How to sanitize the fresh water tank with less than 30 gallons of water

You need to know the fact that when bleach makes contact with bacteria, mildew and algae, it’s dead, it’s instantly totally dead, the kill has taken place. It’s important to have the bleach treated water make contact with the entire tank sides, bottom and top. How do we do this? By DRIVING AROUND, yes, the bleach treated water swishing and splashing around makes contact with the entire holding tank, driving even a very short distance is the key. 

All tanks have an OVERFLOW hose that allows you to only fill your tank to “NEAR” full, so if you fill until the water flows out of your over flow hose, how is the treated bleach water going to totally come into contact with the extreme top, highly unlikely it won’t, and now you only sanitized a part of the tank, the top goes untreated and you have treated only a part of the tank, the top of tank has not been treated so you still have bacteria, mildew and algae growing, plus how much wasted water and time you have invested but only did a partial job. Here is what we do with our own units and what we recommend our customers to do.

Materials Needed:

  • Bleach (7 ounces or more depending on tank size)
  • Wrench (13/16 open end)
  • 2 Hoses with secure fittings
  • Fresh Water Supply
  • Optional: Teflon Tape

    How much Bleach do you need?

    1. The general rule for sanitizing is to use approximately ¼ cup(2 US Fluid oz) of standard household bleach for every 15 gallons of fresh water tank.
    2. Prepare Bleach: Ready an adequate amount of bleach, starting with 7 ounces, adjusted according to the tank’s capacity.

    Adding and Dispersing Bleach:

    1. Connect Hoses: Connect hoses to the fresh water supply, RV Inline Sanitizer and to the RV’s water fill inlet. Ensure all connections are tight and leak-free, use Teflon Tape as needed.
    2. Add Bleach: Open the fill cap and pour in the bleach. Continue adding more if necessary, as excess will simply occupy additional hose space (Put the bleach filled RV Inline Sanitizer above the ground would help).
    3. Secure the Fill Cap: Using a wrench, tighten the fill cap to ensure there are no leaks.
    4. Activate Water Supply: Turn on the water supply, allowing the flow to carry the bleach from the container into the tank, typically requiring about 15 to 30 gallons of water.

    Cleaning and Rinsing:

    1. DRIVE THE RV: Take a short drive to allow the bleach water to thoroughly slosh around, contacting all interior surfaces of the tank.
    2. Settling Time: If possible, allow the bleach and water mixture to sit in the tank for a period (not exceeding 24 hours) to achieve better sanitation.
    3. Flush the System: Use the RV’s pump to cycle the bleach water through all faucets, showers, and toilets to sanitize these pipes and outlets.
    4. Complete Draining: Empty all the bleach water and ensure that all residues are thoroughly flushed out.

    Refill and Final Checks:

    1. Refill with Fresh Water: Refill the tank with fresh water and circulate it through the system until there is no longer a bleach odor.
    2. Final Inspection: Check all connections and hoses to ensure they are secure and there are no leaks.

    By following these optimized steps, you can maintain a clean and hygienic freshwater system in your RV, while avoiding damage due to improper handling. Always ensure that bleach is used according to the guidelines provided with the product to avoid unnecessary corrosion or damage to the RV’s water system.