How To Sanitize an RV Water System

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Updated! We show you how to thoroughly sanitize both hot and cold sides of your RV's fresh water system.
Don't have a winterizing kit? No problem! Here's the trick we use:
• Sanitize Your RV's Fre...
Want to sanitize the cold water side only? Here's how:
• HOW TO: Sanitize an RV...
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We've been drinking the water from our RV's fresh water tank for over a decade without a problem. It's perfectly safe to do, as long as you sanitize your fresh water system periodically. We do ours about twice a year (keep in mind that we're full-timers... those who store their RV all winter should be fine sanitizing once a year, in the spring).
Clean, safe, sanitary drinking water is a breeze when you take a few basic steps to manage the fresh water system on your motorhome, travel trailer of fifth wheel. Fresh, drinkable, potable H2O doesn't only come from bottled water, but right from your RV's tank, saving money and plastic in the process.
We'll show you how to use bleach (standard, liquid household bleach... not gel, and not scented) to kill any bacteria that may be present in your camper's water system, and have all the safe drinking water you need.
If you saw the first video we made on this topic over two years ago, we only sanitized the cold water lines. That's because the primary purpose of sanitizing is to make the water safe to drink. Since a lot of people asked about sanitizing the hot side of the system as well, we're going to do both hot and cold sides today.
You can see the original video here: • HOW TO: Sanitize an RV...
If at all possible, the deal time to do this is on a day when you're planning to take a long drive, preferably down some pretty twisty roads. This will agitate the water in the tank, helping to clean it as you drive, and make sure the top of the tank gets splashed too.
Since we'll be doing some tank flushing as part of the process, your trip should ideally take you from one full hook-up RV park to another one, neither of which should have drought or water use restrictions.
It's particularly important to end your drive at an RV park with water hook-ups, since you'll be arriving with a tank full of bleachy water.
The only supplies we'll need for this job are some bleach, a 1-gallon pitcher and an old measuring cup.
The piano music is my own performance of Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag from 1899.
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Many RVers are eager to learn more about using, maintaining and caring for their rigs. We hope our experience can help others go DIY, saving time & money, plus the satisfaction of a job well done.
We're handy RVers, not professional technicians. We're happy with the techniques and products we use, but be sure to confirm that all methods and materials you use are compatible with your equipment and abilities. Regardless of what we recommend, consult a professional if you're unsure about working on your RV. Any task you perform or product you purchase based on any information we provide is strictly at your own risk.
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5 дек 2013

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Комментарии : 308

@pbcoupons 10 лет назад

Thank you for this video. We are newer to RVing and used this last year to sanitize our on board water and again this year. Love your updates! Regards

@JodyRaines 9 лет назад

Thank you for this valuable information. Its great to have the video to follow before attempting this by myself...

@jennifergordon80 10 лет назад

thank you so much my husband and I are planning on getting into the "fulltime" RV living. We both have learned so much from your videos. Thank you for taking the time to show us how to pretty much EVERYTHING possible you might need to do in or on an RV. Your videos are the best. Thanks from Rosedale MD!

@RVgeeks 10 лет назад

Thank you so much Jennifer! It's so great to hear that our videos are helping people joining the RV community. Best of luck full-timing. We love it! Hope to see you on the road. :)

@david1tek 8 лет назад

Great information as always guys!! You have the best RV how to videos out there! We made a modification to the process by installing a press-fit connector on the end of the low point pex tube and another fitting to fit the inside diameter of a cheap garden hose. Since it is low pressure no need for a hose clamp. I just pull the hose off when we are done. Then we can drain directly into the sewer drain as opposed to having to run the pump through the grey tank and then purge. Thanx for all the great videos!

@RVgeeks 8 лет назад

+david1tek Thanks for the great additional tip David!

@Mr_brut3 5 лет назад

Thanks 🙏 I need to do this since we probably use our travel trailer a few times a year .

@LilHouseOnTheHighwayRV 9 лет назад

Great info. I've referenced this video a few times. Thank you.

@georgefenrich4119 5 лет назад

I missed the part where I was to Stand on One foot and hop around... Great info, I'll have to watch (listen) to it 3-4 more times.

@inspired2rv661 3 года назад

Well I actually did have to stand on 1 foot and hop around, on top of a towel to soak up all the water that leaked out because I was confused about the size of my great age compared to my freshwater tank.😂. It’s so important to know the actual size of your tanks. Because the little LED screen on my system indicator brings everything up to 100 I assumed they were all 100 gallons but apparently it’s just a percentage. After six months of having this RV I never noticed that!

@dabish2888 5 лет назад

PSA - Be careful traveling down the road with a full fresh water tank. It's one thing to ask the tank straps to hold a full tank while stationary. It's another thing going down the road with all the potholes, twists and turns we encounter. Many rigs' tanks are simply not properly strapped. This was so with my last TT. Ensure that the mfg recommends this before you lose a tank on the road. Remember that water weighs 8.34 lbs per gallon. My 70 lb. FW tank, when filled, is 583 lbs. That's a lot of stress on those straps. Be 100% sure they're designed for that load before trying this. I carry some water in my Open Range 5er, but no more than half full. There's usually a water source near your destination, and you can always carry an extra water tank in the bed of your TV.

@gbowman7344 9 лет назад

Great video, thanks for posting

@MrFulenwider 10 лет назад

Well done. Very informative.

@eleigey 10 лет назад

Another great video thanks for sharing

@VanlifewithAlan 10 лет назад

I also believe it to be very important to keep only drinking water in the system, however sometimes it is just not possible. I keep separate containers for drinking water and use the van's water tank only when essential.

@richierich4702 4 года назад

Got it, thanks. Good online session this evening. I used vinegar instead of bleach to clean out the hot water tank, but once you told me about the smell being bacteria in the hot water tank, then I have to try it again with bleach. That smell can get bad when washing dishes. Appreciate everything:-)

@RVgeeks 4 года назад

No worries, Richie! Vinegar is what you need to clear out the limescale that builds up... but it won't kill the nasties that create that sulphur smell (YUCK!). Bleach SHOULD do it for you... but if you're using the same water source, it's likely coming from there and will build up again over time (if it's not just an issue with the supply water itself to begin with). Let us know how you make out!

@rhess10 5 лет назад

My wife and I are purchasing a DP from my parents. I'm going to sanitize the system in 2 days. Mom thought it was a good idea. Thanks for this and all your other great vids. Hope to see you out on the road someday. Love to shake your hand and thank you in person. #momapproved

@CT9905. 3 года назад

Great information, thank you.

@troydavis1064 3 года назад

Great video and instructions as usual geeks!

@charleswhitehouse1395 Год назад

thanks for making this video. helped me!

@nikkiwynn2422 10 лет назад

peter, you are getting so good!!! loved the clear audio, music and i noticed that rack focus too! oh, and of course awesome job covering how to sanitize the water system.

