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06-03-2017, 09:16 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Oswego
Posts: 604
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Sanitizing water tank
Tried to slowly add bleach and water to the water tank via the tank vent with a hose today. Does not work too good. I did not have a clean funnel with a small hose to aid in the slow fill.
So I did put some bleach in the vent line and added some water via the vent line with a hose that I usually use for the city water connection. I then fill the tank the rest of the way, 1/3 full, via the normal city water - tank fill method via the "water center".
Our previous RV had the standard gravity fill/vent connection. I would put about 3 oz of bleach in the gravity fill line and then add about 15 gallons of water to the tank via the gravity fill connection
Anyone have luck adding bleach/water to the fresh water tank via the vent connection?
I found that the vent line may not be a "straight" line off the top of the tank. I had to tape it up to the under belly where the hose goes through the frame. It sagged pretty good which impacted the ability to gravity drain water into the tank.
Manual instructions:
Add solution to tank through the tank vent located on the side of the coach. This vent is an arched shape part with the words “tank vent” on the vent cover. The vent cover is removable and held in place by detents on either side of the vent. Remove the bug screen inside the vent. Using a funnel and tube, add the sanitizing solution. Reinstall the screen and cover when done.
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RV - 2017 Avalanche 320RS
TV - 2011 Chevy Silverado 3500HD LTZ CCLB Duramax SRW 4X4
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06-03-2017, 09:43 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Huntington Beach, Ca
Posts: 250
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Maybe a smaller hose, a turkey baster thing or air syringe like I use for fishing. At first I thought you were talking about the roof vent and thought yeah, that should maybe be sanitizes once in awhile! The roof vents are for grey water and black tanks and I don't think it would matter much, I don't know.
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2013 Passport 2890RL GT
2015 Silverado CC LTZ 4x 2500 Duramax
HB Cal
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06-03-2017, 01:26 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Oswego
Posts: 604
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Took a few pictures of the vent and how the vent hose routes to the tank. I would have to pull the belly liner to see how the vent line attaches to the tank.
When I used a 3/8" ID hose and a funnel with the hose pushed to the tank I could add water (after I taped up the hose). Just have to add it slowly. There is usually only one or two times a year when I have to add more water to the water tank - camping at Watkins Glen Race track.
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RV - 2017 Avalanche 320RS
TV - 2011 Chevy Silverado 3500HD LTZ CCLB Duramax SRW 4X4
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06-03-2017, 04:35 PM
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#4
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,996
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Probably the easiest way to introduce bleach into your fresh water tank is to use the "city water fill". Disconnect your fresh water hose at both ends, empty it of all water, hold the "trailer end" about 3' off the ground and the "faucet end" about 4' off the ground. Use a funnel and pour the bleach into the hose. While holding the "faucet end", connect the "trailer end" to the city water connection in your RV water center. Then turn the selector to "tank fill", connect the "tap end" to the faucet, turn on the water and the bleach will be "flushed through the hose and into the tank.
Why Keystone (and almost every other manufacturer as well) eliminated the gravity fill is a question that I don't think any owner can answer as an improvement. Everyone who is "missing" that convenience has come to wish they had the "old style" water fill at some point in their trailering.
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John
2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
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06-03-2017, 05:57 PM
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#5
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Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Malta
Posts: 36
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I'm assuming mine would be the old gravity style. Pull the cap off the side of the trailer and stick the hose in. Are you using the bleach to make the smell go away? After dewinterizing ours we always have a bad smell to the water for quite awhile. Would bleach fix it?
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Justin W 2015.5 GMC 2500HD Denali 6.6L (tuned/deleted)
2011 Keystone Copper Canyon 314FWRLS AirLift LoadLifter 5000s & WirelessOne Compressor
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06-03-2017, 06:00 PM
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#6
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Site Team | Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 3,878
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mtlineman2010
I'm assuming mine would be the old gravity style. Pull the cap off the side of the trailer and stick the hose in. Are you using the bleach to make the smell go away? After dewinterizing ours we always have a bad smell to the water for quite awhile. Would bleach fix it?
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Weak Bleach solution will sanitize the tank and any bacteria growing ok n there. Theoretically it should eliminate any smell or anything causing a smell. YMMV.
