sanitizing water tank

[Peggy]

Do folks generally bleach out the water tank once in a while? We have been hauling along a Coleman jug with drinking water, but if we could feel comfortable drinking the water from the tank, that would simplify things. Isn't that what we are all about? Thanks!

[Byron Kinnaman]

There's a pretty good process for sanitizing your water tank. I partially fill the tank then put about a cup of bleach in the tank fill the rest of the way. (12 gallon tank). Then pump the water through the system to the sink. Let it sit for at least 1/2 hour, but no more than about 2 hours. Drain and flush with at least 2 fillings to rinse out the bleach. Don't forget to pump enough fresh water through to plumbing until the bleach smell is gone.
I filter the fresh water through an RV ceramic/charcoal filter as it enters the tank to keep anything that might be in the fresh water out. I always carry the filter and use it while traveling also.

[Darnelle]

Hi Peggy,
I sanitize our water tank similarily to Byron, but use vinegar -- it's less toxic, kills nasties just as well, and doesn't require as much rinsing. I also towed the camper around a bit so the water would slosh in the tank. So far have only done this when we purchased our current Scamp as we fill it with our excellent well water only and drain it all when we return from camping. I'd probably only sanitize again if we had to fill elsewhere, or I otherwise suspected something was wrong, and your location could allow you to do this as well. I'm thinking warmer, more humid locations are more conducive to growing nasties.

[Donna D.]

My trailer is 23 years old... and so is the water tank. I've tried all manner of cleaning stuff and the water still smells like old plastic if it sits for more than a day or so. I don't mind using it for washing dishes, etc. but washing my face, brushing my teeth, cooking and making coffee... I prefer fresh bottled water. YMMV

[Darnelle]

Donna makes a great point. Our tank water tastes good, but with the debate on BPA I wonder how safe it is?

[HikeSticks]

My Trillium came with a 5 gal. tank connected by a plastic hose to a tap/pump at the sink. I disconnected it and removed the tank. I have a portable 5 gal. container, with tap, that I clean and fill before each adventure. I also have a 1 gal. insulated container that I use for regular use. When the 1 gal. container gets low I top it up from the 5 gal. I just didn't feel comfortable having water sitting in a tank nor in the lines. I don't find this arrangement inconvenient in the least.
Barrie

[Byron Kinnaman]

If you're concerned about plastic causing problems, hmmm, there's an a lot of food including milk and bottled water in plastic. Then of course there's plastic water pipe. Oh well...

Then there's worrying about water sitting in tanks or other vessels, wonder how much water there is sitting in water mains and how long it sits there before use.

[HikeSticks]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

If you're concerned about plastic causing problems, hmmm, there's an a lot of food including milk and bottled water in plastic. Then of course there's plastic water pipe. Oh well...

Then there's worrying about water sitting in tanks or other vessels, wonder how much water there is sitting in water mains and how long it sits there before use.

Thank goodness I have a well, filter with water softener and reverse osmosis water purifier. Ahhh... just like bottled water.
Barrie

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Barrie Bochoff

Thank goodness I have a well, filter with water softener and reverse osmosis water purifier. Ahhh... just like bottled water.
Barrie

how long does water sit in the pressure tank before use? Do you run enough water to empty all the containers before use including that in the pipes?

Oh ya, Bottled water is NOT in plastic bottles, right?

[Donna D.]

For me, it's not whether it's in plastic, but rather OLD plastic. I don't drink water from plastic water bottles that have been opened and sitting around for weeks either. IF I open a beverage that's in plastic, it gets put in the frig. Can't do that with a flippin' water tank. Perhaps, for my Scamp, it doesn't have water run through the system often enough. There are those who use their trailers a lot. So funky tanks and pipes aren't a problem for them, but it is for me.

[HikeSticks]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

how long does water sit in the pressure tank before use? Do you run enough water to empty all the containers before use including that in the pipes?

Oh ya, Bottled water is NOT in plastic bottles, right?

