Sanitizing with Vinegar

[Riverbug]

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

It is fitted to the bottom of the tank, but toward one end or the other, not the bottom center where it sags. If you ever need to go into the belly you'll see what I'm talking about. I realized all this when I did some modifications to the overflow and added a shut off valve so I could top off the tank. I found a leak in outlet connection to the pump. When I pulled the connection out I happen to look inside the tank with my scope for whatever reason. That's what started me down the path...I would have been better off not looking.

 

[Scott'n'Wendy]

...I would have been better off not looking.

Ya know what they say.... 'ignorance is bliss'

 

[420CHem]

I use hydrogen peroxide solution. It doesn't hurt anything, you don't have any bleach or vinegar smell/taste afterward

 

[Riverbug]

I use hydrogen peroxide solution. It doesn't hurt anything, you don't have any bleach or vinegar smell/taste afterward

Now that never occurred to me. I buy sodium percarbonate powder for cleaning things like boat carpets, engines, cedar siding, laundry, etc.. But I never thought about using it in the fresh water system in place of bleach for sanitizing. It is said to kill mold, bacteria, etc., so no reason not to use it there from what I can find. And as you said, the huge benefit is that it has no smell and no corrosive additives. I'm going to give that a try next time. Thanks for the idea.
(I'm also going to try soaking my used water filters in a bucket of it just to see what it might do to clean them. Wonder if it would prolong the life? But not sure I'd do that vs replacing, maybe just a test for curiosity's sake.)

 

[sande005]

I use hydrogen peroxide solution. It doesn't hurt anything, you don't have any bleach or vinegar smell/taste afterward

I couldn't find much about using it for water systems, like RV's. Medical and industrial uses for it are many, and it can be effective. But - the usual recommended minimum strength is 3% or higher for effectiveness in shorter term surface contact (spraying/wiping on things, or soaking, to kill fast). There are a lot of people selling variations on it, but nothing neutral I could find about whether more dilute levels over a longer term (hours) can be as effective. At $21 per gallon on Amazon, loading a 50 gallon tank may be a bit pricey. And as I said, no source for how dilute one can go and still be effective.

At about 60 cents for the cost to treat an RV, bleach still seems to be the winner....

 

[Riverbug]

I couldn't find much about using it for water systems, like RV's. Medical and industrial uses for it are many, and it can be effective. But - the usual recommended minimum strength is 3% or higher for effectiveness in shorter term surface contact (spraying/wiping on things, or soaking, to kill fast). There are a lot of people selling variations on it, but nothing neutral I could find about whether more dilute levels over a longer term (hours) can be as effective. At $21 per gallon on Amazon, loading a 50 gallon tank may be a bit pricey. And as I said, no source for how dilute one can go and still be effective.

At about 60 cents for the cost to treat an RV, bleach still seems to be the winner....

A person is better off buying the powder form. Still not as cheap as bleach but lots cheaper than liquid.

 

[Hiking Girl]

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....

I'm no expert, but here are some thoughts.
My GD manual says a ratio of 1/4 bleach to 1 gallon of water for sanitizing. So I would assume your ratio was fine.
My other thought is this, what your wife is describing sounds like hard water. We have a well here at home. Before we bought a water softener, we experienced a similar buildup AND my hair took a beating.

I hope this helps.

 

[Daren-n-Leah]

I'm no expert, but here are some thoughts.
My GD manual says a ratio of 1/4 bleach to 1 gallon of water for sanitizing. So I would assume your ratio was fine.
My other thought is this, what your wife is describing sounds like hard water. We have a well here at home. Before we bought a water softener, we experienced a similar buildup AND my hair took a beating.

I hope this helps.

I am thinking you may be right... thank you!!!

 

[RV2600RB]

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.

Same here.
Rich

 

[Hiking Girl]

I am thinking you may be right... thank you!!!

You are welcome.