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Chip Bruce, RPh
Kansas City, MO
2016 Impact 312
2017 Silverado 3500HD SRW
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06-03-2017, 06:03 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Oswego
Posts: 604
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mtlineman2010
I'm assuming mine would be the old gravity style. Pull the cap off the side of the trailer and stick the hose in. Are you using the bleach to make the smell go away? After dewinterizing ours we always have a bad smell to the water for quite awhile. Would bleach fix it?
Sent from my SM-T818V using Tapatalk
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I am sanitizing the tank prior to its first use. I have used too much bleach and end up with a strong bleach smell until the lines are flushed good.
I usually get rid of the RV antifreeze smell by flushing the lines good.
__________________
RV - 2017 Avalanche 320RS
TV - 2011 Chevy Silverado 3500HD LTZ CCLB Duramax SRW 4X4
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06-03-2017, 06:06 PM
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#8
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Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Malta
Posts: 36
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Thanks for the quick replies. When winterizing I hook a hose from the inlet on the pump right to my antifreeze jug. None goes into my fresh water tanks. This spring I hooked the hose up to the city water input and really flushed things out. As well as a couple tank fulls ran thru the pump. Still smells. I'm thinking maybe throw a little bleach in and run a tank thru to see if it will make a difference.
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Justin W 2015.5 GMC 2500HD Denali 6.6L (tuned/deleted)
2011 Keystone Copper Canyon 314FWRLS AirLift LoadLifter 5000s & WirelessOne Compressor
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06-03-2017, 07:30 PM
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#9
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Site Team | Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 3,878
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You don't need a lot of bleach. If you get a bleach smell remaining, rinse till its gone. Bleach killing bacteria is about time, not about concentration.
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Chip Bruce, RPh
Kansas City, MO
2016 Impact 312
2017 Silverado 3500HD SRW
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06-03-2017, 08:30 PM
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#10
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,996
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As ctbruce said, using bleach to sanitize the fresh water tank is about time, not concentration. It takes 8-12 hours of "contact time" to sanitize most water systems. I use 1/4 cup of regular bleach (not the concentrated Clorox) per 15 gallons of fresh water capacity. So for my 43 gallon tank, that's 3/4 to 1 cup of bleach, fill the tank to "overflowing capacity" (remember bleach won't kill what it doesn't contact, so to add 10 gallons of water, 1/4 cup of bleach, and expect it to sanitize, the bleach solution won't contact the top two sensor probes, so anything growing on them (or anywhere else above the water line) is still going to be there when you flush the tank....
Fill the tank to capacity, then run each faucet until you smell the bleach, refill the tank (you'll use 4 or 5 gallons purging the lines) and let it sit for about 24 hours. Drain, flush and if you still have an objectionable odor, a cup of arm and hammer baking soda (in solution) add to the tank, repeat the same "fill to capacity, purge the lines and let it sit overnight, then drain, flush and you should be good to go....
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John
2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
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05-03-2019, 09:37 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Divide
Posts: 267
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Man I wish I had read this thread before I started. I probably ruined my fresh water tank and pump. Made a dumb mistake because i was in a hurry. Misread owners manual and used 2 gal of bleach rather than solution. Let it sit overnight. I'm flushing tank and lines with fresh water to follow with baking soda solution. An better ideas to dig me out of this hole? Still have strong odor.
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2018 Hideout 31RBDS TT
2004.5 Ram Quadcab Short Box 2500 5.9HO, 2WD, Auto, 373s, Edge Insight CTS2.
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05-03-2019, 11:27 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: SE Michigan
Posts: 1,659
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BamaRam
Man I wish I had read this thread before I started. I probably ruined my fresh water tank and pump. Made a dumb mistake because i was in a hurry. Misread owners manual and used 2 gal of bleach rather than solution. Let it sit overnight. I'm flushing tank and lines with fresh water to follow with baking soda solution. An better ideas to dig me out of this hole? Still have strong odor.
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Yeah, just a little too much bleach.
I can suggest to rinse and drain you're lines several times over. When the smell of bleach has subsided, test the water system for leaks. Bleach does dry out and weaken rubber-based materials in heavy concentrations. This can play a toll on seals, gaskets and lines. Don't think you'll have any problems with your FW tank.
Good luck, hope you come out of this unscathed.
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2017 Keystone Bullet 308BHS in Saddle.
2017 RAM 2500 Laramie Mega Cab 4x4 Hemi 6.4L
2008 GMC Yukon XL Denali (SOLD)
Hensley SwiftArrow Control Hitch with 1000 lb Spring Bars
Me, DW, (3) little DS's, and 1 rambunctious Boston Terrier
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