Sanitizing with Vinegar

[Daren-n-Leah]

Question: Our 2500RL has been sitting for about a month since our last trip in 90+ degree heat. We are leaving for another trip in 10 days,,, In lieu of using the bleach method of sanitizing, I filled the fresh water tank and added a gallon of white vinegar.
My question is, will it hurt anything to leave this vinegar/water mixture in the tank for a couple weeks?
Thanks in advance!

 

[sande005]

No it won't do anything. Anything at all. You're diluting that already low strength acid with 51 gallons of water. Some studies showed that straight 8% vinegar (commercial strength) did reduce bacterial populations. But they note that 5% had very little effect. By diluting it in your tank, your strength is 0.5%. It may not even make the water taste different.
Just use the bleach method if you want to sanitize the system.

 

[finz04]

The owner’s manual recommends a vinegar solution to remove excessive chlorine taste or smell after sanitizing. But I’ve never heard of sanitizing with vinegar.

 

[Daren-n-Leah]

No it won't do anything. Anything at all. You're diluting that already low strength acid with 51 gallons of water. Some studies showed that straight 8% vinegar (commercial strength) did reduce bacterial populations. But they note that 5% had very little effect. By diluting it in your tank, your strength is 0.5%. It may not even make the water taste different.
Just use the bleach method if you want to sanitize the system.

Thank you! I didn't know... it was strong enough that when I ran it through the plumbing it 'fizzed' a little bit when it came out, kinda like peroxide.... and it's more just for my peace of mind... I just think about that damp tank sitting out there in that heat and the dampness stagnating or something... so I wanted to do something to make me feel better about it! lol Thanks for your response!

 

[Daren-n-Leah]

The owner’s manual recommends a vinegar solution to remove excessive chlorine taste or smell after sanitizing. But I’ve never heard of sanitizing with vinegar.

Vinegar and water has long been used as a household cleaner and it kills bacteria and mold... the two things I worry about growing in my fresh water tank with about 5 weeks or so between trips. Of course that mixture is usually a 1 to 1 ratio where my mixture here is close to 50 to 1... I have never heard of using it to sanitize a fresh water tank in a camper either,,, but I already did a bleach sanitizing a few months ago and I know bleach is harsh on stuff so I didn't want to use it again so quickly... I just wanted to make sure this vinegar/water mix won't damage anything if I leave it in there for a week or so... maybe I'm being overkill with it??
Thanks for responding!!

 

[Riverbug]

Vinegar and water has long been used as a household cleaner and it kills bacteria and mold... the two things I worry about growing in my fresh water tank with about 5 weeks or so between trips. Of course that mixture is usually a 1 to 1 ratio where my mixture here is close to 50 to 1... I have never heard of using it to sanitize a fresh water tank in a camper either,,, but I already did a bleach sanitizing a few months ago and I know bleach is harsh on stuff so I didn't want to use it again so quickly... I just wanted to make sure this vinegar/water mix won't damage anything if I leave it in there for a week or so... maybe I'm being overkill with it??
Thanks for responding!!

It kills some bacteria, but it is not a strong disinfectant. If you do not drink water from your tank, then bleach once per year and forget about it. If it makes you feel better use Vinegar in between. If you drink from the tank, definitely bleach once/year, then have a good filter (<.2 micron) on the cold water line at the kitchen sink is one relatively easy option.

 

[Daren-n-Leah]

It kills some bacteria, but it is not a strong disinfectant. If you do not drink water from your tank, then bleach once per year and forget about it. If it makes you feel better use Vinegar in between. If you drink from the tank, definitely bleach once/year, then have a good filter (<.2 micron) on the cold water line at the kitchen sink is one relatively easy option.