@RVgeeks 10 лет назад

Thanks Nikki! Especially for noticing the rack focus. Every little tweak helps!

@416asshole 6 лет назад

this video is a life saver!

@Tipperary757 Год назад

Very helpful. Am flying with no detailed manual for a 2000 RV. Frustrating. This vid was helpful!

@joeyjetson4362 9 лет назад

We prefer to Sanitize both the hot and cold site. Figure on when washing and especially rinsing dishes and glassware we like to feel that the water has a better chance of being Sanitized. Thanks for the info and all the video's.

@Zemerald1 5 лет назад

No germs can survive the prolonged extreme heat created in your hot water tank. i.e. It has already been sanitized naturally.

@ddthompson42 7 лет назад

Love the visual coming down into YV on Old Woman Springs Road. Man, I miss the desert!!

@RVgeeks 7 лет назад

+Derek Thompson Love that you recognized it, Derek! We miss the Desert when we're away from it, too!

@ddthompson42 7 лет назад

We lived in 29 Palms for a few years but moved to the east coast a little over a year ago. I plan to make it back that way and retire to Palm Springs when the time comes!

@erinjwolfe Год назад

Thanks so much! Great info here!

@Johnson13210 5 лет назад

I always buy jug water, I never drink out of the freshwater tank, many tank designs are extremely difficult to santize, washing and for the toilet is all I use it for.

@nealdavis350 8 лет назад

Thank you for the excellent, extremely useful information. Between you, the Wynns, Technomadia, and Josh and Kali, my transition to non-RVer to RVer 13 months from now may go smoothly. If it doesn't, then it's certainly no one's fault but mine. :-) Thank you again!

@lolal1026 6 лет назад

Neal Davis

@richpickard1680 3 года назад

Great video

@jonathanlitz2018 5 лет назад

I have a camper after winter I will sanitize the tank but first I will remove antifreeze from all sinks shower also toilet. After I will close the hot water heater tank cause my RV inspector did say sanitizing both cold and hot water will require to close the hot water heater bypass

@rippy4freedom499 10 лет назад

Well done... Maybe the bleachy water can be gathered below for cleaning outdoor gear after summer use.

@Cleevus 10 лет назад

great idea

@benwatters9240 4 года назад

I always refer back to this video before sanitizing my tanks, great refresher. You mentioned you turn off your ice maker. Wouldn't you be worried that the water line going to the ice maker could contain bacteria? I am off to sanitize my mh tomorrow and the ice maker is the big blocker for doing a fast job, or easy job. This will be one more of many times in the past I have done this but I don't remember doing the ice maker in the past. Thanks for all the great videos!

@RVgeeks 4 года назад

Hi Ben! Thanks for the nice comment, and great question. You could absolutely include the ice maker in your sanitizing routine, but if there's a carbon filter in that line (which we have on our fridge), best to remove it first. The reason we don't bother with the ice maker is because when we sanitize, we take the opportunity to toss out any old ice anyway, and then toss the first few batches of new ice, too, basically flushing out the line with freshly sanitized water. In reality, it's the water sitting in the fresh tank that is the most important water to get bleached, and we just do the water lines in the rest of the RV while we're at it. definitely can't hurt to do the ice maker, but we don't think it's worth the trouble, and we've never had a problem.

@rogerdickinson920 4 месяца назад

No worries. I also run a jobsite mobile treatment unit that also has a wash basin. I pulled the sink panel off to check things out. There was a mouse house as well as a ‘clear’ water hose from the storage unit that was grey going black. So I replaced it

@CORYJOHNM 9 лет назад

Good vid thanks.

@proehm 5 лет назад

Vinegar works well too and isn't toxic.

@LivetheNomadicLife 3 года назад

If we must leave the bleach water in the system longer than 8 hours (due to a much longer drive), is that ok or do we need to be concerned if it's left in for such a long period? Thank you for this video! Always love learning from you guys!

@RVgeeks 3 года назад

No worries at all! It’s such a low concentration that it won’t harm anything. The reason we talk about eight hours is to make sure it’s in there long enough to do its job. But longer periods of time won’t harm anything. Safe travels!

@TAEKWONDO2012KEUP 9 лет назад

Great tip

@eharris6347 6 лет назад

Wow , you are a show stopper

@v2joecr 8 лет назад

With the type of faucets you had in the RV you were using the hot and cold water will mix so closing water to the water heater was a good idea. You either need valves that you turn off at each faucet, 1 way valves, or to turn the water off to the water heater as you did.

@treckiechik101 7 лет назад

v2joecr i

@anaism18 10 лет назад

This is completely off subject but I needed to ask. we are connecting a hundred pound propane tank in our suburban mobile trailer ,there is already two tanks connected can we just remove one of the hoses and connect it to the new one? or do we need a whole new connection ? The other tanks are smaller abd located in front of rv... we are trying to live here so we need bigger tank.. also once connected is there anything else we need to do for it to start?

@Daz555Daz 5 лет назад

I use a mixture of water and white/clear vinegar to sterilise my water system. Vinegar is food safe and also helps with limescale.

@RVgeeks 5 лет назад

Just be aware that you need a fairly high concentration of vinegar to achieve the same goal. Standard, store bought vinegar is only a 5% solution... which is only about 80% effective as a disinfectant. Mixing that with water and you're reducing that effectiveness even further.

@brianleonard6885 4 года назад

Bravo

@jcherokee 9 лет назад

I have access to my parents Flair Class A that has been stored in an inclosed steel garage with concrete floor for three years. It was winterized well, temps where it is stored are 80's in the summer and 40's to below freezing during the winter. How well do you think this process would sanitize the fresh water tank? I don't have access to the manuals so I haven't been able to review the manufacturers recommendations yet. It will most likely be spring 2016 before I pull it out of storage so I'd also appreciate any insight you have on long term storage... As well as things I might want to take care of before this next winter is upon us...

@RVgeeks 9 лет назад

not in this lifetime This process will work for sanitizing any fresh water system on any RV. Follow these steps carefully and you can safely drink the water from the tank. Chances are good that a Flair has a gravity fill for the fresh water tank, which means it is even easier to add bleach to the tank that by using a winterizing kit... just dilute the correct amount of bleach into a gallon pitcher, and pour it in, using a funnel if needed. Then fill the tank with fresh water and follow the rest of the steps to sanitize the entire plumbing system. Nothing else should be needed to get the fresh water system ready for use.

@louf7178 5 лет назад

That is a Delta faucet (0:10) model series 172, 173, 174, 176, 178.

@Twisted_stitches_leather 9 лет назад

Be sure to use plain unscented bleach as well. The scented bleach has additives you don't want in your drinking water.

