Cleaning and Product for Fresh Water Tank

Brent · Post by **Brent** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 5:55 pm

We've all used the Clorox, vinegar, baking soda, etc. methods for soaking the fresh water tank.

Over the years I've seen several products that open up the tank and allow a more through cleaning of the interior by hand. Here is a website I found - not meaning this to be the best product, but just an idea of the concept. http://www.aquasaverbypjbcompany.com/

Does anyone have experience with a product like this? I'm sure it is contingent on accessibility of the tank, fortunately mine is accessible from the top so risks of leaks should be minimal.

Many don't consider drinking from the fresh water tank an option so it's not a concern - but some of us want that option and still want clean water.

Thanks
Brent

al1florida · Post by **al1florida** » Fri Dec 14, 2012 8:17 pm

I think the company selling this system is hyping something that has NO affect on our health.

I do believe the fresh water system should be sanitized before use, but I don't believe you need to cut into your tank and clean it like that company advocates.

In houses 20-40 years old I have removed faucets from the piping in the wall and when looking inside, I have seen buildup of gunk and stuff in the pipe in the wall. If I see that stuff in the house piping what about the city water supply lines? I would think they look like the pipes in the house. I don't see anyone advocating tearing up all these pipes to clean them. Nor have I ever heard of people getting sick from pipes not being cleaned because they have been used for some number of years. People do get sick from contaminates in the water, but that doesn't happen because the pipes have not been cleaned after being used for years and years.

There is always the option of using bottled water to drink and cook with. However bottled water is not inspected, as is public water sources are. So you are dependent "trusting" the bottler to keep the water and bottles clean.

Anyways those are my thoughts.

Dallas Baillio · Post by **Dallas Baillio** » Fri Dec 14, 2012 8:30 pm

I was unaware that many people do not drink the water from their fresh water tank. I started camping in 1973 and have always drunk, brushed my teeth, etc. with water from my fresh water tanks. I've filled my tanks from whatever source that had a "city water" faucet. I have not been affected by drinking from my fresh water tank unless you consider some of my posts to this website to be a bit off center.

If having a clean water tank is what reassures you of good water quality then this device may be the thing for you. Whatever "floats your boat" (pun intended)

bcope01 · Post by **bcope01** » Fri Dec 14, 2012 9:02 pm

My experiences are the same as Dallas.

Bill

lassen · Post by **lassen** » Fri Dec 14, 2012 9:25 pm

Dallas.......I'm with you. With our tank water, we drink it, brush our teeth, shower, and cook with it. We fill from campgrounds on rural water, city water, and private wells. We sanitize our system once a year with clorox.

Our coach has been to Mexico twice and contaminated with Mexican water that we did not use for drinking, tooth brushing, or cooking. Each time upon returning we sanitized the system with clorox. And no, we don't use any filter system, but used bottled water in Mexico.

whemme · Post by **whemme** » Fri Dec 14, 2012 11:17 pm

Going on now for 13 years owning two different BF coaches, we drink water out of our fresh water tank. After each trip however, we drain this tank and then refill it full adding 8 oz of Clorox and let it stand for 1/2 hour and then drain the tank. This sanitizes the tank to our satisfaction.

We also drain and fill the gray and black water tanks and treat them with Clorox and then drain them again in the same manner after every trip.

shilohdad · Post by **shilohdad** » Sat Dec 15, 2012 7:39 am

OK, we'll add to the chorus. We do pretty much what Bill Hemme does and have never had any problems related to drinking water from our tank. We do use a Brita filter pitcher for drinking water, but that is only to remove bad tastes.

Mike Jean Bandfield · Sat Dec 15, 2012 11:15 am

The Lance slide-in we had before the BF had a 50 Gal tank that had an air vent in the tank's enclosure to allow warm air to circulate around the tank. It also allowed enough light to get to the tank that it would grow 'stuff' if it weren't cloroxed and drained frequently. I had to remove the tank twice and put rags in thru the fill port and agitate like mad to remove the scum. At that time I was considering cutting one of those access ports. The first couple of years it was a worry until I put a black fabric shade behind the vent. In the camper we would sanitize every fill and empty the tank and store with bleach added when returning home. In the BF we sanitize each Spring and often have water in the tank for a couple of months at a time. We do trust the water from our own well more than campground sources. We might have germs in our well water but they are our germs.