Yes, I already sanitized with bleach a couple months ago... just using this vinegar water between trips,,, and yes, probably just to make me feel better! lol.... What got me to thinking about it is we put up an above ground pool for our grandkids visiting a couple weeks ago, and after they left my wife unplugged the filter and within 2 days there was a green layer of algae on the floor of the pool and a slimy feeling film on the walls,,,, and I was just imagining that happening inside our fresh water tank while it sits there. If that could happen in the pool that had a running filter and chlorine in it in 2 days, imagine what could be growing on the walls of the freshwater tank in 5 weeks?
I'm just asking to be sure I'm not hurting any plumbing or anything else leaving the vinegar/water it in there....

 

[Hoopy Frood]

Yes, I already sanitized with bleach a couple months ago... just using this vinegar water between trips,,, and yes, probably just to make me feel better! lol.... What got me to thinking about it is we put up an above ground pool for our grandkids visiting a couple weeks ago, and after they left my wife unplugged the filter and within 2 days there was a green layer of algae on the floor of the pool and a slimy feeling film on the walls,,,, and I was just imagining that happening inside our fresh water tank while it sits there. If that could happen in the pool that had a running filter and chlorine in it in 2 days, imagine what could be growing on the walls of the freshwater tank in 5 weeks?
I'm just asking to be sure I'm not hurting any plumbing or anything else leaving the vinegar/water it in there....

Yeah, unplugging the filter is simply asking for the pool to grow algae. We have our inground pool pump/filter running 24/7 and the water stays drinking water clean. And that's with very little chlorine added. And it could happen in your fresh water tank, but I don't think a dilute mixture of vinegar will do much to stop it. Dilute bleach will take care of it, dilute vinegar, not so much.

 

[Scott'n'Wendy]

Hmmm. I haven't sanitized a trailer fresh water tank yet....and we do drink from it. Either nothing builds up in those tanks or we have good immune systems I guess.

 

[Daren-n-Leah]

Yeah, unplugging the filter is simply asking for the pool to grow algae. We have our inground pool pump/filter running 24/7 and the water stays drinking water clean. And that's with very little chlorine added. And it could happen in your fresh water tank, but I don't think a dilute mixture of vinegar will do much to stop it. Dilute bleach will take care of it, dilute vinegar, not so much.

Hey! I see you on here a lot and value your posts!! Not that I don't value everyone's!
Another question that popped in my head reading your response... I have a pretty new unit.. after I sanitized with bleach, my wife began findings what looked like fine crystalized stuff that scratched off into a powder in our ice cube trays that were filled from the fresh tank.... and she said showering from the fresh tank makes her hair feel different... is this from the bleach? Or could something else be going on? I used a little over 3/4 cup of bleach to the 50-something gallon fresh water tank....

 

[Daren-n-Leah]

Hmmm. I haven't sanitized a trailer fresh water tank yet....and we do drink from it. Either nothing builds up in those tanks or we have good immune systems I guess.

Lol!! I probably obsess about out tanks... all of them.... I probably spend half a day flushing black and grey tanks after every trip after I get home....

 

[Riverbug]

Hmmm. I haven't sanitized a trailer fresh water tank yet....and we do drink from it. Either nothing builds up in those tanks or we have good immune systems I guess.

While I agree that our bodies tolerate a lot when we don't know what's going into them. Once you know (or at least for me), it's hard to unknow. I cut a hole in the bottom of our fresh tank and installed a 3" drain so I can completely drain it. This was after I stuck an endoscope into ours to see how much water remained after draining it via the usual method and running the pump dry. I did a post on the topic last year. There is plenty of water that sits in there, and after installing the bottom drain, I realized there is also black algae or whatever it is in there. So, I sanitize and installed the <.2 micron filter at the kitchen sink cold water to make me feel better. We fill our Brita pitcher with that. And all water that enters our system runs through a dual cartridge filter at the inlet to boot. Probably not necessary to do all this, but as I said, once I knew I couldn't unknow.