@teagar3 6 лет назад

Question, I purchased a 1997 5th wheel about 3 years ago, its permanently parked in a camping lot. I have never filled my 100 gallon fresh water tank as I use the city water hookup. I can us the tank side of the water pump to draw a solution of bleach & water into the water lines to empty out each faucet. Since I don't use the fresh water tank, do I need to sanitize it anyway? The thought of filling it with 100 gallons of water, and then dumping it, and then refilling it and dumping it again, just sounds like such a waste. What do you think?

@RVgeeks 6 лет назад

If you never drink from, or even use, the fresh water tank, we'd suggest that there's no reason to sanitize it. Actually, the primary purpose of sanitizing at all is because of the potential for things "growing" in the stagnant water that sits in the tank. The only reason we also sanitize the water lines is because once the bleach is in the tank, it's so easy to just turn on the faucets and bleach the entire system, right up to the faucets. There also may be some potential that using water from the tank could allow bacteria from there to get to the faucets, so we're being extra thorough due to the fact that we use water from the tank so often. But if the tank is NEVER used as a water source, your system is really no different than a regular "stick" house, with water from (what we assume is) a known safe source coming in fresh through the pipes 100% of the time. In that case, you probably don't need to sanitize anything at all. Of course if your drink the water, and want to be extra safe, you could go ahead and sanitize the water lines anyway. We're just not sure it's really needed in the situation you're describing. Hope this helps a bit!

@karenmxx7256 8 лет назад

+RVGeeks I am deciding on whether or not I want to get involved in building my own RV on a cab/chassis. I'm wondering, have you ever considered an overhead fresh water tank that generates it's own water pressure with gravity and/or air pressure?

@RVgeeks 8 лет назад

+Karen Mxx Sounds like an ambitious endeavor! I think the problem you might run into with that plan is the weight of the water so high up. They put the tanks in the basement to keep the center of gravity low to keep the vehicle stable and supporting heavy weight up high is probably a structural challenge, too. We like that you're thinking outside the box, but this might be just a little too different to be practical.

@ZSharkPH 8 лет назад

Thanks for the great info.. I'm going to flush my Xplorer out tomorrow :)

@carlseaver3439 4 года назад

Scrolled through all (I think) comments to see if this was answered. Sorry if I missed it, but I’m assuming you would want to run the dishwasher and washing machine briefly as well??? Also, should you let some water flow through the toilets as part of sanitizing all lines??? Thank you!

@RVgeeks 4 года назад

Hi Carl. We don't do any of the above. On the dishwasher & washing machine, you certainly could. Some might say you could risk the bleach damaging seals in either machine, but we think you should be OK (this isn't that high a bleach concentration). We haven't bothered doing them... because, honestly, the lines aren't that great a source of potential contamination. PEX plumbing lines are quite slippery... so it's not likely that much will grow in them. The tank is really the largest potential place for things to grow. As for the toilet(s)... since we use bacteriological/enzymatic tank treatment, we prefer not to put bleach in the black tank. But if you don't use that kind of tank treatment, by all means go ahead. Never hurts to be thorough! 😃

@yobabybubba 3 года назад

Thank you so much, great video. I came to the video after reading your blog. I have a few questions, if you don't mind. We are going for our 1st big trip in April. We live in New York and we're gonna head to Florida and back which will be a 25 day trip. What I want to do (and ask you if this is OK) is to de-winterize and sanitize the water system at home a day or 2 before even leaving to go to our 1st destination 3 hours away, and then emptying my freshwater tank and flushing the system finishing the sanitizing process at the 1st campground. So my questions are is it OK to leave all of the anti freeze and some bleach in my Gray tanks for those few days? And of course having the bleach in the system for a few days (more than the 8 hrs suggested)...is that too long? PS- Also my Gray tank holds 39 gallons so that shouldn't be a problem with how much is going into it before getting to my 1st camp ground, correct?

@RVgeeks 3 года назад

Hi Bubba, and welcome to our channel! So great to have you here with us. Congratulations on your upcoming big trip. You must be so excited. The answer to your questions is an all-around yes. You can indeed add bleach to the fresh water tank, and leave it there for several days without doing any harm. The concentration level is very low, and will not harm anything. And there is no problem with leaving the antifreeze that you have pumped out of the fresh water system in the gray tank, along with any bit of bleach that goes in as well. The only thing we recommend is that since you will be de-winterizing in New York, you make sure to keep your heat on until you get south into warmer climates if the temperature is forecast to be below freezing. That includes basement heat. Your 39 gallon tank should be fine to pump a little bit of antifreeze and a little bit of water into, and still have plenty of room for using it for a couple of days till you get to your first destination. Hope this helps and have a great trip!

@yobabybubba 3 года назад

@@RVgeeks Thank you so much. Very helpful. And I already subscribed to you guys a few months ago. You even answered a question or 2 of mine in the recent past. I just really appreciate how I stumbled upon your blog and it gave me the link to this video and I wanted to let you know that and I appreciate that. Thanks again.

@inspired2rv661 3 года назад

Thank you so much! Is it OK to leave the water that’s in the tank currently, that has been in there for several months, or should I drain it first and then fill it to halfway? Or does it matter?

@RVgeeks 3 года назад

You can leave it, since the bleach will sanitize the tank even with water that’s been sitting, and you’ll be flushing it out after bleaching anyway.

@inspired2rv661 3 года назад

Well for some reason it takes a really long time for my freshwater tank empty but I’m just running the Fossett. The other interesting thing is that my freshwater tank is bigger than my gray water tank apparently, while I was waiting for it to dry and I fell asleep and when I woke up and leapt out of bed, I noticed the floor was wet. Oops! Luckily it didn’t overflow for too long, a few towels on the floor solved the problem, but please don’t anyone do what I did and fall asleep while doing this. I had it set in my mind that my gray tank was the same size as my freshwater tank but that is not the case.

@RVgeeks 3 года назад

Glad you skirted a disaster! Gray tanks are almost always smaller than fresh tanks, so if running the faucet to drain the fresh tank (vs opening the low point drain), leaving the gray valve open at a full hook-up park is important. Glad you're okay.

@wonderingtimesllc7203 6 лет назад

Afterwards open all your low water point drains for best flush results.

@danm9290 4 года назад

Thanks for the great video! You mentioned that you can get thru 10 days on your 105 gallon tank for two people, which seems like very low usage. Can you provide some tips on how you got it down that low? Thanks!

@RVgeeks 4 года назад

Hi Dan! We can actually go about two weeks pretty comfortably. That’s with both of us showering every day, and cooking on board just about the entire time. One of the most important things is to reduce the water used when showering. Of course taking a navy shower is key, which means turning the water off while soaping up, but also running the hot water up into a pitcher rather than down the drain, and then using the water from the pitcher to flush the toilet. We are each able to take a thorough shower in less than 1 gallon of water. Also important is to use the least amount of water possible when washing dishes. That means drizzling it of course. While we don’t like to use paper products unnecessarily, when we know we’re going to be dry camping for more than 10 days, we go into what we call “Super Boondocking mode” which means using paper plates. We also tend to grill a lot, and make many one-dish meals, which reduces cleanup of pots and pans after dinner. While all this may sound like were suffering out there, it’s really not hard once you get used to it, and we don’t feel like we’re sacrificing at all. The benefit and freedom we get from being able to stay out for extended periods of time is absolutely worth it.