Mike

Dallas Baillio · Post by **Dallas Baillio** » Sat Dec 15, 2012 11:25 am

This issue got me thinking (not necessarily a good thing) about water purification. I was stationed with the USAF in Japan from 1967 to 1970. We lived off base in Japanese housing with Japanese water. We were told to add Clorox to our water when washing fruits and vegetables, including those purchased on base as they were locally grown. I expect that one could add clorine to a fresh water tank as precautionary step if one was concerned about water purity.

Here are a couple of links I found. You can find plenty of info on the subject with a quick search. I'll add that from the little I read it appears that adding chlorine is not as foolproof as boiling the water. Perhaps a RV manufacturer will build a metal tank with a propane boiling apparatus.

http://firstaid.about.com/od/emergencyp ... _Water.htm

http://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Emerg ... ation.aspx

William Higbie · Post by **William Higbie** » Sat Dec 15, 2012 12:13 pm

We dont drink the water from our storage tank. When we are camping we get 1 gallon jugs of drinking water from a source like Walmart. We do use the water in our tank or water from the campground for showering, cooking and washing dishes. We only use it for cooking if it will be heated to a high temp as a result of cooking. One never knows the quality of water from a campground, however the odds of bad water in a campground are pretty slim. If you saw the insides of the pipes that bring municipal water to your home you would never drink the water. However even drinking bottled water is no guarantee of water quality since you dont know what testing went on or what is the source of their water. I have never gotten sick drinking water from unknown sources, so my fear is probably irrational. We go to restaurants and drink their water and have never become ill, and who knows the source of their water.

I suspect that worrying about water quality is more detrimental to your health than drinking water at campgrounds.

bcope01 · Post by **bcope01** » Sat Dec 15, 2012 3:03 pm

Dallas Baillio wrote:This issue got me thinking (not necessarily a good thing) about water purification. I was stationed with the USAF in Japan from 1967 to 1970. We lived off base in Japanese housing with Japanese water. We were told to add Clorox to our water when washing fruits and vegetables, including those purchased on base as they were locally grown.

Ah, reminds me of the days in the early 1950s while living in Japan and the use of "honey buckets" for transporting "night soil" used in crop fertilization was still prevalent. You'd really want to make sure locally grown produce was washed well....or avoided.

Bill

Brent · Post by **Brent** » Sun Dec 16, 2012 6:49 pm

Thanks for the responses.

I'm not sure if access to the inside of the tank is necessary, however since many appliances accumulate a build up of sediment or mold from water storage/use over time it does seem logical that there would be the risk of a similar build up in the RV tank too.

After the typical Clorox rinse I've used a vinegar solution to break out sediment, which may be adequate. However it would be interesting to see the tank interior.

Happy Holidays everyone.

Brent

stevek · Post by **stevek** » Sun Dec 16, 2012 11:34 pm

My humble opinion and being new to RVing and all..
seems like for the $88 price would be interesting to try.
Sure wouldn't hurt.
Thanks for the link.
I am thinking about installing one.

Or does anyone see a downside,
by cutting such a large hole in the tank?
Such as possible leaks? etc?

mockturtle · Post by **mockturtle** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 12:52 am

shilohdad wrote:OK, we'll add to the chorus. We do pretty much what Bill Hemme does and have never had any problems related to drinking water from our tank. We do use a Brita filter pitcher for drinking water, but that is only to remove bad tastes.

X2

Mike Astley · Post by **Mike Astley** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 8:58 am

The first few years I RV'd I used those low cost in-line-with-the hose carbon filters. Then I realized I was screening out the chlorine that towns put in their water so I began adding a small amount of chlorine with each fill (with some resulting spots to clothes). Then I thought why am I screening out the chlorine and adding it back in, this seems a little crazy so I found an inline screen filter to use when filling so that the chlorinated water goes on through.

All that is to keep some chlorine in the tank to keep it from getting mucked up with crud. However we still use bottle water to drink and brush our teeth. I remain a little concerned drinking tank water and unknown sourced campground water, more so probably as I have had a transplant and so am on immune suppressants. Don't need to tempt fate more than necessary.