Do you sanitize the hot water tank?

[WyEm]

My owners manual has the hot water tank bypassed thru the whole FW tank sanitizing with bleach and flushing procedures. Do you need to sanitize the HW tank too?

[RedHorse1]

I do not sani the WH.

[TCNashville]

I include the water heater while sanitizing. I like everything fresh for the first time out. Also, if on full hookups the first time out I'll sanitize my fresh water hose before use as well.

[RogerR]

I have never sanitized the how water heater. Always assumed that it got hot enough to kill most bacteria. We don't drink water out of the fresh tank or hose but do use it for bathing and washing dishes.
We even rinse tooth brushes with bottled water.

Personally we have never heard of anyone getting sick from fresh tanks but it seems a reasonably good idea anyway.

I always empty the heater tank when not using the trailer so there is little there to go bad anyway.

[hoppers4]

Yes, the hot water tank is included in my sanitizing routine.

[jal0710]

Why not, only six gallons and only takes a few minutes to fill so you can get "hot" water to the faucets. We generally don't leave water in the hot water heater when our FW is parked, but I just shut off the by-pass and open the other valves into the heater and let er rip.

[Jagiven]

I do sanitize the entire system including the hot water tank, and I do drink the water.

[rkresge]

IIRC my manual says open the hot water tank for the second/final rinse of your fresh water system after sanitizing. Just checked. Yup, that's what it says. It should be bypassed for the sanitizing and the first rinse of the system. In other words, you do not sanitize the water heater.

Roger

[bansai]

If / When I sanitize, I'm not using bleach. Bleach has a short shelf life, so if you are using bleach that is more than 6 months old, it isn't doing what you think it's doing. Use fresh bleach if you go this route. I also don't like having to rinse so much to get all the chlorine out.

Better than bleach, are the products that brewers use to sanitize their home brewing equipment. Most of them are 'no rinse' products. You drain and are done. I've used Star-San ( Beer and Wine Equipment Sanitizer - Northern Brewer) and PBW ( https://www.midwestsupplies.com/pbw-by-five-star )

Professional brewers use these to sanitize the tanks, lines and other gear responsible for keeping the beer we all drink from growing fur. It wont hurt plastic. I have a bunch of it on hand anyways, so I'm using PBW instead of bleach. Just something to think about in case you happen to be a home brewer, or have a dislike for Chlorine and excessive rinsing.

People have been using bleach for a long time and it definitely works, just wanted to point out it isn't the only game in town and their are better products that don't have the issues you get with bleach. The cost isn't bad, you don't have to fill your entire tank if you can slosh the solution around by driving around the block or whatever... just another option (better one in my opinion).

[TWP723]

I sanitized the whole system.

[Zinkow]

We full time and drink the water. I sanitize the whole water system with bleach, including hoses and the Hot Water Heater, twice a year. Never had a water caused health issue.