Freshwater tank sanitizing

[Steve S]

What is the ratio for bleach to water to sanitize the freshwater tank? I have a 120 gallon freshwater tank in my 400DB and I am not sure how much bleach I should put in it to sanitize it.

 

[JVM225]

I usually add about an ounce to the tank before filling, and keep it fresh by using water from the tank instead of hooking up the dockside water.
It eliminates any odors. I still don’t drink it, make ice cubes or make coffee with it though.
The other thing I do is use a drinking water safe hose at my dock and I connect an RV filter up to the spigot before topping off my tank.
We could probably consume it if we wanted, but I just can’t wrap my head around it so I keep bottled water on the boat all the time.
I’m thinking of getting one of those Brita type filtering pitchers to keep on the boat and refill at the dock for making ice cubes and coffee when needed.

 

[Groucho]

I bought at WM last year sanitizing tablets. I'm sure its lots more expensive than just using chlorine but it is easy to store and I just drop a tab in before I fill the water each time I gas up.
P.S. We don't "drink" the water either. We make coffee with bottled water. Just used for brushing teeth and flushing the terlet.

 

[Third Edition]

Each spring I put 1 quart of bleach into our 50 gallon tank when it's full. Then let the H & C water run in every faucet until I smell the chlorine. I let it sit for a hour, then drain the tank through the faucets. Refill the tank. If you put any of the bleach water in the holding tank, follow up with whatever holding tank treatment you use.

We still don't drink the water in the boat. We filter it through our Zero filter before drinking, coffee, or cooking .

 

[JVM225]

I bought at WM last year sanitizing tablets. I'm sure its lots more expensive than just using chlorine but it is easy to store and I just drop a tab in before I fill the water each time I gas up.
P.S. We don't "drink" the water either. We make coffee with bottled water. Just used for brushing teeth and flushing the terlet.

FWIW: Walmart sells those by the RV stuff for less money. I’ve seen them often when I go there to buy RV toilet paper for my boat.
BTW: This topic reminded me to order a small Brita. Just got a little Brita Metro 5 cup one on Amazon. Should be the perfect size for filtering water to refill ice cube trays and make coffee, yet small enough that it won’t take up valuable space.
They were 25.99, but not being particular about the color, I saved $8.00 by ordering a red one for 17.99. I guess not many people like red ones.

 

[Little Ducky]

There's a few good write ups online about recommissioning fresh water tanks.

They all have some type of bleach to water ratio and a dwell time.

I'm glad I never had a funky tank even on the 20 year old fixer upper I bought a few years ago.

Once I clear the tank and lines of antifreeze I'll flush a few times and then do a bleach treatment and leave in for a few hours. Flush a time or two and then use a little water treatment at every fill up.

I always us the fresh water tank even when docked so with washing dishes and showering the water gets refreshed often.

 

[Blueone]

I use a quarter cup of bleach and about 50 gallons of water.... run it thru all the taps and ice maker... leave it for a few days and drain and fill twice afterwards... we don’t drink it necessarily but do use ice and brush teeth

 

[Todd320]

FWIW: Walmart sells those by the RV stuff for less money. I’ve seen them often when I go there to buy RV toilet paper for my boat.
BTW: This topic reminded me to order a small Brita. Just got a little Brita Metro 5 cup one on Amazon. Should be the perfect size for filtering water to refill ice cube trays and make coffee, yet small enough that it won’t take up valuable space.
They were 25.99, but not being particular about the color, I saved $8.00 by ordering a red one for 17.99. I guess not many people like red ones.

We use a small Brita and out it in the door of our fridge. we drink the water straight from the tank quite a bit, never treated it, but it is filled with treated city water about once a week or so, last trip last weekend filled it three times. (40 gallon, so not huge)

 

[b_arrington]

I use a quarter cup of bleach and about 50 gallons of water.... run it thru all the taps and ice maker... leave it for a few days and drain and fill twice afterwards... we don’t drink it necessarily but do use ice and brush teeth

Same process for me. Let it sit for a while then drain and refill. I find that using antifreeze in the plumbing leaves an bad taste so I blow out the lines with compressed air.

In season maintenance is regular dosing with Camco water freshener (sodium hypochlorite) and using the water. We have a whole system filter installed. We use our water for everything; ice, coffee drinking. Best way to keep it fresh is to use the water.

 

[Gofirstclass]

I guess I'm the odd man out. I just dump some bleach (about 2 cups or so) in our 200 gallon fresh water tank, fill it about half way. I run it out of all the faucets until I smell the chlorine odor, then let it sit for a few days.

When I go back down to the boat I run it out completely through a couple of the faucets then fill the tank using an RV filter inline. Our city water is just great for drinking so we usually just drink the water, make coffee with it, make ice with it, etc.

