cleaning water tanks

[Dale C]

When I pump water from the tank of my new to me 1976 Scamp what comes out doesn't look that great. What procedure is recommended for cleansing the tank.
I appreciate the great advice given here.

Dale

[Jim Bennett]

Dale THIS link may help you out.

[Dale C]

Thanks Jim. That was just what I was looking for!

Dale

Dale THIS link may help you out.

[Dave Fish]

I can't recommend bleach. I did that based on the link Dale added. I added bleach to a half tank, drove around to swish it, then drained and rinsed the tank. We are into our fourth day of a five day trip and the water STILL tastes like bleach. I may have used too much but I ain't gonna do it again.

We will try the baking soda approach next year unless a better idea is proposed.

BTW, we only put antifreeze in the drains. We emptied the hot water tank then blew out the lines. We had a fairly hard winter and came out OK.

Dave

[Donna D.]

We will try the baking soda approach next year unless a better idea is proposed.
Dave

I thought the idea was to use baking soda AFTER the bleach to neutralize the chlorine and not to just use one or the other?

[Leehman]

I thought the idea was to use baking soda AFTER the bleach to neutralize the chlorine and not to just use one or the other?

While living aboard our boat with fiberglass water tanks we found 1/4 teaspoon of bleach per fifty gallons of water worked well. Also used 1-2 teaspoon of vanilla. After drinking that water for several months when you sweat you will smell like a new cake.

[Jim Bennett]

I can't recommend bleach.

Dave, I have used bleach many, many times. I only ever rinse once, and that just about clears it up. If you are drinking the water and you still notice some taste, you can fill a jug and let it sit for a bit.

I know of a few folks who do a soda rinse after the water rinse, and they have all claimed that this clears it up completely.

[Pete Dumbleton]

Despite the fact that it comes in gallon jugs, only a tiny bit of bleach is required, and the baking soda IS for the cleanup of the bleach, not the cleanup of the tank.

Using too much bleach will cause the tank to taste like bleach for many refills, just as Dave found, if the baking soda isn't used afterwards!

[Dave Fish]

Thanks everyone. Tooooo much bleach, no bakng soda. I will do t different next year.

Dave

[ronsmith100]

I am not a trailer guru but let me ask this question:
If you put lots of chlorine in your water tank every time you fill up is there any way goop can grow or anything?

I never drink that water so.....

[Roy in TO]

FYI from Oregon Health Services

http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/dwp/docs/haulguide.pdf

[Donna D.]

"2 quarts of chlorine bleach for every 500 gallons of water used to fill the tank."

Well Pete did say a tiny bit was all that was needed. At this rate, I'd think a gallon of bleach would last my lifetime.

[Pete Dumbleton]

That works out to about 1.28 oz bleach for a full ten-gallon tank -- Or less than eight teaspoons...

[Roy in TO]

I seem to recall some shot glasses that had a line at the 1.25 OZ mark. That would be pretty darn close.

[Roger C H]

1.25 ounce [US, liquid] = 2.5 Tablespoon [US]<a href="http://www.onlineconversion.com/cooking_volume.htm" target="_blank">
</a>
1.25 ounce [US, liquid] = 7.499 999 999 8 Teaspoon [US]

Conversions from:

http://www.onlineconversion.com/cooking_volume.htm

Someone said using a shot glass. Just how much vodka would it take to disenfect. And then you wouldn't have to drain it, just drink it. LOL

[Roger C H]

From Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanitize


Home disinfectants
By far the most cost-effective home disinfectant is the commonly used chlorine bleach (a 5% solution of Sodium hypochlorite) which is effective against most common pathogens, including such difficult organisms tuberculosis (mycobacterium tuberculosis), hepatitis B and C, fungi, and antibiotic-resistant strains of staphylococcus and enterococcus. It even has some disinfectant action against parasitic organisms ^[5]. Positives are that it kills the widest range of pathogens of any inexpensive disinfectant; it is extremely powerful against viruses and bacteria at room temperature; it is commonly available and inexpensive; and it breaks down quickly into harmless components (primarily table salt and oxygen). Negatives are that it is caustic to the skin, lungs, and eyes (especially at higher concentrations); like many common disinfectants, it degrades in the presence of organic substances; it has a strong odor; it is not effective against giardia lamblia and cryptosporidium; and extreme caution must be taken not to combine it with ammonia or any acid (such as vinegar) as this can cause noxious gases to be formed. The best practice is not to add anything to household bleach except water. Dilute bleach can be tolerated on the skin for a period of time by most persons, as witnessed by the long exposure to extremely dilute "chlorine" (actually sodium or calcium hypochlorite) many children get in swimming pools.

To use chlorine bleach effectively, the surface or item to be disinfected must be clean. In the bathroom or when cleaning after pets, special caution must be taken to wipe up urine first, before applying chlorine, to avoid reaction with the ammonia in urine, causing toxic gas by-products. A 1 to 20 solution in water is effective simply by being wiped on and left to dry. The user should wear rubber gloves and, in tight airless spaces, goggles. If parasitic organisms are suspected, it should be applied at 1 to 1 concentration, or even undiluted; extreme caution must be taken to avoid contact with eyes and mucous membranes. Protective goggles and good ventilation are mandatory when applying concentrated bleach.

Commercial bleach tends to lose strength over time, whenever the container is opened. Old containers of partially used bleach may no longer have the labeled concentration.

Where one does not want to risk the corrosive effects of bleach, alcohol-based disinfectants are reasonably inexpensive and quite safe. The great drawback to them is their rapid evaporation; sometimes effective disinfection can be obtained only by immersing an object in the alcohol.

Notice the bolded portion. Someone in this thread said to use vinegar after the bleach. It also says not to combine anything with the bleach. To avoid problems, it may be wise to do a rinse after the bleach before applying vinegar (acid) or baking soda (base). The gas that can form is chlorine which is a bad actor. Of course if you use the extremely diluted amounts, that should also prevent any problem.