Sometime, maybe just one time... you'll agree with someone. Nah... I guess not LOL
I don't drink bottled water. I don't have to. I purify my own. Ever heard of reverse osmosis? The water goes through the reverse osmosis system at the tap.... after the pressure tank. See... you learned something tonight. The bottled water I referred to was the contents of the bottle.... not the bottle. But then, I'm sure you understand.
Enjoy!!
Barrie

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Barrie Bochoff

Sometime, maybe just one time... you'll agree with someone. Nah... I guess not LOL
I don't drink bottled water. I don't have to. I purify my own. Ever heard of reverse osmosis? The water goes through the reverse osmosis system at the tap.... after the pressure tank. See... you learned something tonight. The bottled water I referred to was the contents of the bottle.... not the bottle. But then, I'm sure you understand.
Enjoy!!
Barrie

I don't think I disagreed with anybody. I was simply pointing out that water in your house, your trailer, and in public parks often sits in metal, wood, or plastic containers. So the fuss about fresh water tanks in trailers, in my opinion, is silly. We live in a paranoid world as it is and paranoia breeds like rabbits. Therefore my goal is to attempt to enlighten those that haven't yet to catch the paranoia, hopefully before they do.

Donna,
FYI,. new plastic out gasses much more than old plastic. So it would appear that you're more likely to get undesirable stuff from new than old plastic.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

Donna,
FYI,. new plastic out gasses much more than old plastic. So it would appear that you're more likely to get undesirable stuff from new than old plastic.

Perhaps Bryon, I haven't read any facts about that. For me it's about taste and smell. Old plastic in my Scamp does taste and smell funky. I thought for a long time it was because a previous owner had perhaps winterized using regular ole antifreeze, rather than RV antifreeze. After many attempts with bleach water and commercial preparations, I've come to the conclusion it's just aged (like me). Works for red wine, not so good for plastic.

When your trailer is 23 years old, and not less than 5... maybe you'll find the same thing...

[Darnelle]

In this world I can't eliminate my family's use of plastic, but we do minimize it -- reasonable precautions without going crazy.

[Robin G]

One lil mouse turd and even a good well can produce icky water! (sorry I have lived on many a well.) Just cause it is a well, doesn't mean it's pure! Granted most likely better than city water but not always pure. It's just our bodies are use to what our wells produce.

I am not big on carrying water in the tanks, try to keep the weight down. But Byron's way of sanitizing works well.

[Peggy]

Thanks, everyone. I was primarily thinking about mold and bacteria in the tank, rather than taste, so wanted to sanitize it, even for washing dishes. After we do the sanitizing, I'm not sure if we will feel comfortable using it for drinking water, we'll maybe taste it first! Thanks for your input. Hmm, I wonder if the Coleman insulated jug we have been carrying our drinking water in is BPA free. I guess if purchased last summer, it probably is....

[Darnelle]

I think the packaging pretty much needs to say "BPA" free in order to be so.

[Donna D.]

Peggy, you've gotten lots of opinions and good advice, but the decision is yours to make. After you flush and get the tanks and lines as clean as you think you can... take a smell test and SMALL taste test of fresh water from the system. Truly, that will be the determining factor if you want to put that water in your food or mouth. To each his/her own!

[Carol H]

This has been an intreasting topic and a few things mentioned that I did not realize about plastics. I dont drink the water from my tank even though I know its clean simple because I dont like the taste. I did notice while reading up on this topic that most of the experts seem to suggest that its not a good think to drink water from any plastics that have been warmed by the sun as they pretty well all off gas when warmed up regardless of age.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Carol H

This has been an intreasting topic and a few things mentioned that I did not realize about plastics. I dont drink the water from my tank even though I know its clean simple because I dont like the taste. I did notice while reading up on this topic that most of the experts seem to suggest that its not a good think to drink water from any plastics that have been warmed by the sun as they pretty well all off gas when warmed up regardless of age.

There in lays the problem. "EXPERTS" on this forum. HA HA HA

Oh! I almost forgot that along with that old or maybe new American aliment "paranoia".