dewinterizing and sanitizing... hydrogen peroxide or bleach for fresh water tank??

**mrffrank440** · 04-14-2021, 08:17 AM

Originally Posted by sande005

I wish I had a way to pump the sanitizing water into my hose. Also wish I had a better way to put the chlorine into the RV fresh tank than by using a funnel in the gravity fill port....

I saw a youtube video where a person poured the bleach into the hose FIRST, placed it in the water port, then put the water on. This person put in a few gallons into the tank before doing this. I am going to try this next week when I sanitize my fresh water tank (1st time), but I will try to get all the water out before trying this.

Keeping with the water topic; we also have an external water filter, but also bring along our Britta. I am still going to test the water just my own info.

Lastly, I know this is probably a silly question, but being a newbie I hope I can get away with a potentially "stupid" question.... Is it safe or putting too much of a strain on the water pump if I use more than one faucet at a time? While de-winterizing my rig yesterday, I was doing one at a time, but was in a bit of a rush and put the kitchen (cold) and the bathroom (cold) on at the same time. It did it, but I could hear the water pump "strain" which concerned me. I did not continue doing this pending the wisdom from this forum. My first thought was that it is OK, but what says you all?

Mitch Frank
22MLE

**geotex1** · 04-14-2021, 09:52 AM

Originally Posted by sande005

I wish I had a way to pump the sanitizing water into my hose. Also wish I had a better way to put the chlorine into the RV fresh tank than by using a funnel in the gravity fill port....
(This on an Imagine 2670MK with the non-nautilus control panel)

Has anyone seen a fitting that can plug into the outside spray port, and then connect a hose? That would fix the first issue for me.

I use nothing more than an RV water pump I made portable. Vinyl tube for suction line and delivery line and then barb to garden hose adapter clamped to the end. I pre-dilute bleach with a few gallons of water in a dedicated pail and pump in. You can do this with the gravity port minus the garden hose adapter or get a garden hose to gravity port adapter (they make them). I've had this pump setup for the past 5 campers and used gravity fill, direct plumbed port and Nautilus configurations. Makes it easy.

**LV Naturist** · 04-14-2021, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by geotex1

Unless you have access to lab-grade hydrogen peroxide, it does not make sense to shock the water heater with it. What you smell is hydrogen sulfide vapor produced from sulfate-reducing bacteria, and you receive this from well water (disinfection processes of public water supply kill the bacteria) which is something we know well having well water. One thing that was incorrect advice - does not matter if your anode is all-aluminum or magnesium-aluminum when either corrodes the reaction with the sulfates in the water ensues. If you can find a zinc anode rod, that is the ticket and they are out there for RV water heaters but generally an order-in affair.

The bacteria is killed readily with chlorine. In fact, the pro shock process is to use chlorine, but hydrogen peroxide works but if you cannot lay hands on industrial (i.e., 90%+) strength you my find it ineffective because household strength goes to water quickly as the other Rob pointed out.

If you are not full-timing and constantly running water through your freshwater system, the best piece of advice I can share to maintain freshness is that when you get home from every trip, flush ALL of your freshwater system with water of known quality. FWIW, many States offer free yearly testing, or testing at a small fee, of your home's water.

You may be correct in that I used a zinc rod instead of a magnesium rod, hence the "(?)" after magnesium in my original response. Sometimes I have CRS moments. As far as the hydrogen peroxide shock goes, IDK. Maybe it's one of those clashes between academia and real world(?) because it worked. Also, we're very careful not to use well water and I don't recall any CG we visited that did. One other tidbit about household hydrogen peroxide not really related to the topic, I wonder just how "quickly" it turns to water. An auto detailer once told me of a trick he uses. He mixes 50/50 hydrogen peroxide and water and sprays it on the bug juice on the front of cars. Within seconds, the bug juice literally wipes off, no scrubbing. I've tried this and it works wonders. I've kept a bottle of this in my garage for up to a couple of weeks and it was still effective. YMMV.

Happy camping!!!

John

**geotex1** · 04-14-2021, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by LV Naturist

You may be correct in that I used a zinc rod instead of a magnesium rod, hence the "(?)" after magnesium in my original response. Sometimes I have CRS moments. As far as the hydrogen peroxide shock goes, IDK. Maybe it's one of those clashes between academia and real world(?) because it worked. Also, we're very careful not to use well water and I don't recall any CG we visited that did. One other tidbit about household hydrogen peroxide not really related to the topic, I wonder just how "quickly" it turns to water. An auto detailer once told me of a trick he uses. He mixes 50/50 hydrogen peroxide and water and sprays it on the bug juice on the front of cars. Within seconds, the bug juice literally wipes off, no scrubbing. I've tried this and it works wonders. I've kept a bottle of this in my garage for up to a couple of weeks and it was still effective. YMMV.

Happy camping!!!