We do have bottled water in the fridge for people who want that but I guess I'm not that particular.

 

[JVM225]

We use a small Brita and out it in the door of our fridge. we drink the water straight from the tank quite a bit, never treated it, but it is filled with treated city water about once a week or so, last trip last weekend filled it three times. (40 gallon, so not huge)

My boat has a 100 gallon tank. We use close to that amount every week in the middle of the season, but less in the beginning and end, so I usually empty whatever is in there about once a week and refill it with city water just to keep things fresh. I’ll add an ounce or so of bleach before filling, and the water that goes in the tank goes through a cheap in-line RV filter at the spigot, and a drinking water safe hose.
I keep one of those inline filters and a drinking water safe hose on the boat so I can refill at a transient dock if I need to.
Not using the dockside water hookup helps a lot too.
It’s probably safe to drink, but I just can’t bring myself to try it.

 

[my3sons]

What is the ratio for bleach to water to sanitize the freshwater tank? I have a 120 gallon freshwater tank in my 400DB and I am not sure how much bleach I should put in it to sanitize it.

To sanitize, Use 2 cups Unscented bleach for the 120 gallon tank. Run all the faucets, showers, etc and let it sit overnight. Drain, fill/flush. If there is still too much bleachy smell for your taste, flush again.
I do it once when commissioning in the spring.

 

[Joint Custody]

I guess I'm the odd man out. I just dump some bleach (about 2 cups or so) in our 200 gallon fresh water tank, fill it about half way. I run it out of all the faucets until I smell the chlorine odor, then let it sit for a few days.

When I go back down to the boat I run it out completely through a couple of the faucets then fill the tank using an RV filter inline. Our city water is just great for drinking so we usually just drink the water, make coffee with it, make ice with it, etc.

We do have bottled water in the fridge for people who want that but I guess I'm not that particular.

We do this same process.
On a four day trip we easily run ours out.

 

[Steve S]

To sanitize, Use 2 cups Unscented bleach for the 120 gallon tank. Run all the faucets, showers, etc and let it sit overnight. Drain, fill/flush. If there is still too much bleachy smell for your taste, flush again.
I do it once when commissioning in the spring.

Thanks Mark!

 

[Henry Boyd]

Ditto on the two cups for 100 gallons to create UNDRINKABLE water. Let sit for a couple days and pump over the side.

I also use drinking water grade hose and an in-line household water filter on the fill side. Our boat has whole house water filters as well on the dock water line and the tank outlet line. In addition there is a Seagull filter for the galley sink and another for the ice maker feed.

 

[spikedaddy99]

I use Star Brite Aqua Water treatment and Freshener in the freshwater tank every fill up. After "shocking" the system at the beginning of the season (heavier chlorine in, let it sit, drain the 1st few trays of cubes) We run almost strictly off of our tank. To get to the city water, I have to take my dinghy off. Not a huge deal, but our spigot leaks so bad at the dock, I hate leaving it on all weekend. Marina will "get to it". We do use the ice cubes and we do drink it. I have water test kits I can use if needed. I test my dental office water lines, so this is just another test to see if the water is good.

 

[bbwhitejr]

I use Star Brite Aqua Water treatment and Freshener in the freshwater tank every fill up. After "shocking" the system at the beginning of the season (heavier chlorine in, let it sit, drain the 1st few trays of cubes) We run almost strictly off of our tank. To get to the city water, I have to take my dinghy off. Not a huge deal, but our spigot leaks so bad at the dock, I hate leaving it on all weekend. Marina will "get to it". We do use the ice cubes and we do drink it. I have water test kits I can use if needed. I test my dental office water lines, so this is just another test to see if the water is good.

Same thing I use with each fill up, shower, drink, coffee, ice...fill with RV filter and hose and never an issue. Tank was last filled in November and drank it this weekend.....

Bennet

 

[spikedaddy99]

Same thing I use with each fill up, shower, drink, coffee, ice...fill with RV filter and hose and never an issue. Tank was last filled in November and drank it this weekend.....

Bennet

Bennet, I forgot to add I have an RV inline filter and water softener (On the Go Portable) that I use to fill the tank. Mike

 

[vandal]

If you smell the bleach you are still below in levels. In water systems you smell bleach the rule is you are low so if you smell it you are in a very safe range. In water systems a state inspector will flunk and fine you.

 

[Blueone]

If you smell the bleach you are still below in levels. In water systems you smell bleach the rule is you are low so if you smell it you are in a very safe range. In water systems a state inspector will flunk and fine you.

This was a bit Of a contradicting statement.... what is the procedure that a state inspector would pass us ?....and what’s up with this fining stuff?