What is the correct % of water and bleach to sanitize the water lines ?
I want to get it right this year, so I do not taste bleach for a month .
I want to get it right this year, so I do not taste bleach for a month .
Sanitize water lines.
- Thread starter grumpypapa
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- mygrandrv
1/4 cup of bleach per 20 gallons of water in the holding tank and heater. Run it to the faucets until you smell bleach. Let it sit for 4-5 hours, and drain. Fill the holding tank and water heater with regular water and drain, 3 times. Then 1 cup of vinegar per 5 gallons of water in both the holding tank and water heater; run it out to the facets. Drive it around for a bit to agitate the water then let it sit for 24 hours. Drain and flush 3 times.
Edit: Ouch! I thought my memory was better than that... It's NOT 1/2 a cup for 5 gallons, it's 1/4 cup for 20 gallons... I corrected my post above. Here is the link I reference when I sanitize my system: https://www.sanidumps.com/sanitizervfreshwatersystem.php
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Since we are on well water at home - no chlorine, I always add 1 or 2 oz of bleach when I add water to fresh water tank. Only carry about 25 gallons of water in tank for flushing commode when traveling. We buy bottled spring water for drinking and cooking as some of city water at campsites it's that good. Last campground the city water had so much chlorine it had strong odor, ok for showers and washing dishes but not for drinking.
Thank you.
Also you have screens in your water system which need to be cleaned AFTER this process. ( some near the pumps, some in the faucets themselves. If you have any algae in your system the beach will k ok off the storage tank and flow through the pex to a screen. On our sailboat we have a similar stem. For me one step of the SOP every year in sanitization is to also check ALL the screens after shocking it.
There should be detailed instructions in your GD manual for your trailer. I use 2 cups regular Clorox bleach for my 50 gallon tank (including water heater) To get the bleach in I use the power fill setting and starting with an empty hose attached to the trailer I use a funnel to put the two cups into the hose, then connect to faucet and then use power fill to fill tank. Then use the pump to get it to all of the faucets/HWH, toilet outside shower, etc. I then power fill the tank to full again. You want it to sit for at least 12 hours. Then drain and use the city water setting to flush the system. Drain and refill the FW tank several times. Now fr the last step I dissolve a 2 cups of baking soda in a 5 gallon bucket (sanitized before use) and suck it into the fresh water tank using the pump. Then power fill to full and use pump to distribute through the system. Then fill tank again and let it set for a few hours. Then flush everything again. The baking soda helps remove the chlorine oder and taste.
Hope this helps
Got it ,never thought about the screens ,good idea,I did not know that
baking soda helped to break down the chlorine ,thanks a lot.
My manual is in the camper in storage,wanted to get started
on what I have to purchase to santize.
baking soda helped to break down the chlorine ,thanks a lot.
My manual is in the camper in storage,wanted to get started
on what I have to purchase to santize.
Canyonlight
Senior Member
As Keith referenced in his post #7 , manuals are also available on the GDRV website. Our 303 is stored indoors offsite over the winter and I have used the online manual for me and manuals for other models and years for other folks many times.
Here's the link - page down and you will find the manual for your 2016 (same as for my 2014) Reflection: https://www.granddesignrv.com/owner-support/owners-manuals
Dan
Thanks Dan >
It really helps,thank you.We really want to see and visit s/w colorado ,had a trip all planned to visit
the area in 2020 and the gov`t shut down the borders,oh well,still planning on the trip though.We are
about 2000 miles n/e of Cortez ....Brian
BTW - one can usually skip the vinegar step by:
1. Not overdosing. The usual Health Dept. standard is 1/8th cup per 15 gal. BUT - you have to let is soak for 6-8 hrs. It is permissible to go as high as 1/4 cup, to hit the 3 hrs GD recommends. But then flushing will take more water. Note too that GD recommends pre-diluting before putting in the tank, primarily to avoid skin irritation, less chance of damage to any rubber seals, and reduce bleaching possibilities if there is a spill. Just don't exceed that level.
2. NEVER use scented, gel, or other varieties marketed for use in home laundry. Use only plain, cheap, bleach. A jug that has been opened can be ineffective after a time. I usually buy a new quart every spring.
2. Yes, fill your previously empty water heater with the solution, too. Lots of nasty's like the warm safe environment.....(one source of the dreaded sulfur smelling hot water).
3. After time is up, pull the drain plug and drain the heater first, along with the rest of the system. Make sure to get everything drained - shower hoses, toilet, low points, outside hose connection points, etc. Close it all up, and just fill the heater. Drain just the heater again.