@danm9290 4 года назад

Thanks much! 1 gallon showers; impressive. I have a water miser that recirculates the hot water till it’s ready, but you guys really have it down pat. I have used paper or regular dishes but wiped them clean and done a quick rinse. I think I just have to be more disciplined. Have a great time in Italy!

@johnfitbyfaithnet 4 года назад

@@RVgeeks great tips thank you for sharing this important information listening from Brownwood Texas

@johnfitbyfaithnet 4 года назад

Subscribed!

@RVgeeks 4 года назад

Welcome John!

@45auto 6 лет назад

If you normally leave the gray tank valve closed like me, make sure to open it before you drain the holding tank by opening a faucet. If not, it will back up into your shower when the gray water tank is full. I'd rather not admit how I know that.

@cecilbailey3418 7 лет назад

I've owned 6 rv's with winterizing kits and none of them would put chemicals in the holding tank, the suction side of the pump is after the tank so how could bleach be put in the tank with the winterizing kjt? I've always had to disconnect the hose from the water source empty the fresh water hose fill it with measured amount of bleach turn on the tank fill valve reconnect the water hose to source and allow the bleach to enter the tank while being mixed with the water fill pressure. If you understand it different please reply we all learn from one another.

@RVgeeks 7 лет назад

Hi Cecil! Apparently, not all manufacturers plumb their winterizing kits the same as Newmar. We have a trick you can use that might be easier than the hose: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lEBscJ-qb98.html

@rvvanlife7077 9 лет назад

Hi RVG, Isn't there a kind of a supplement issue to this topic where an even less concentrated amount of bleach is used on an ongoing basis?; my water pump instructions [ as I thought I understood it ] said to always put in 5 drops of bleach to every 5 gal of water every time the tanks are filled ,maybe as a kind of way to keep contamination at bay, Iv'e always run across these 2 instructions but never both issues mentioned within the same material, Do you also do the 5 drops thing beyond the sanitizing?

@RVgeeks 9 лет назад

RV Van Life Hi RVVL! We're familiar with a procedure for adding a small amount of bleach to the tank when it gets filled from un-treated / non-cholrinated sources, such as well water. That's a "maintenance" level of bleach, vs a "sanitize" level of bleach. They you use carbon filters at the ice maker and sink to remove any chlorine before drinking. Honestly, we don't worry about it, and have never added a maintenance level of bleach in 12 years.... and we stay at LOTS of places where well water is used. We figure if people drink the water right out of the well without adding bleach, so can we. All we've ever done in all these years is fill the tank from any potable water source and sanitize twice a year. We always drink from the tank and have never once had a problem.

@rvvanlife7077 9 лет назад

Thank you very much for this info, finally someone has made this clear, appreciate it

@theknaryagency4013 6 лет назад

I have a Motor home with about a 100 gallon fresh water tank. Would you suggest leaving water in the fresh water tank during storage or have it empty during the winter months when not being used. Thanks!

@RVgeeks 6 лет назад

+The Knary Agency We’d empty it.

@theknaryagency4013 6 лет назад

Thank you!

@Florida_Man_Robb 4 года назад

1/4 cup bleach to 15 gallons of water is 960:1 ratio correct? Some people seem worried about bleach damage but this seems like a really safe level. I mean, the CDC recommends 5824:1 ratio for drinking water sanitation, so this is not a crazy amount of bleach.

@floatera2856 3 года назад

Do you sanitize the section of line in the rv from the city water hookup or just the line from the fresh water tank?

@RVgeeks 3 года назад

Good question, Floater. You CAN sanitize the fresh water hose if you have a way to get the bleach into it. But we generally don't worry about it and only sanitize the fresh tank and onboard lines. It's really the tank you're most worried about, since that's where the water stagnates the most.

@marvhein5024 3 года назад

Thanks! We do not have a gravity fill on our RV, but we do have a winterizing kit. Whenever we run out of fresh water while boondocking, we use your tip of flipping the winterize lever to "winterize" and the water fill lever to "fill" to pump fresh water from water cans into the fresh water tank. It saves having to use an external pump. (Sometimes we don't bother to refill the fresh tank and just use the cans as external tanks. Both methods work fine.)

@RVgeeks 3 года назад

Awesome!

@cgk.thankgod Год назад

Was wondering if this same paractice could be applied to well water softener tanks as also?

@RVgeeks Год назад

Not sure about that. I guess as long as you’re confident you can thoroughly rinse the bleach out afterward.

@inspired2rv661 9 месяцев назад

I need your help guys?After reading your article on water softeners, I want to get one. I host a primitive campground all winter in Arizona. They bring water to me in a 500 gallon tank on a trailer. I transfer the water to my RV using a submersible pump. It takes an hour to fill my 100 gallon on board tank. Will the low pressure affect this process if I use the softener in line from tank to RV or does it require a city water pressure? 🙏🏻💕🌻

@RVgeeks 9 месяцев назад

Our guess is that putting a water softener in line won’t have any effect on the process other than potentially requiring more than an hour to fill your hundred gallon tank, as it may slow down the flow rate. Because the pump is creating water pressure, we can’t imagine that city water pressure would also be required. One thing you might want to do before deciding on which water softener you buy is to check the specifications or contact the manufacturer to see if there is a minimum required water input pressure.

@inspired2rv661 9 месяцев назад

We are planning on going with the one you recommended in the article. I like that it’s made in America and it’s easy to maintain. But that’s great advice, I will give them a call before we place the order and confirm my expectations will be met Thank you so much guys ! So appreciate all you do to educate and make RV LIFE better! 🙏🏻💕

@curiousgeorge2193 3 года назад

What are your thoughts about the washing machine? Should that also be bypassed?

@RVgeeks 3 года назад

Not necessary, Michael. We don’t even think there’s a way that we could bypass our washing machine if we wanted to! And it can’t hurt to get a little bleach in those lines anyway. Just don’t have colored clothing in the machine at the time! 😂

@kcam04 9 лет назад

I recently bought an old class B rv from the 70s. I removed the fresh water tank and water pump. Is it okay to clean amid sanitize the old 30+ year old team or should I purchase a new one? I will be replacing all the water hoses throughout the rv. In mine there's only like 4.

@RVgeeks 9 лет назад

Hi Jeffree! If you've already gone to the trouble of removing the tank and pump, and you're going to be replacing the water hoses, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to replace the tank and pump, too. But if you don't want to spend the money unnecessarily, and the tank appears to be in very good condition and the pump still works, you could indeed sanitize them and reuse them. We'd suggest pricing out the new tank and pump and if it's not more expensive than you're comfortable with, then just go for it to have a pristine new system.

