Proper water tank care

avasquez · 07-21-2020, 04:39 PM

First time RV owner here and just completed my first trip and it was a blast! I do have to questions about normal after trip water maintenance because I seem to be getting conflicting data from different sites and not sure what to do. I have a lot of questions but appreciate anyone taking the time to help a new guy out!

Question 1: Fresh water tank, I filled up at home before we left because the site didn't have a water hookup. Drained the fresh water tank before we left to lose the water weight. Is this normal practice?

Question 2: When filling up the fresh water tank at home is it okay to use a regular garden hose or should I be using the drinkable water hose I purchase (white) to fill up the tank? Another question on top of that is should I also be using the water filter to fill up the water tank or is the filter mainly for water hookups at campsites?

Question 3: Draining the hot water tank, do this after every trip or just at the end of season before you winterize?

Last question! I see the cold and hot water lines, should I be draining those after every trip or if the camper has been sitting for awhile? Or do I leave them be and just drain at the end of the season before winterizing?

Thank you!

**chuckster57** · 07-21-2020, 05:02 PM

Welcome to the forum

1) it’s personal preference, I keep about 10 gallons so I can use the toilet while traveling if needed.

2) it’s probably better to use the drinking water hose, that said I grew up drinking from a regular garden hose so once again personal preference.

3) if you have an anode rod it can’t hurt, I don’t drain it after every trip. Be sure you fill it properly before turning on the heat source.

4) let’s finish with saying personal preference. I don’t, some do. Draining ALL the water after every trip means filling and priming the whole system every time. I’m not in an area that requires winterizing So I don’t worry about draining that much.

Hope this helps, I’m sure you will hear lots of opinions, that’s why I say personal preference is the right answer.

LewisB · 07-21-2020, 05:22 PM

What Chuck says^^^

I go out weekly and run just a bit of water through all the faucets & toilets to keep chlorinated water in the system. Then dump the tanks and refill before a trip. I don't drain the water heater or pipes until time to winterize. I sanitize the system annually, usually at the start of the camping season (spring). The DW doesn't like our town water, so I always use a 2-filter system when I put water into the tank. As already pointed out, this is all just based on personal preference.

Enjoy your camping!

**JRTJH** · 07-21-2020, 05:45 PM

I would add that the quality of the water you put in your tank has a significant bearing on how long it will "last and stay fresh" in the tank. Sometimes private well water has a large amount of "organic material" in it. That can lead to moldy, stale tasting water and can, in some situations, lead to harmful bacterial growth in the RV water system.

In almost all situations, "city water" is chlorinated and in only a very few situations, private well water is chlorinated.

So, it depends on the quality of water that's in your tank, the amount of time that water will "sit in the tank between trips" and, to some degree, whether you're using the RV water for bathing and toilet only or whether you're also cooking and drinking that water.

Personal preference, how the RV is used and the purpose of the water in the RV will all "matter" in making your decisions on whether to drain the tank or leave it for another trip in 2 or 3 days vs no trips planned for the next 4-6 weeks.

**flybouy** · 07-21-2020, 05:50 PM

Just to piggyback on John's comments temperature also is a factor. During high heat, high humidity conditions bacterial growth can be greatly accelerated.

Wxman · 07-22-2020, 03:58 AM

Just to add to the confusion. I use my well water from home. If I know water will be in tank/lines for a bit I will add a little Dichlor to chlorinate it and help keep it from 'growing stuff'. (I also use Dichlor to sanitize instead of bleach).

skids · 07-22-2020, 06:32 AM

I drain the HW tank after every trip because the next trip could end up being weeks away and I don’t leave the water heater on when parked. I have experienced stinky water from the tank after leaving it in there for a month. Never again. Before each trip, I open the drain on the HW tank (and FW tank Using the usual water connection) and rinse the HW tank out using the “city water” connection. Running fresh water through the lines is good practice also IMHO. I use bleach if I use the FW tank, 1 tsp/10 gallons of water. The problem we have here at USFS campgrounds is that the spigots are not threaded to accept a hose, so you are faced with filling your FW tank with a jug. I keep a special made device to pour from the jug to the camper. I have a 37 gallon FW tank but I only travel with about 15 to 20 gallons for highway stability, although I have never experienced sway.