4. Then proceed with flushing the rest of the system. It won't take a lot, as it all has been pretty well drained off already.
BTW - the used bleach water is perfectly safe for driveways, grass, etc. It starts off about the same level as swimming pool water, and the bleach itself gets used up doing its job.
A strong bleach smell in a pool or out of your faucet is the result of combining with organics in the water - so it has done it's job. In a swimming pool, that actually means MORE bleach is needed to keep the concentration high enough to fight future contamination. So a strong smelling pool is actually still dirty! But for your faucet, not anything to worry about.
And...most "city water" is treated to ensure that the "bleach" (chorine) is pretty used up by the time it makes it to a tap. There may be a bit, depending on how far away from the treatment plant you are, but never enough to assume it will prevent things from growing by itself.
1. Not overdosing. The usual Health Dept. standard is 1/8th cup per 15 gal. BUT - you have to let is soak for 6-8 hrs. It is permissible to go as high as 1/4 cup, to hit the 3 hrs GD recommends. But then flushing will take more water. Note too that GD recommends pre-diluting before putting in the tank, primarily to avoid skin irritation, less chance of damage to any rubber seals, and reduce bleaching possibilities if there is a spill. Just don't exceed that level.
2. NEVER use scented, gel, or other varieties marketed for use in home laundry. Use only plain, cheap, bleach. A jug that has been opened can be ineffective after a time. I usually buy a new quart every spring.
2. Yes, fill your previously empty water heater with the solution, too. Lots of nasty's like the warm safe environment.....(one source of the dreaded sulfur smelling hot water).
3. After time is up, pull the drain plug and drain the heater first, along with the rest of the system. Make sure to get everything drained - shower hoses, toilet, low points, outside hose connection points, etc. Close it all up, and just fill the heater. Drain just the heater again.
4. Then proceed with flushing the rest of the system. It won't take a lot, as it all has been pretty well drained off already.
BTW - the used bleach water is perfectly safe for driveways, grass, etc. It starts off about the same level as swimming pool water, and the bleach itself gets used up doing its job.
A strong bleach smell in a pool or out of your faucet is the result of combining with organics in the water - so it has done it's job. In a swimming pool, that actually means MORE bleach is needed to keep the concentration high enough to fight future contamination. So a strong smelling pool is actually still dirty! But for your faucet, not anything to worry about.
And...most "city water" is treated to ensure that the "bleach" (chorine) is pretty used up by the time it makes it to a tap. There may be a bit, depending on how far away from the treatment plant you are, but never enough to assume it will prevent things from growing by itself.
FR8TFLYER
Senior Member
How do you get bleach into your fresh water tank. When filling my fresh water tank with water i use the power fill setting. Not sure how to get bleach to flow to the fresh water tank.
When winterizing all the lines i use a short homemade hose directly from the antifreeze container hooked up to the nautilus system and get it through every line with the pump pulling the antifreeze from the jug.
When winterizing all the lines i use a short homemade hose directly from the antifreeze container hooked up to the nautilus system and get it through every line with the pump pulling the antifreeze from the jug.
I put in the hose you power fill with. Fill tank say 1/3. turn off water and partially drain fill hose leaving the end connected to the trailer. Then use a funnel and fill you filling hose with the correct amount of bleach, reconnect and continue your power fill.
Sounds good. Also, another way would be to fill a bucket with the correct bleach to water ratio and use the siphon fill setting via the pump.
FR8TFLYER
Senior Member
Thanks. so I can power fill my fresh water tank with the pump from basically any water source?
Keebler
Senior Member
On a Solitude, there is a sanitize setting on the nautilus panel. This allows you to pump water from a bucket (i hold onto an empty antifeeze jug to "predilute" bleach as Sande005 mentioned above) into the freshwater tank. I would not want to "fill" the freshwater tank doing a gallon of water at a time, but yes, I can pump water from "any" source (one close enough for a short hose to connect) into my fresh tank.
NO Power fill does not use the pump, only city water pressure. If you us both the pump may be damaged. There is a separate setting to fill the water tank using the pump. Study the Nautilus manual.
+1 yes, on "Sanitize"
I keep some 5gal collapsible jugs and a 5' hose end in the rig. We have over 100g of waste but only 45 fresh. More water means staying out a lot longer!
fez111
Senior Member
One word of advice... Don't make our mistake. My wife always buys the "un-scented" bleach. That doesn't help determine when the pipes are full at all! DO NOT buy un-scented bleach!
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