@homerlake480 6 лет назад

RVgeeks cm mmm

@VAMPIREBRIAN 2 года назад

bleach and white vinegar is great but to thoroughly sanitize your water system i use star san from my wine making kit its for food processing,dairies,restaurants,and bars....ect try it

@kellycouch3765 4 года назад

Hey there. we have a keystone sprinter and I dont see how or where to attach a winterizing kit. any advice? we need to get algae out of our tanks.

@RVgeeks 4 года назад

Hi Kelly! Maybe this will help? Sanitize Your RV's Fresh Water Tank - No Winterizing Kit Required! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lEBscJ-qb98.html

@jeffabbott5416 6 лет назад

I have a pop up with about two 2.5 gallon tanks they are both removable from the unit. One have black mold in it and the other is somewhat clean. Should I just pitch them out or try this technique? If so what is a good way know the water is safe to use?

@RVgeeks 6 лет назад

Black mold worries us. If you plan on drinking it, we'd replace them. Just our $0.02.

@jeffabbott5416 6 лет назад

Probably the best thing to do.

@chriscrory8322 10 лет назад

Our 5th Wheel trailer is parked in a place we go to only on weekends 6 months of the year and it never moves. (It has a snow roof to get through the winter months!) Anyway, any other ideas to get the "moving" action in the tank if we can't move the rig?

@RVgeeks 10 лет назад

Are you by any chance in California near a major fault line? lol Adding the bleach will just have to do, and it's no big deal, since the motion is just an added bonus anyway. Just leave the bleach in longer instead and you should be fine.

@chriscrory8322 10 лет назад

Funny! Not really close to a fault line. Ok. We'll go ahead and just go with the suggestions. I love your information. It's incredibly helpful!!!

@416asshole 6 лет назад

I have had my fresh tank empty with the drain, only after I pumped Antifreeze through the lines, its going on two years now with no use of the 5th wheel, last Sept we used it and the water was/is foul smelling and foul taste. When we drive everyday, its usually on full hook up at night, but I have been keeping only 20 gallons or so on the highway, just enough fresh to make ice water and bathroom use, not carry extra 100's of lbs water. with the fresh not ever full, is that part of the problem with the fresh? TIA.

@RVgeeks 6 лет назад

If your fresh water smells, you need a thorough draining and flushing (possibly more than one time). Draining the fresh tank at the low point drain may not drain all of the old water out (ours doesn't). After draining, try one of these two methods to remove as much water from the tank as possible: 1) After the low point drain has let out all it can, turn on a faucet and use the water pump to remove remaining water, or 2) Park the RV on an incline with the low point drain on the low side, and that should let out more water. Using and re-filling the water tank more frequently helps keep a fresh supply of water coming in, too. That "2 years with no use" will definitely make it pretty stale.

@rogerdickinson920 2 года назад

I think I’ll chime in here Three years ago my water tank had to be replaced it was split so after dropping the underbelly and disconnecting hoses from the tank the vent for the tank was black It was black with mould no amount of bleach or sloshing around or anything else was going to get that mould out of that vent hose so the hose had to be replaced half inch ID plastic available at Lowes or Home Depot five or 6 feet of it No one in any of these tutorials ever touches on the vent you can’t clean the vent out you can’t put a pipe cleaner types device down the vent pipe it will just push the mould down into the tank. in the vent needs to be replaced. You may be able to pull the manifold or the fell station off the RV far enough to be able to see the vent hose to determine whether it is contaminated with mould

@carolmaplesden916 4 месяца назад

can't believe no one even gave you as much as a thumbs up 👍 thank you for your comment

@inspired2rv661 3 года назад

Despite this amazing video that is so complete in its explanation, I managed to have a silly issue. For some reason it takes a really long time for my freshwater tank to empty when just running the faucet. Over 2 hours! It was 1 AM when I decided that it still smelled like bleach and I was going to rinse it a second time. To my surprise, my freshwater tank is bigger than my gray water tank. I was under the impression all my tanks were 100 gallons, since the LED indicator brings everything to 100. Silly me! I was determined to get the second rinse completed but I was so tired, I decided to set my alarm and take a little nap. I set my alarm for 50 minutes, which seemed conservative for the amount of time it would take to empty this tank, but when The alarm went off and I stepped out of bed, the floor was soaked!!! Oops! Luckily it didn’t overflow for too long, a few towels on the floor solved the problem, but please don’t anyone do what I did and fall asleep while doing this! I had it set in my mind that my gray tank was the same size as my freshwater tank but that is not the case clearly. 😂 I am so grateful because it could’ve been so much worse! 🙏🏻🌻💕

@RVgeeks 3 года назад

Glad you caught it before too long. Best to do it while hooked up to a sewer connection, with the gray valve open.

@inspired2rv661 3 года назад

@@RVgeeks Why did I not think to leave the valve open? Rookie mistake!! Plus it was two in the morning and my brain was not functioning well. Shoot!! I contacted Newmar and found out the actual size of my tanks! 🙏🏻💕🌻

@ceciliapetrowsky2572 2 года назад

OMG. Why didn’t you just empty the tank by pulling the fresh water tank valve? We empty ours this way in about five minutes. Of course, you can’t do this in a campground but we sanitize at home and it just runs out into the street.

@inspired2rv661 2 года назад

@@ceciliapetrowsky2572 rookie mistake on my part. I was in a campground too, but the hard lessons are learned well 😆

@tleek 6 лет назад

I commented a while back about sanitizing the lines of a fifth wheel we moved into. We tried to sanitize the lines but learned that our freshwater tank is damaged and will not hold water. We use city water, but the rv is old and I am wondering if it is safe to use the water for dishes, etc, without running bleach through the system. Our RV repairman said we should be fine, but I was wondering if there is any way to clean the lines without pumping a bleach solution from the tank?

@RVgeeks 6 лет назад

No worries! The real reason that you need to sanitize is because the water in the tank can sit there for a long time, allowing bacteria to grow. The only reason we sanitize the water lines is because we use a combination of city water and tank water, of course depending on whether we're hooked up or dry camping. If you only run city water through your RV's water lines, it's just like being a regular house, where there no water that sits around before being used, and therefore no need to sanitize. If the water in the park you're staying in is safe to drink, you can not only use it to wash dishes, you can drink it from the faucets in your RV, too.

@tleek 6 лет назад

its just that the rv is new to us and I am not sure what the previous owners did. Its definitely been sitting for a while, hopefully they never used tainted water from the tank

@theartofwanderlust 5 лет назад

How often do you suggest, sanitizing the system, when the rv is being used full time.

@RVgeeks 5 лет назад

Hi Wayne. Good question! We generally recommend doing it at least once a year... although we usually do it twice (once in the spring and once in the fall), just to keep everything fresh.