skids · 07-22-2020, 06:41 AM

PS, I definitely run Clorox water through the hot and cold low point drains during sterilizing routine but not during the camping season. Maybe that is overkill but I doubt that the antifreeze stuff does anything to prevent germ growth.

**flybouy** · 07-22-2020, 06:54 AM

Skids, get a Camco (22484) Water Bandit . Then you can fill the tank with a hose.

travelin texans · 07-22-2020, 07:56 AM

There will always be water left in the fresh water tank, possibly a few gallons regardless how long you leave the drain open. Same with the holding tanks, they'll never be totally empty.
We never carried water in the tank, already very heavy, but had to use it due to the water system scheduled to be off at a park, so I filled the tank, had to use it a couple days, opened the drains for the remainder, every time we traveled after that for about 2 months when I turned a corner water would run out of the drain, not drips but a full 1/2" stream around the corner. So much that on a couple occasions I had other drivers flag me down to tell me I was leaking something.

Northofu1 · 07-22-2020, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wxman

Just to add to the confusion. I use my well water from home. If I know water will be in tank/lines for a bit I will add a little Dichlor to chlorinate it and help keep it from 'growing stuff'. (I also use Dichlor to sanitize instead of bleach).

Dichlor has Cyanuric Acid in it to prevent the sun from neutralizing the chlorine. I wouldn't knowingly drink water with that in it. Dichlor and trichlor are for pools only.

**flybouy** · 07-22-2020, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avasquez

First time RV owner here and just completed my first trip and it was a blast! I do have to questions about normal after trip water maintenance because I seem to be getting conflicting data from different sites and not sure what to do. I have a lot of questions but appreciate anyone taking the time to help a new guy out!

Question 1: Fresh water tank, I filled up at home before we left because the site didn't have a water hookup. Drained the fresh water tank before we left to lose the water weight. Is this normal practice?

Question 2: When filling up the fresh water tank at home is it okay to use a regular garden hose or should I be using the drinkable water hose I purchase (white) to fill up the tank? Another question on top of that is should I also be using the water filter to fill up the water tank or is the filter mainly for water hookups at campsites?

Question 3: Draining the hot water tank, do this after every trip or just at the end of season before you winterize?

Last question! I see the cold and hot water lines, should I be draining those after every trip or if the camper has been sitting for awhile? Or do I leave them be and just drain at the end of the season before winterizing?

Thank you!

To answer questions 1 &2, Use your drinking water hose, it's rated for potable water and is most likely cleaner than the hose that's been setting outside in the sun with possible bugs crawling in it, lawn chemicals etc. Yes use your water filter. Water is water, why wouldn't you use the filter?

Question #3, it depends. If I'm going out the next weekend (5 days later if you come home Sunday and go out Friday) then I don't drain it. If temps are high (90's high humidity) then I would not stretch that past a week. In cooler temps, like the fall I might go 3 weeks without draining.

Question #4 , I only drain them at the end of the season when winterizing and after sanitizing. I will run each faucet for 10-15 seconds after reconnecting water a cg to "flush" the line before consuming water from it.

Note, I use a good water filter (10" filter housing with a quality filter cartridge) that filters out most contaminants. I personally never though the "cheap" in-line disposable water filters were that good. I'm willing to spend the extra money to get a really good filter that I know will keep me from getting an intestinal disease.

JMHO, YMMV

Northofu1 · 07-22-2020, 10:14 AM

I empty everything, including the hot water tank. I only use water supply to coach for bathing or cleaning. I bring 5 gallon jugs for drinking, ice making and cooking.

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