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Old 05-29-2015, 09:49 AM   #1
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Thoughts on water system sanitizing

I was just getting ready to sanitize the water system, and wondered if there is a better way to do it.

I was looking at products which attach to the fresh water hose, and are designed to mix in fertilizer to spray on the lawn or garden.

Hmmm, I thought why not use one of those to suck up the bleach, and mix it with the water on the "city fixtures" setting on the motorhome? With all of the faucets open, it would push a bleach/water mix through all of the lines and faucets, and sanitize everything at once, without having to use the rigs water pump. Could do the same thing on "city fill" to sanitize the fresh water tank.

This is what I was looking at...

Fertilizer Hozon Brass Siphon Mixer | eBay

Anybody have any thoughts on this? Somehow it seems to be too simple.

Thanks!
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Old 05-29-2015, 09:54 AM   #2
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The listing for that mixer says it mixes at a rate of 16 to 1....that seems like a pretty high ratio for what you need.
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Old 05-29-2015, 10:15 AM   #3
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The listing for that mixer says it mixes at a rate of 16 to 1....that seems like a pretty high ratio for what you need.
I totally agree!

The amount of bleach needed for sanitizing an RV water system is quite small. 1/4 cup per 15 gallons. 4 cups in a quart. 4 quarts in a gallon. So 4x4x4=64 1/4 cups in a gallon. 64 x 15=960. So we are diluting the bleach at a rate of 960:1. Close enough to 1 part per thousand.

You are going to need a very precise metering system for THAT!

The standard practice is to fill a gallon container 1/2 way. Put in all the bleach needed for your tank. Fill the rest of the container with water. Seal and shake to finish mixing. Put the mix into the tank and top up the tank.

It's been working for 50 years. Don't take shortcuts with your family's health and safety.
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Old 05-29-2015, 10:59 AM   #4
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I am all about safety for my family. But also realize that if it weren't for people trying to take "shortcuts" we would be missing a significant amount of "high tech" stuff.
Consider this - if the siphon hose were inserted into a gallon container that was mixed 1 oz bleach to 128 oz of water and then run through a 16:1 nozzle - what would that be equivelent to? i am no chemist or engineer but that seems to me a feasible way to reduce the mixture in a realively accurate way. Just looking outside the box...
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Old 05-29-2015, 11:23 AM   #5
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Ok, 1oz of bleach in 1 gallon of water gives you the 1:128 'primary' dilution.
Then you will have to run at 8:1 on your siphon to get 1024:1 sanitizing solution.


For a 40 gallon tank you'd have to process 5 gallons of primary.


How big is the fertilizer bottle the primary will be drawn from? If it is a quart, you'll have to refill it with primary 20 times for a 40 gallon tank.


I'll stick with mix a gallon of sanitizer. Pour it in and top with water. Less aggravation.


I'm all for technological innovation. The wheel, sliced bread and the electric light were 'newfangled' at one time. But, just because it is 'new' or 'different' does not necessarily make it 'better'.
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Old 05-29-2015, 03:28 PM   #6
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all that is true.... and it is forums like this that those good ideas get sorted out from the "not so good" ideas.
thanks for doing the math
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Old 05-29-2015, 03:44 PM   #7
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I could not open the link, but if you cut the bleach concentration to the correct strength, it would work. But what about you FW tank? Unless you never boondocks or use you FW tank it will not be sanitized. I also know on some of the rigs (not my htt), do not have a simple gravity fill. So filling the FW tank is done by connecting the hose to the water control panel and flipping a few valves, the having a way to introduce the bleach easily would be nice
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Old 05-29-2015, 06:10 PM   #8
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Empty syrup bottle marked off with a sharpie in 2oz graduations. Squirt it in the high end to the amount you want and then hook up to the water supply. Cheaper, faster and easy to use more frequently.
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Old 05-31-2015, 09:29 PM   #9
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I tried this technique yesterday to successfully sanitize my system. I have a 71 gallon fresh water tank so I used 1&1/4 cup of bleach. I opened my Jayco-installed water filter housing, removed the water filter and poured out the remaining water, then I added the bleach. The water filter of course stays out until after the entire process has been completed. After threading the housing with the bleach back in, I then filled the tank. On the Jayco, be certain to use the "City Tank Fill" so the water runs through the filter housing containing the bleach. If you mistakenly use the "Sanitize Tank" then you will inadvertently bypass the bleach altogether. Let the tank fill until water flows from the overflow lines, then run the cold water taps until you smell bleach. Let it sit for 2 to 4 hours, then drain the tank. Replace the water filter, then fill the tank full again. Run the cold water taps until the bleach smell is gone. Worked great for me!
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Old 06-01-2015, 04:49 AM   #10
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Interesting- when I called Jayco they said water filling the tank does not pass through the house filter till drawn in to the fixtures. At least that was the answer I received for our Greyhawk.
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Old 06-01-2015, 06:07 AM   #11
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Why all the hubbub of using the winterizing bypass?


Start with a gallon jug, fill it about 1/2 way with water, pour the measure of bleach needed and then fill the jug with water. Suck that solution into the system via the winterizing bypass.


Fill and suck that jug 2 more times to clear it of bleach, sending it into the freshwater tank.
Then switchover to 5 gallon jugs or the city water port to finish filling the tank.
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Old 06-01-2015, 07:56 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mike837go View Post
...snip...
I'm all for technological innovation. The wheel, sliced bread and the electric light were 'newfangled' at one time. But, just because it is 'new' or 'different' does not necessarily make it 'better'.
No one has a buggy anymore so a buggy whip can't be found but if you had one, I'm sure you could find a use for it! LOL
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Old 06-01-2015, 08:00 AM   #13
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Oh, I've got a use for one...


Turn around!
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Old 06-01-2015, 09:26 AM   #14
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An invention to simplify something that's complex is always a welcome thing.

However...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jagiven View Post
But what about you FW tank? Unless you never boondocks or use you FW tank it will not be sanitized.
That's the question I have after reading this. The idea is interesting but it doesn't seem to save all that much time. Either way you still have to sanitize the FW tank. We're not talking about something that's all that time consuming or difficult to begin with.
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Old 06-01-2015, 10:43 AM   #15
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Thanks all, it sounds like the easiest way to accomplish this is to just add the appropriate amount of bleach to the hose itself, connect the hose (with the valves in the city fill position) and turn on the water. Let the tank fill, then after a few hours run some of whats in the tank through all of the hot and cold fixtures.

I presume that I will need to turn the filter bypass valves to the bypass position first, so the bleach doesn't go through the filter.

Man, this sounds so much easier than the hose in a bucket routine!

Can it really be that easy?
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