@inspired2rv661 3 года назад

I’m in the empty phase of the process right now, and I prefer to run it through my sewer opposed to dumping it on the ground, and I’m just wondering do I need to worry about the water pump burning out running for so long?

@inspired2rv661 3 года назад

I just watched the video again and you clearly state that it won’t hurt your water pump as long as water is running through that, so sorry for the redundant question

@RVgeeks 3 года назад

@@inspired2rv661 No worries! Water pump should be good.

@artmartinez9441 7 лет назад

Just wondering. Can you pour the solution down the fresh water fill then top it off? Then run all your water sources then rinse several times?

@RVgeeks 7 лет назад

+Art Martinez Yes indeed you can, Art! If you have a "gravity fill" where you have an opening for a hose to fill the fresh tank, you can definitely pour the solution in there and it will get into the tank just fine.

@voodoodad 6 лет назад

RVgeeks- sorry but I'm complletely green. Do I understand this correctly, I can put the bleach amount for my 100 gal water tank down the gravity fill, hook hose up and fill the remained with fresh water. Drive around a while, than run all water faucets hot and cold until empty. Than refill with fresh water again(no bleach) and run faucets until all bleach smell is gone?(however many times necessary) do I leave the house water filter in place and replace when done? I have a brand new 2018 southwind, so this is necessary before I start drinking my tap water to make sure it's sanitized?

@RVgeeks 6 лет назад

Hey J! The only minor adjustment to the steps that you mentioned are that you want to run the water up to the faucets before taking your drive to allow the bleach to sit in the lines for a while and sanitize them. And yes you should absolutely do this procedure on a brand new rig since it’s a freshly built tank that has not been sanitized yet.

@justanothervote 7 лет назад

Question for you....How do I sanitize my Rv since it doesn't have a winterizing kit, or gravity fill? It does have an inside filter (I"ve seen the melthod of putting the bleach in the filter housing after taking the filter out, but that won't work for me because mine is located unter the sink and wouldnt sanitize the whole system.) I'm thinking I'm going to just pour bleach into my water intake hose, and them hook it up and turn on the water, but that sounds messy and somewhat primitave lol! Does anyone have a better Idea?

@RVgeeks 7 лет назад

+justanothervote A remote filter kit should work. I believe we mentioned something about it in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lEBscJ-qb98.html Hope this helps.

@4aneme8R 5 лет назад

Then use backing soda to help in sanitizing and killing the taste of chlorine.

@jasonsuggs111 6 лет назад

So I've got the bleach in fine, have the water heater bypass on, city water is off, but I can only get water to flow through the hot water side. I thought it might just be air in the lines, but I've had the cold water valve open for 30 minutes with nothing. I should add it works at the outdoor shower but nowhere else. Do you guys have any ideas?

@RVgeeks 6 лет назад

Hi Jason.... hmmmm... without seeing your setup, it's hard to tell. But we'd suggest that you re-check the settings on all the valves for the bypass, as it's possible that one of them is in the wrong position and is preventing the cold water from flowing. Barring that, we'd try turning all the bypass valves back to see if that let the cold water flow again... and might just put up with the bleach entering the water heater (which isn't a bad idea, just more to flush out) if that's the only way you can get it to work.

@jasonsuggs111 6 лет назад

Thanks for the reply, I don't know what happened, but the next morning everything worked properly. I suspect it to be an inline strainer that got clogged and freed up along the steps of my troubleshooting. Thanks again

@DOCSAFETUBE 8 лет назад

newbie here , this is my first rv in a long time , i just bought a 98 mallard fleetwood but they dont make them anymore ..its in great cond but i have hooked up to the water and the kitchen sink has a smell like its sewer or just bad...the rv place didnt give me a walk around they said it could be 2 weeks so i just said ill learn on my own..i dont even have the owers manual either and its hard to get one...can you give me some pointers please

@RVgeeks 8 лет назад

The first things we would do on any new-to-you rig is to sanitize the water system as outlined in this video, and flush the water heater. We have videos on both Atwood and Suburban flushing.

@DOCSAFETUBE 8 лет назад

TY ill check them out my system isnt newer and doesnt have all that stuff you had on yours ill watch your videos if i cant figure it out ill let you know..thanx

@vegasdavetv 8 лет назад

+RVgeeks i have question, how do u sanitize the city water in line. where u hook your hose to your rig while at campground. i have never been able to do that, my rv has pump off while on city hook up, so its pressured only from the city water source. if i try and put anything in it, it just rolls out, not going in

@RVgeeks 8 лет назад

+vegasdavetv Hi Dave. Since it's primarily water that's sitting that's the problem, the inlet hose should not be an issue, as the moment you turn city water on, fresh water flows right through. We've never sanitized our inlet hose before, and never had a problem in over 13 years. We'd suggest that the best thing to do is just replace your water hose every few years if you're concerned about it.

@vegasdavetv 8 лет назад

+RVgeeks awe thanks boys, made me feel better about it. just needed someone else to tell me that. i have never sanitized it, never had issue, just always wondered about it. now i won't worry anymore. what part of the country you guys going to be in during mid july?

@rjahn3000 6 лет назад

We never drink from our tank but do sanitize twice a year. We filter all drinking water through a Berkey counter top filter, even store bought water can be problematic ... safe travels.

@RVgeeks 6 лет назад

+Ray J Hi Ray! Your comment is very timely, as we know many other RVers who don't drink from their tank, and we'll be releasing a video next week about a new water purifying system we installed.

@rjahn3000 6 лет назад

Great always look forward to your videos. We full-time as well and use a Berkey counter top water filter it is extremely efficient and I understand the Peace Corps use it. ....safe travels.

@PFNasz 6 лет назад

Wouldn't the bleach damage all the gaskets, plastic and maybe even the glue holding the piping together?

@RVgeeks 6 лет назад

Bleach is a pretty standard way of sanitizing. We've never had a problem with seals, valves, pipes or anything else as a result of bleach or otherwise, and we've been doing this for 13 years on this RV. The concentration is just too low.

@pkk6428 5 лет назад

since you live in your RV full time. has the bleach ruined any rubber parts? thanks

@RVgeeks 5 лет назад

Great question! We're now 13+ years in this RV, and have never once had to replace any seal of any type. So the answer for us would be a resounding No! 😊 The bleach concentration is so low that it doesn't bother them.

@pkk6428 5 лет назад

Great, thanks

@jameswilson9553 5 лет назад

Although the pool chlorine usually has an active ingredient of 10-12.5% giving a higher percentage for damage

@RVgeeks 5 лет назад

Yup. We use regular household bleach.

@pkk6428 5 лет назад

thanks

@jackbrown8052 8 лет назад

Probably a silly question but I'm new to RVing. Wouldn't it be better to do the long, twisty driveto a new RV park with a full fresh water tank of water and bleach solution first? With a full fresh water tank of the bleach and water solution that's been jostled around for at least an hour and then left in the fresh water tank for 4 to 8 hours you're guaranteed to completely sanitize the fresh water tank. Then you can use the water pump to sanitize the water lines to the faucets, shower, bath, etc.

