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Being the brilliant, independant woman that I am. I decided to sanitize my fresh water tank. Left the instructions at home of course, but how hard can it be? I stuck the hose into a gallon of bleach and started the process. Sucked up the bleach in about the time it took me to blink. I'm thinking that was a lot of bleach. Ran it through the system and dumped it, and am thinking I need to run through several more tanks of fresh water. Questions: 1. How harmful is that much bleach? 2. At what point would it be safe to run the hot water heater?

Keep running water thru until you no longer can smell bleach. Gonna take a lot to get rid of that much bleach! Don't forget to run a lot of fresh water thru your faucets using both hot and cold side to get rid of it in the hot water tank!

Not to worry, we've all done stuff like that.

It was suggested to me that I sanitize my holding tank too but have no idea how it is done. Can you share your method except I will use less bleach. Thanks.

Hook the hose up at the faucet end but don't turn it on. Before hooking it to the RV, pour bleach into the hose. I think it is something like one cup to 15 gallons of water if you are santizing your water tank. Hook up to RV and then turn the water on. Just like they said, run water until you don't smell bleach.

I fill the water tank about 1/3rd, then put the appropriate amount of bleach for a full tank in (without measuring, but a couple cups, usually) and then fill the tank to 3/4's or so with water. Then I drive around to make sure it sloshes all over the place. I try to do it when I'll be driving a few hours. Then I empty the tank, refill with fresh water and drive if possible (only a short distance). Empty. Fill and empty. Usually I can then use the water for showers, etc, but it might take a couple more fills and empties before I'll use it for cooking, etc. Just make sure the bleach smell is gone. And the bleachy taste is gone.

You won't have hurt it - just might need to refill and drain with water a little more.

They do make a tank cleaner and sanitizer I tried once that doesn't use bleach and is supposed to be safe to use even if you don't get it all out. I didn't like the cleaner. OMG, I had suds and more suds. But the sanitizer wasn't bad. I think I got it through CW and I will look for it again. One of the guys on the single's forum used it also and had the sudsing problem with the cleaner also.

I use the dry granulated chlorine that is used in swimming pools. You add 1/2 tsp per 20 gallons of water. Fill the tank and turn on faucets until you can smell the chlorine. Let it set for apx 12 hours. Drain your tank and fill will fresh water.

You mean it's not one gallon of bleach for a 40 gallon tank?

So, am I draining straight from the fresh tank, or do I run it through the system and drain the gray (which is how I did it)? Although, I'll need to run at least two more tanks of fresh to get rid of the smell....

Run it thru the system until you smell bleach (shouldn't take long.. ) then drain it at the fresh water drain. Then keep filling and draining until you don't smell bleach anymore. Might take a few fills and drains.

Ummmm... yes....a gallon of bleach is a bit of overkill.

sharon wrote:Run it thru the system until you smell bleach (shouldn't take long.. ) then drain it at the fresh water drain. Then keep filling and draining until you don't smell bleach anymore. Might take a few fills and drains.

Ummmm... yes....a gallon of bleach is a bit of overkill.

Unless you have a rig like mine where no one has ever been able to find the fresh water drain for me. I have to run it through the system every time and drain through the grey tank. It works, but takes longer.

When you do it through the drain - after you've done it a few times, then run the fresh water through the system and drain through the grey tank until you don't smell it anymore.

As to letting it sit, I'm a strong advocate, if at all possible, of driving with it in the tank. It's the only way to get it all over the sides and ceiling of the tank. Same when you clean the toilet. It amazes me how a bag of ice can make such a difference in the black tank if I drive with it in there after I think I've cleaned it.

Oh, and every now and then put a water with bleach solution in your hoses. Screw the ends together and let it sit for a bit. Then empty and flush with water. A full chlorine solution too long will eat the hose - so you don't want to do that, but doing this will keep the mold and mildew out of the hose.

Bethers wrote:Unless you have a rig like mine where no one has ever been able to find the fresh water drain for me.

Not sure where I got the recommendation to find this out but I asked my dealer where the fresh water tank drain is and we found it under my bed. I have a class C which I think you have too. Give a look.

JoanE wrote:

Bethers wrote:Unless you have a rig like mine where no one has ever been able to find the fresh water drain for me.

Not sure where I got the recommendation to find this out but I asked my dealer where the fresh water tank drain is and we found it under my bed. I have a class C which I think you have too. Give a look.

I won't say it's not there - but wasn't found by various dealers, service places or me when looking. I decided a long time ago it wasn't worth my time to continue searching lol. The tank itself IS under my bed, though, so that makes sense and it probably is there, but if I have to remove the mattress, etc etc to get to the areas not checked - don't think I'll get to that point.

Joan & Beth, our fresh water drain is under our bed as well. It's a pain to get to but at least we know where it is now.

This sounds like something I would do. Thank you for sharing your experience so some of us more novice folks know what to do and what not to do! Thanks, too, Beth for the advice on the hose. Hadn't thought of that!

Irmi wrote:Joan & Beth, our fresh water drain is under our bed as well. It's a pain to get to but at least we know where it is now.

Include me in the group that couldn't find my fresh water drain (the manual was of no help). I asked at my dealership today. Mine is a small silver lever near the base of the corner of my fresh water tank -- pulled forward to drain, pushed back at rest. Mine is also under my mattress.

The lever is NOT visible while looking at the fresh water tank through the large access panel hole at the front of my bed when it's in the pushed back (at rest) position. It can only be seen by looking through the small round access hole under my mattress. I am able to use the large access panel hole to pull the lever forward and back, now that I know where it is!