How to clean fresh water tank...

[thirdktm]

It's time to sanitize the fresh water tank.
The challenge is how to create a siphon to get the water/bleach mix into the tank.
I followed the instructions in the owner's manual but could not create a siphon.
Help!

[Iraqvet05]

I dump the bleach mixture into the garden hose then use the pressure from the faucet to wash it into the tank.

[Brad81987]

I use the outside shower and winterizing siphon tube trick I read about on here. Genius and works like a charm.... if your outside shower is in reach of your fresh water fill.
(Also make sure your fresh tank drain is closed before you start....I apparently forgot and left it open all winter and dumped my first batch of bleach solution right back out on the driveway)

[thirdktm]

Finally made it happen, without a siphon: Pour mixed bleach/water solution into a long hose; held both ends of the hose a few feet off the ground; then attached one to the RV, the other to the outside hose faucet; turned on the faucet, forcing the bleach/water mix into the fresh water tank.
This was easy...!

[BAC]

I must be missing something here newbie that I am.
Couldn't you just use a funnel?

[Duramaxsky]

Originally Posted by BAC

I must be missing something here newbie that I am.
Couldn't you just use a funnel?

That would make too much sense.

[RetiredOne]

I wonder if the OP reversed the screen on the incoming water connection fitting so it would allow the suction and push in the check valve? Also, the bucket holding the bleach mixture has to be held a few feet up off of the ground on a ladder, platform, etc.. The suction isn't strong enough to pull it up that high if it's sitting on the ground.

[thirdktm]

Funnel would be best method to get the bleach/water solution into the fresh water tank.
But.
The position of the inlet is recessed to far into the water closet for a funnel to access it. And there is a conical screen filter in the inlet hole, which I believed would prevent easy flow.
And yes, someone did post a photo of a product that essentially is a short tube that can be attached to the inlet....but I do not have one nor did I know one even existed.
I was trying to make all of this happen with what I had in hand.
Our previous RV had easy access to the fresh water tank, so I suppose I had envisioned a 10-minute task...........

[RetiredOne]

From your profile, it says you have a Melbourne. Does your unit have a single water inlet connection, or a city water connection and separate manual fill port? Do you have a control panel to control water source flow?

[thirdktm]

To: Retiredone...
The water closet on our Melbourne has two water inlets, one for fresh water and one that goes directly into the black water tank.
The two inlets are stacked vertically, one on top of the other, in the water closet. The fresh water inlet is on top.
Then to the right of the inlets are the two knobs that we turn to 1 2 3 or 4 5 6, depending on the function needed, such as city water fixtures, normal, and four others.
Our Melbourne is the M model, with the Murphy bed. We love it....

[RetiredOne]

OK, that's what I thought, you have only one water inlet. I have the same set-up on mine too.

Did you take the screen out of the connection fitting and flip it 180 degrees, so the cone section faces inward? This is the only way you'll be able to siphon, as the cone presses in on the check valve.

Once you flip that cone filter and connect your short siphon hose, all that's left is to choose the right setting on the control panel ( 1-6), stick the short hose in your bleach solution, and flip on the pump. I have an outside shower right next to my water connection, so I just flip the pump on from there.

That should quickly suck the bleach solution into your water system (or anti freeze). I also lifted the bucket that had the bleach solution in up about two feet, so the pump didn't have to work as hard for the suction.

[thirdktm]

To: RetiredOne.....
Thanks for the how-to.
I never considered trying to slip the filter at the water inlet.
Doing so, if it is easy, would simplify the process.
Thanks....

[Hoppy220]

I have a whole camper filter on mine, I fill the filter housing up with bleach then fill the tank as usual. The incoming water mixes with the bleach and puts it in the tank.

[hingedthinker]

All I do is drink half a bottle of water, add in a few caps of bleach into the water bottle, put the cap back on and shake, then dump the whole thing down the fill port. problem solved.

[RetiredOne]

Originally Posted by hingedthinker

All I do is drink half a bottle of water, add in a few caps of bleach into the water bottle, put the cap back on and shake, then dump the whole thing down the fill port. problem solved.

He doesn't have a separate gravity fill port on his unit. It has to be pressurized to get in, or sucked in by siphon by the water pump.

[trento]

Originally Posted by thirdktm

It's time to sanitize the fresh water tank.
The challenge is how to create a siphon to get the water/bleach mix into the tank.
I followed the instructions in the owner's manual but could not create a siphon.
Help!

mix it up in a container and pour it in the filler spout.done deal.run it through the system by turning on the taps and let it sit for a while.drain it out after a couple hours.system sanitized.

[Gwaltz]

Originally Posted by thirdktm

It's time to sanitize the fresh water tank.
The challenge is how to create a siphon to get the water/bleach mix into the tank.
I followed the instructions in the owner's manual but could not create a siphon.
Help!

Saw this in Trailer Life. Just take a 16oz plastic soda bottle and cut out a window toward the bottom about 2” x 2”. Place the top in your fresh water inlet and use it like a funnel to pour in the Clorox. Then fill up your tanks with fresh water.

[Paul Labelle]

Originally Posted by thirdktm

It's time to sanitize the fresh water tank.
The challenge is how to create a siphon to get the water/bleach mix into the tank.
I followed the instructions in the owner's manual but could not create a siphon.
Help!

I have a Jayco with a country fill option as one of the water settings. I get a 5 gallon pail and fill it with water, add 2 cups of bleach. fill a short section of hose with the mixture by submerging in the bucket. Block the free end of the hose while connecting the other end to the fresh water inlet, turn on pump to start the fill process. No need to invert screens etc

[RetiredOne]

Originally Posted by Paul Labelle

I have a Jayco with a country fill option as one of the water settings. I get a 5 gallon pail and fill it with water, add 2 cups of bleach. fill a short section of hose with the mixture by submerging in the bucket. Block the free end of the hose while connecting the other end to the fresh water inlet, turn on pump to start the fill process. No need to invert screens etc

That's the same as what I do, but I don't know if it's different on your unit, but there is a one way check valve right inside the inlet hose connection, and if the cone shaped filter screen isn't reversed to push in this check valve, the siphon won't work.

With your unit a few years older, maybe this check valve isn't there or stuck open, so you don't need to flip the screen.

[Johnynorthland]

Just a suggestion; Try turning the screen around on the siphon inlet so It pushes the coned shaped screen in on the check valve, if there is one.