 

[Hoopy Frood]

Hey! I see you on here a lot and value your posts!! Not that I don't value everyone's!
Another question that popped in my head reading your response... I have a pretty new unit.. after I sanitized with bleach, my wife began findings what looked like fine crystalized stuff that scratched off into a powder in our ice cube trays that were filled from the fresh tank.... and she said showering from the fresh tank makes her hair feel different... is this from the bleach? Or could something else be going on? I used a little over 3/4 cup of bleach to the 50-something gallon fresh water tank....

Are you at an RV park? Could it be the difference in the hardness of the water? Soft water can definitely make your hair feel different. I really can't see how that small amount of bleach can cause issues, but I'm no expert by any means. Not that it would explain the white power in the ice trays, but when was the last time you drained and flushed the hot water tank?

 

[Scott'n'Wendy]

I cut a hole in the bottom of our fresh tank and installed a 3" drain so I can completely drain it.

Ours had one from the factory.

 

[Riverbug]

Ours had one from the factory.

Nice. I hadn't seen any with that from the factory.

 

[sande005]

The powder may be hard water scale flaking off where it has accumulated in the system. Now that can be combated with vinegar! Just like descaling a coffee maker. However, I've got no recommendations as to how much for how long. It would explain the "fizzing" noted.

The good news in all of this is that most everything that will grow in our tanks is pretty harmless. Some people may be very sensitive (allergic) to mold. And the growing things can make the water taste bad. But it's not like getting food poisoning from salmonella, etc. As long as your water source is good, there almost never is any additional problem except smell/taste. Now if it is a polluted well next to a feedlot, or you pumped in lake water....

But yes, as a pool owner, I'm very aware of how fast things can grow. But we aren't usually dumping a lot of nutrients (phosphorus, dirt, etc) to feed things into our tanks. But if it has been longer than a week, I sanitize just before heading out....

 

[Daren-n-Leah]

Are you at an RV park? Could it be the difference in the hardness of the water? Soft water can definitely make your hair feel different. I really can't see how that small amount of bleach can cause issues, but I'm no expert by any means. Not that it would explain the white power in the ice trays, but when was the last time you drained and flushed the hot water tank?

You're probably right about the hard/soft water... we have a tankless hot water heater... I actually winterized twice this year because we made a couple trips in the winter,,, both times I pulled the plug at the hot water heater and flushed after when de-winterizing.... and the white stuff in the ice trays is only there in very small amounts... I myself may not have even noticed it if my wife hadn't pointed it out....

 

[Daren-n-Leah]

The powder may be hard water scale flaking off where it has accumulated in the system. Now that can be combated with vinegar! Just like descaling a coffee maker. However, I've got no recommendations as to how much for how long. It would explain the "fizzing" noted.

The good news in all of this is that most everything that will grow in our tanks is pretty harmless. Some people may be very sensitive (allergic) to mold. And the growing things can make the water taste bad. But it's not like getting food poisoning from salmonella, etc. As long as your water source is good, there almost never is any additional problem except smell/taste. Now if it is a polluted well next to a feedlot, or you pumped in lake water....

But yes, as a pool owner, I'm very aware of how fast things can grow. But we aren't usually dumping a lot of nutrients (phosphorus, dirt, etc) to feed things into our tanks. But if it has been longer than a week, I sanitize just before heading out....

HEY!! I'm going to go with hard water scale!! lol... didn't think of that but that is a definite possibility!

 

[Riverbug]

Ours had one from the factory.

Nice. I hadn't seen any with that from the factory.

I realized later that you are probably referring to the standard dump valve. That's where I was saying water sits in the tank after the usual drain methods. Because the dump valve sits higher than the bottom of the tank (think of the sag), it never is completely empty. I am able to dump a couple more gallons after adding an additional drain in the bottom center of the tank. So that water is just always there. It gets mixed obviously when you add water and drive around but after realizing the water was always there and seeing the black stuff in the bottom with my endoscope, I couldn't just let it be.

 

[Scott'n'Wendy]

Well, it's a 3" gate valve fitted to the bottom of the tank?