@jerryk2006 8 лет назад

I believe that's what the video said!! Bleach filled fresh water tank them use to flush out all lines to all faucets, then dump down campground sewer. Followed by a full fresh tank flush to clear lines.

@jerryk2006 8 лет назад

I'm gonna have to find a way to change my screen name?

@jackbrown8052 8 лет назад

+Jerry Kinsman what the video said was fill the fresh water tank with fresh water and a measured amount of bleach appropriate for the size of the RV's fresh water tank. Then run the fresh and and bleach solution through all the various faucets until bleach could be detected at the faucet. Doing this before going on the drive would lower the amount of fresh water and bleach solution in the fresh water tank. Then after 4 to 8 hours empty the fresh water tank and rinse it out. My suggestion, and it may wrong fro some reason I don't understand, was to fill up the fresh water tank with the water and bleach solution. Then go on the drive to the next campground. Doing it this way, by going on the drive between campgrounds with a full fresh water tank of water and bleach solution will guarantee that every part of the fresh water tank is sanitized. Leave the water and bleach solution in the fresh water tank for the necessary amount of time. Then run the water and bleach solution through the faucets at the new campground. Lastly empty the fresh water tank and rinse it and the faucets out (hot and cold) with fresh water.

@RVgeeks 8 лет назад

+Jack Brown Hi Jack! The small amount of bleached water that takes to run it up into the plumbing to the faucets, is so little that the tank is basically still full. And the sloshing that occurs when driving is enough that if the tank isn't absolutely 100% full to the top, it doesn't matter, and the whole tank will get treated just fine. The nice part about running the water up through the faucets before taking the drive is that you'll be sanitizing the tank and the lines at the same time, rather than taking additional time once you reach the new campground. It's also desirable to arrive at the new campground with ALL of the sanitizing done (tank AND lines) since you'll probably want to use water as soon as you arrive, and having bleached the line on the road allows you to simply flush them out when you arrive and start your camping trip!

@davidmatthews2647 6 месяцев назад

Thats HWY 50 going into Canon City

@WalterCombsLCSW 8 лет назад

Curiosity question... Is that long twisty road Old Woman Springs traveling towards Joshua Tree National Park?

@RVgeeks 8 лет назад

We're pretty sure that's right. It was definitely in that immediate part of the world, but it's been long enough we're not sure. If you recognize it as Old Woman Springs, we're sure it is!

@WalterCombsLCSW 8 лет назад

+RVgeeks drop us a line when/if you are ever this way again. :-)

@cybrcow 8 лет назад

I'd like to just do this at my house. Do you think the bleach water would hurt my grass if I dump the entire tank once or twice?

@RVgeeks 8 лет назад

Hmmmmm. It seems like such a small concentration of bleach, but we both have black thumbs, guaranteed to kill any plant within a 500-foot radius, so don't listen to us on this one! Maybe rinsing the lawn with lots of fresh water afterwards?

@YESsolutions 7 лет назад

park it in the street near a drain??

@cybrcow 7 лет назад

+Steffon Liford I'm in a semi rural area so there is no drainage and we are on a septic system that I don't want a bunch of bleach in. I think I will put the bleach and water in just before going camping, run the water until it is all in the black and grey tanks and dump it at the site.

@Milesco 7 лет назад

What model of RV do you have that has a 105-gallon tank?

@RVgeeks 7 лет назад

+Captain Quirk Newmar Mountain Aire

@Milesco 6 лет назад

Cool. Thanks. :-)

@joemurphy5769 Год назад

Can this been done with white vinegar instead of bleach?

@RVgeeks Год назад

You’d need so much vinegar that it wouldn’t be practical.

@vilmat.gonzalez2759 6 лет назад

I removed the hose from my clear water tank and there's something there that wasn't before! I have no wrench to remove it and it's next to impossible to pour my solution in!

@RVgeeks 6 лет назад

Hi Vilma. If you could provide a few more details about what this "something" looks like and exactly where it's located, we might be able to suggest a solution.

@mmabagain 7 лет назад

Great video! Also, I noticed you correctly called it a water heater tank instead of the common buy incorrect term "Hot" water heater tank. No need to heat hot water, eh?

@PaleoAthletics 8 лет назад

I've heard bleach is bad for the plastic and rubber and to use Hydrogen Peroxide instead. What do you think about this?

@RVgeeks 8 лет назад

+PaleoAthletics We've read about people using hydrogen peroxide, but when we've researched it, it appears that the problem is the difficulty in getting the correct concentration. There are different concentrations available, and it's difficult to be sure you've gotten a high enough level in the tank to do any good. You wouldn't know until you got sick from bad water that it hadn't done its job. We've used bleach in both of our RVs (our current one for over 10 years now) and had no problem with plumbing or seals. It's been SOP in the RV industry forever, and I think that at the small concentrations used for sanitizing (1/4 cup per 15 gallons) that it appears to be pretty harmless to the water system. We also never have the problems with residual bleach odor that we've heard some people ask about. We simply empty the bleach water out of the tank, fill and empty it one more time, then fill it full and we're good to go. We actually just sanitized yesterday, and there is zero smell anywhere in the system.

@PaleoAthletics 8 лет назад

Thanks so much for your reply! Appreciate your time.

@inspired2rv661 3 года назад

I have a Precision Temp Hydronic water heater. Do I still need to bypass my water heater? I don't see a way to bypass it...

@RVgeeks 3 года назад

Sorry we’re not sure on this one, so we definitely suggest checking wth the manufacturer, possibly on their website or owners manual, to see what they recommend.

@inspired2rv661 3 года назад

@@RVgeeks Thank you so much, I did call the manufacturer and they said it would be fine if I bypass it or not. It won’t hurt anything, so I’m going to rock ‘n’ roll with it today, so feeling confident thanks to your awesome video!

@RVgeeks 3 года назад

Excellent!!! 👍

@boliskmail 7 лет назад

Ok. . .I'm by no means a chemist. . . I have a well at my house. . .and I've been instructed by several contractors to NEVER use household bleach for sanitizing potable water supplies or containers. . .as they can and do often contain heavy metals and such. There are sanitizing products specifically designed for potable water. ..such as Well Safe. . .that may be a more safe option. Just a friendly FYI.

@RVgeeks 7 лет назад

+boliskmail While we also hear some people warn that bleach should not be used, both the EPA and the CDC specifically recommend adding bleach to tainted water to make it safe to drink. And they're talking about actually drinking the bleached water, not just sanitizing a container that holds it. We appreciate the concerns, but since we, and every other RVer we know, have always sanitized this way, and the CDC recommends it, we figure we're okay! 😊

@QuantumRift 7 лет назад

Hmm...got me to thinking. What IF you drain your tank and the RV park does have chlorinated water supply? It would make sense that if you fill your system with the chlorinated city water, you've just sanitized your system to some extent...

