Fresh Water Testing -

[SC GT Yellow Jacket]

Looking for your best practices in testing your existing fresh water to determine if it contains algae, if the tank needs to be sanitized. I understand regular scheduled sanitation is a good idea. Just wondering if the water I loaded yesterday will be ok for a trip departing in 12 days? Or for that matter, what is the water quality on a continuous trip of 6 weeks?

Any recommendations on test kits to use? Brand? Providers?
Thanks for your information in advance.

[bobbecky]

We've been full time since late 2012 and have never tested the fresh water tank. We use it down occasionally and refill with fresh, but have never had any indication that there was any algae in the tank. The biggest thing to do is use clean water from a reliable source and run it through a filter so you don't introduce contaminated water to the tank. If we do leave the water in the tank more than a few months, I'll drain it and sanitize with a bleach solution.

[GaryUT]

Algae needs light to grow, unless your fresh water tank is exposed to light it will never grow algae.

Between trips I drain the fresh water tank. I prefer to have fresh water in the tank at the start of the trip.

On a continuous trip the water will be used and replenished throughout the trip. If we are going to have hookups I don't fill the tank over 1/3 full to allow use of the restroom while on the road, 1/3 of a tank will also get us by for one night if we end up dry camping unexpectedly. If I know we are going to be dry camping for the coming nights I will fill the tank before leaving the hookup site.

Gary

[wiredgeorge]

When we camp we use a Zerowater pitcher filter for coffee. They give you a test stick to see if it is filtering solids so you know when to replace the filter. That might work. We also use a particulate filter on our fresh water hose (we don't fill water tank).

[SC GT Yellow Jacket]

We will have spans of 4 to 12 days with no water hookups, so we will need to fill our water tank going into those periods. We will also have single or two night stays between stays with hookups where we will load just enough water for the toilet, cooking, hand washing, etc.

Probably my biggest concern was the fact that we took delivery of the trailer in November 2019 and tested the water pump and water systems at that time. The dealer had obviously loaded some fresh water in the tank in order to test the pump. As far as i can see there is no way to drain the fresh water tank, so any residual water from that test has been sitting in the tank for 8 months. We have been on 4 trips covering a total of 6 weeks since taking delivery, but always had water hookups.

I have recently filled the fresh water tank and then pumped about 2/3 of it to the black tank and two gray tanks to flush them. But I still have water in the fresh tank. Just being curious here so that I don't do something I shouldn't. I also do use an inline filter on my water supply hose at all times.

Thanks for the responses. This helps me think through this situation.

[LewisB]

I think the previous posts all give you some good ideas...keeping the system "active" by periodic use, draining while stored, periodic sanitation, etc. Never been much of a problem. Here's a link to a good filter system that is reasonably priced: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GBZ83HH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I would be surprised if there was no drain on your water tank. Look for a smaller hose hanging out down below the coroplast - might just be a plastic line with a cap & no valve. Could also be a 1" or 1.5" line with a T-handle (like on your sewer connection, but it will likely be white. Often back closer to the axles. There is usually a single tank drain and there may also be two "low point" drains, commonly red and blue in color.

Good luck!

[Ken / Claudia]

It could be the first RV I have heard of without a fresh water tank drain. Have you looked and found the hot and cold water drains?