John

John, wasn't picking, just tweaking for the benefit of those seeking advice. Also, I have no doubt it worked for you on a little water heater and probably a very mild case - the thing that really did it for you was tossing out the affected rod. I wager you could have done that and it have been sufficient in your case (i.e., food source gone, no further propagation).

As for hydrogen peroxide bug removal - this is classic biker and cruiser trick and you actually want it very dilute to avoid the spotting it will cause otherwise, especially if you use carnuba-based waxed on your baby! I have a prepped bottle in the truck with 5-6 microfibers every summer cruise night. It is actually the reaction of the atomized H202 with air bubbles loose the spatter! This is why the trick does not work nearly as well without the spray bottle. If you're doing a big area or densely smattered area like an RV nose cap, try a damp microfiber, healthy dose of baking soda with enough water added to make it pasty, and then wipe the bugs away! The superfine polishing action of the baking soda will strip even the driest of the dried-on bug splatter! Low-buck performance equivalent to claying.

**Ynot4me2** · 04-14-2021, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by geotex1

For sterilizing, the recommended dilution ratio is 1/4c bleach to 15 gallons of fresh water capacity.

We also do not drink campground water, but this is because Nikki has blood pressure regulation issues and you can never know what the CG is doing to its water - softening can add a lot of sodium. I installed a drinking water tap in the kitchen that is fed by water cooler sized bottles in the basement storage and we bring our own, known water that way. Easier than gallon containers and right there for a glass, fill the ice tray, coffeemaker, etc.

We also do something similar for drinking water and cooking. We have really hard water at home and use a water softener. So we got use to using store bought (delivered) water. We bring along some 5 gallon bottles which I then transfer to 1/2 gallon jugs for easier storage and use. It's just something we got used to.

**Petrovsky** · 04-14-2021, 06:29 PM

Use bleach (3% sodium hypochlorite) in recommended concentration. Flush system. Some residual bleach in PPM won't hurt you. You can sanitize your hoses with same solution. Cap hose ends to each other and swirl. Flush afterwards.

H2O2 (Hydrogen peroxide is more unstable and to achieve the correct concentrations would cost too much). Bleach is available pretty much anywhere so if your on the road, pretty much at hand versus peroxide.

**sande005** · 04-16-2021, 07:42 AM

Originally Posted by sande005

I wish I had a way to pump the sanitizing water into my hose. Also wish I had a better way to put the chlorine into the RV fresh tank than by using a funnel in the gravity fill port....
(This on an Imagine 2670MK with the non-nautilus control panel)

Has anyone seen a fitting that can plug into the outside spray port, and then connect a hose? That would fix the first issue for me.

Thanks all for the ideas. The big slap to the forehead was the note to use the existing spray port hose. Duh! Never considered the supplied sprayer used standard hose fittings, and I could use that to pump bleach water into all the connected hoses.
I also found a 2 gal watering can with a really long spout at the local hardware store. Works much better than the hose and funnel kludge I had been using to put the premix into the tank.

**deerislandbrew** · 04-27-2021, 03:08 PM

So I have to say that Bleach for sanitizing is just nasty stuff. I am a Brewer of Beer, and also a cider maker. In the brew house, We always sanitize everything that beer comes into contact with. You will ruin your finished product without sanitation period. Brewers never use Bleach when there is much better products out there. There are two products that Homebrewers use that are readily available to anyone.
1. BTF Idaphor. This is basically a derivative of Iodine.

EPA approved sanitizer
Organic soil tolerance
Effectiveness over a wide range of bacterial, viral, and other micro-organic contaminants

Dilution rates:
1 ounce of BTF Sanitizer to 5 gallons water = 25 ppm
2 ounces of BTF Sanitizer to 5 gallons water = 50 ppm
I go with a 25 PPM at the most usually. In your fresh water tank, Say at 40 gallons capacity, You could put 4 oz of Idaphor that equals a 20 gallon rate and drive frome one location to another. Maybe your last trip before winterizing? the Sanitized water would slosh around in your tank and sanitize the interior nicely. Saves on sanitizer. Run all faucets and when the amber color appears, all your lines are sanitized. Only takes ONE minute to sanitize. Dump your tank completely and put fresh water in. Then flush your lines with fresh water and your good to go. Idaphor is also a no rinse product. In the brew house I just drain and drip dry the equipment , then use. This will leave no nasty after taste or require repeated rinse. IT is NOT a anti freeze However! only a sanitizer. You can always completely fill your fresh water tank, sanitize lines and dump, using the correct ratio and not have to leave your driveway.

2. Star San. high foaming sanitizer. Another brew house favorite. This is used similar to Idaphor and is no rinse. It is colorless. I prefer the amber color of Idaphor due to ease of seeing that when it is flowing and still effective, I see the nice Amber color, I know its working and present. However, If any family member has allergic reactions to iodine, Go with Star San. Both are great products.

Both products available on Amazon or at your local Homebrew supply shop. Great sanitizer for the kitchen as well. Dump the Bleach in your toilet, Not your fresh water Tank!