a Challengar 2007 36 ft fifth wheel

used to use a britta filter then for some reason the water wasn't tasting
good even when I changed the filter and the new containers for brita don't fit
in the door so started refilling water jugs in Q .25 a gallon they raised it to 30 cents though
when in Tetonia I fill jugs at my daughters house for drinking the tank water is mainly for
flushing washing cooking ect.
appreciate all your information ...
sheila