@RVgeeks 7 лет назад

The chlorine level in tap water isn't high enough to sanitize the tank. It's just high enough to assure that the water coming from the source is safe.

@GTEntertainmentLive 5 лет назад

Bleach can be dangerous in your lines, they make sanitizer specifically for your RV and it is cheap (We use Springfresh at our dealership). R.V. manufacturers do not recommend bleach unless absolutely necessary.

@RVgeeks 5 лет назад

Not only do we respectfully disagree, so do the CDC and many RV manufacturers, who specifically call for 1/4 cup bleach for every 15 gallons of water as a safe, effective way to sanitize. Specialized products cost more and are not necessary, which is why hundreds of thousands of us have been using bleach for eons.

@Brandon-qr8zz 6 лет назад

I do not have any bypass valves for my water heater what do I do?

@RVgeeks 6 лет назад

Hi Brandon! See if this will help: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lEBscJ-qb98.html

@jponyboyace 6 лет назад

Ok why after sanitation does my bathroom have a foam looking water coming out???

@RVgeeks 6 лет назад

The most likely cause is old bleach, although it could be a reaction to something in the water to the bleach (which means it's good that you sanitized)! If you drain & flush another time or two, you should be able to clear the system of any residue.

@rickbennett1292 6 лет назад

Old Woman !!! Hiya neighbor lol

@butchevans5862 9 лет назад

A couple of comments: First, why would you not want to sanitize your water heater? There are times you will use hot water for making tea or instant coffee so I want my tank cleaned also. Just because you don't run antifreeze through it does not mean you shouldn't sanitize it. Second: I really don't understand how you are using the winterize setup to sanitize your fresh water tank. When you pull antifreeze into your system through the winterizing setup this does not take the antifreeze to the fresh water tank. It only takes it into the lines in you MH. How does this sanitize your fresh water tank, it only gets the chlorine into the plumbing from the pickup tube to the faucets. Just curious

@RVgeeks 9 лет назад

Butch Evans Hi Butch! The reason we don't sanitize our water heater is because it takes a lot of flushing to get the bleach back out, and because we never, ever use water from the heater to do things like make coffee, since there is a magnesium anode rod in the tank, and we would not want to ingest any residue from that metal. We ONLY use cold water for drinking and making hot beverages. On our RV (possibly plumbed differently than some others?) the winterizing kit will send water on the path of least resistance.... the water lines (if one or more faucets are opened), the fresh water tank (if the valve is set to "tank fill"), or the water heater (if it is empty, which allows us to draw vinegar into the heater for flushing. This makes the winterizing kit a very versatile too, for drawing anti-freeze, bleach or vinegar, which we can easily direct to the needed spot.

@4truckingup 6 лет назад

you also have an anode rod in your water tank at home. look ion top of tank what looks like a hex head plug is an anode rod and should be replaced if 5-10 yrs old

@erfrulla 6 лет назад

Even in your house you should never use the water from a hot water heater for consumption. Draw cold water and heat it

@americanhunteroutdoors8718 5 лет назад

Haha someone didnt watch the video close enough

@tjbarry46 6 лет назад

Do you have a Word doc that can be emailed? The video is great, but I'm the type of person who needs a document in front of me to make sure I'm not missing anything while doing the procedure. Thanks!

@RVgeeks 6 лет назад

Sorry Ted, but we don't. You'll need to either bring your phone along and pause at each step, or take notes beforehand. Sorry about that.

@tjbarry46 6 лет назад

I created a word doc if you'd like it. No frills, just a text outline without pictures.

@RVgeeks 6 лет назад

Thanks so much Ted. We'll send you a private message with an email address where you could send it. Much obliged.

@wonderingtimesllc7203 6 лет назад

Don't forget the washing machine?

@marlonblando 4 года назад

Are you the How its Made voice guy?

@RVgeeks 4 года назад

Yes. 😂

@johnfitbyfaithnet 4 года назад

@@RVgeeks one of my favorites! Thanks

@Gypsysoule2012 8 лет назад

I am looking for help with my water system. When I run water out of the fresh tank, for the first few seconds, it runs black as coal. Then clears up. If I am gone from my 5th wheel for a few days and turn on the cold water @ the kitchen sink it runs black and clears up. Any idea of where to start in fixing this?

@RVgeeks 8 лет назад

Is it only from your kitchen sink that this happens? If so, look for a carbon filter under the sink, which can sometimes run black at first. The fact that it happens instantly and clears right up leads us to suspect it's localized right at the sink.

@Gypsysoule2012 8 лет назад

+RVgeeks Thank you so much for your reply. the water runs very black when coming from the fresh water tank with the pump running. when using city water, it runs black, but not as severe and not as long.

@RVgeeks 8 лет назад

If you look in your water compartment outside where you connect city water, there should be a valve to drain the freshwater tank.If you open that and allow water to drain out of the fresh tank, is it black? If so, that would mean your freshwater tank is full of black colored water and needs to be drained and thoroughly sanitized.

@RVgeeks 8 лет назад

That is a mystery. If black colored water is only coming from the kitchen sink and no other faucets, it shouldn't make any difference whether you were on city water or running from your tank, because the problem must be localized at the kitchen sink, such as a carbon filter as we mentioned before.

@Gypsysoule2012 8 лет назад

+RVgeeks Thank you so much! I am going to replace the filter and also sanitize the fresh water holding tank.

@brianeawis2729 6 лет назад

Love you guys but Clorox ? Clorox has soap in it . Pool chlorine without balancer is best with no residual chemicals. That’s what is AWWA approved for sanitization . Keep up the good work

@RVgeeks 6 лет назад

You're right Brian. But plain old household bleach has been the standard for this job for eons, quickly available anywhere, and when flushed out thoroughly, hasn't been a problem. We don't actually know anyone who goes to a pool supply store to get chlorine for sanitizing, but again, you're right... it's probably the optimal way to go. Thanks for the input.

@blondestrainger 6 лет назад

Yes True on that as we used clorox on our yacht for years but always reflushed all of it out before refilling the tanks. Now I carry straight pool chlorine that is available at Home Depot stores.

@kwakeham9167 6 лет назад

Ok, I'm feeling really stupid or maybe just deaf. I thought the audio said 1/4 cup of bleach per gallon of tank capacity, but the equation on the screen had minus 7 in it. What was the minus 7 for?

@RVgeeks 6 лет назад

Hi Kristen! It's 1/4 cup of bleach for every FIFTEEN gallons of tank capacity! So the math for our 105-gallon tank is: 105 ÷ 15 = 7 x .25 = 1.75 cups of bleach.

@kwakeham9167 6 лет назад

RVgeeks Thanks. I must've read the = as a - !