Fresh Water Sanitation Question

[Jopopsy]

Guys, quick question. When sanitizing, I know the formula of 1/4 cup bleach to 1 gallon of water for ever 15 gallons of water is the recommended way to get yourself to 50ppm.

When I read the manual on my Greyhawk, it reflects the following:

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When to sanitize
 When your motor home is new.
 At the beginning and end of each season.
 When the water system becomes contaminated or every three months of use.
How to sanitize
1. Level the motor home and drain the fresh water system (see Draining the
fresh water system).
2. Prepare a chlorine solution using 1/4 cup of household bleach (sodium
hypochlorite solution) to one gallon (3.785 liters) of water in a container.
Prepare one gallon of solution for every 15 gallons of tank capacity. This will
result in a residual chlorine concentration of 50 ppm in the water system. If a
100 ppm concentration is required as discussed in step 13, use ½ cup of
household bleach with one gallon of water to prepare the chlorine solution.
One gallon of the solution should be used for each 15 gallons of tank
capacity.
3. At the exterior utility center, place the clear hose into the container with the
chlorine solution.
4. Turn the "city water / fresh tank fill valve" to the FILL TANK position.
5. Turn the “sanitize / winterize intake valve" to the SANI/WINT position.
6. Turn the water pump ON.
7. After the recommended amount of solution is in the tank, turn the
"sanitize/winterize intake valve" back to the NORMAL position.
8. Turn the "city water / fresh tank fill valve" to the NORMAL position.
9. Open the hot water line on all the faucets (kitchen, lavatory, shower and
outside shower) until water begins to flow continuously and a chlorine smell is
noticeable.
10. Close the hot water lines and repeat with the cold water lines on the faucets.
11. Let the solution remain in the system for at least four hours when disinfecting
with 50 PPM residual chlorine. If a shorter time period is desired, then a 100
PPM chlorine concentration should be permitted to sit in the system for at
least one hour.
12. After the required period, drain the chlorine solution from the fresh water
system (see Draining the fresh water system). Some solution may remain
in the water heater and will be flushed in the following steps:
13. Fill the fresh water system using clean (potable) water (see Fresh water
connections) completely full.
14. Then, drain the fresh water system (see Draining the fresh water system).

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Nowhere in these directions does it reflect the fresh water tank being filled with fresh water, and THAN adding the bleach per the formula above. The directions, at least to me, basically reads:

A. Drain your fresh water
B. Introduce chlorine solution
C. Pump through water lines
D. Wait
E. Drain the system
F. NOW add fresh water to the whole tank
G. Flush/Drain

I had always thought the solution got added to a full tank of water so that the lines and the tank were getting disinfected.

Have I been doing it wrong all these years, or did Jayco miss a step in their documentation?

[klpoppe]

I dump the needed amount of solution in the tank then top off with water. Pump water through the lines. I then top off the tank again after doing that and let it sit for a few hours then drain. I then fill the tank with freshwater and flush the system a couple times. I think they skipped a step.

[Jopopsy]

That's what I thought.

[tjpolsin]

I agree, I think they missed a step. My procedure for my TT is nearly the same as the one you mentioned above - except that the bleach solution is added to the FW tank.

I use a 6 gal plastic jerry can to mix the bleach solution, pour that into the FW tank, add more water to the tank, flush the water lines with solution until bleach smell is present, THEN finish filling the tank. I have let it sit overnight on occasion without incident.

I then flush the lines with the city water connection (save wear/tear on pump), drain/fill/drain the FW tank.

I do this once a year, or whenever the water starts smelling/tasting like plastic.