(Plumbing) Sanitizing Fresh Water vs. Hot Water Heater (HWH)

[Chipster]

Hi Folks...
I have a Grand Design, Imagine, 2021 (2600RB).

On the whole, the procedure for Sanitizing the Fresh Water doesn't seem so bad
At 52 Gallons a Tank, filling it 2+ times seems like an insane amount of water that the RV park isn't going to be happy about.

My questions
1) The owners manual mentions nothing about 'by passing' the Hot Water Heater (HWH).
Which means I'd be running the Bleach/Water solution through the HWH.

However, I watched some How-to videos, and some mentions the HWH must be by passed.
This is because the HWH is metal and bleach & metal do not get along (Rust)
These videos were not specific for my Make/Model

Should I be bypassing the Hot Water Heater?

2) How long are you letting the Solution sit? I have a range from 3 hours (Owners Manual) to 12 hours (Internet).
My gut tells me 'over night'.

Thanks in advance,
Chip

[Country Campers]

Hi Folks...
I have a Grand Design, Imagine, 2021 (2600RB).

On the whole, the procedure for Sanitizing the Fresh Water doesn't seem so bad
At 52 Gallons a Tank, filling it 2+ times seems like an insane amount of water that the RV park isn't going to be happy about.

My questions
1) The owners manual mentions nothing about 'by passing' the Hot Water Heater (HWH).
Which means I'd be running the Bleach/Water solution through the HWH.

However, I watched some How-to videos, and some mentions the HWH must be by passed.
This is because the HWH is metal and bleach & metal do not get along (Rust)
These videos were not specific for my Make/Model

Should I be bypassing the Hot Water Heater?

2) How long are you letting the Solution sit? I have a range from 3 hours (Owners Manual) to 12 hours (Internet).
My gut tells me 'over night'.

Thanks in advance,
Chip

Yes you should bypass the water heater , the reason is the sanitizing solution may collect in there and make yucky tasting water. Rust may be an issue also but I have not heard that before. Depending on the brand of tank you have it may be aluminum. If you have an anode rod it will be a steel tank , aluminum tanks do not have an anode rod.

Flushing the fresh tank is all we did from new. I filled it with fresh water from home and let it sit for a while and then drained.

The plumbing lines I have heard to let sit for a few hours and then flush until there is no smell from bleach/water mix.

Brian

[howson]

Hi Folks...
I have a Grand Design, Imagine, 2021 (2600RB).

On the whole, the procedure for Sanitizing the Fresh Water doesn't seem so bad
At 52 Gallons a Tank, filling it 2+ times seems like an insane amount of water that the RV park isn't going to be happy about.

My questions
1) The owners manual mentions nothing about 'by passing' the Hot Water Heater (HWH).
Which means I'd be running the Bleach/Water solution through the HWH.

However, I watched some How-to videos, and some mentions the HWH must be by passed.
This is because the HWH is metal and bleach & metal do not get along (Rust)
These videos were not specific for my Make/Model

Should I be bypassing the Hot Water Heater?

2) How long are you letting the Solution sit? I have a range from 3 hours (Owners Manual) to 12 hours (Internet).
My gut tells me 'over night'.

Thanks in advance,
Chip

Chad and Tara (Changing Lanes) have a video on this topic that might be of interest. (You may have already seen it based on your post...but just in case...)

RV Fresh Water System Sanitization! (RV Maintenance Series) | RV Living!

[Chipster]

Chad and Tara (Changing Lanes) have a video on this topic that might be of interest. (You may have already seen it based on your post...but just in case...)

RV Fresh Water System Sanitization! (RV Maintenance Series) | RV Living!

Yup - I watched one of their videos... and its in there that they quote another person who say "by pass the HWH".
Thanks for the info.

[Yoda]

It depends on by passing the water heater. For my very first sanitizing I did not by pass as I wanted to sanitize flush everything. Now I bypass as I try to drain everything after a trip, including the water heater. I remove the plug and let it dry out too. Now if you keep water in it between trips as some folks do, then I would at least sanitize once a year. Your nose will tell you if you need to sanitize too. If things smell funky when running hot water, then its time to sanitize the WH and hot water lines.
Keith

[mpking]

I think you guys are missing the point of sanitizing. It's to make the system safe for drinkable water. IE kill any bacteria growth. If you don't sanitize the HWH, then you didn't really sanitize it since it would just "contaminate" the system again.

Sanitize the entire system, including the HWH. Let it sit. The manual is correct that 3 hours is enough assuming you've followed the correct dilution ratio. I personally let it sit over night because it's usually just easier to do it in the afternoon, then flush first thing in the morning.

On the bright side, you don't have to sanitize all that often once you've done it. Every 6 months is the recommendation.

[Chipster]

I think you guys are missing the point of sanitizing. It's to make the system safe for drinkable water. IE kill any bacteria growth. If you don't sanitize the HWH, then you didn't really sanitize it since it would just "contaminate" the system again.

Sanitize the entire system, including the HWH. Let it sit. The manual is correct that 3 hours is enough assuming you've followed the correct dilution ratio. I personally let it sit over night because it's usually just easier to do it in the afternoon, then flush first thing in the morning.

On the bright side, you don't have to sanitize all that often once you've done it. Every 6 months is the recommendation.

Thanks, Mike, for the feedback.

As a newbie, I can tell you for every 'sure thing' I read, there is someone somewhere on the internet saying it isn't so sure... :-)
Being able to come here and hearing from experienced folks like you, helps.

Thanks again -

[Cate&Rob]

Chipster
Hi Chip,

"Sanitizing" the water system can be a false security, particularly if you are travelling from campground to campground. You can never be sure of what will be in your next water connection. We use tank or campground (city) water only for washing and flushing. This may change if/when I incorporate a reverse osmosis system, but until then it is bottled water for drinking while travelling. The only time that I sanitize the water system is when we return home, where I know the water quality.

BTW, we travel with the two "water quality inspectors" in my avatar. At a new campground, I will put down a bowl of campground water. At least 1/3 of the time. . . Molly and Angel won't touch it. We avoid connecting to those water sources.

Rob

[Incognitokokok]

Hello!

We followed Changing Lanes RV on sanitizing our fresh water tank and lines. We've let it sit overnight.

WHEN EMPTYING it after sitting overnight..Please advise DETAILS on the nautilus settings and where to drain...we started our pump to drain it and water came out the outside hose. We are doing something wrong. Please advise.

Thanks!!!!

Kim
2017 Grand Design Solitude 310gk

[Incognitokokok]

[howson]

Hello!

We followed Changing Lanes RV on sanitizing our fresh water tank and lines. We've let it sit overnight.

WHEN EMPTYING it after sitting overnight..Please advise DETAILS on the nautilus settings and where to drain...we started our pump to drain it and water came out the outside hose. We are doing something wrong. Please advise.

Thanks!!!!

Kim
2017 Grand Design Solitude 310gk

Kim,
What exactly is being referenced with the term "outside hose"? The Nautilus is set to Dry Camping, so when the pump runs water (should) flow through any open faucet, shower head, etc.

Is the "outside hose" by any chance a low point drain? (The red and blue lines sticking out from under the camper?)

[Incognitokokok]

It's the hose that was* attached to the brass angle fitting with green ring under and just to the left of the red knob pictured above

[Incognitokokok]

We put the brass hose valve on to stop the water from coming through but it's still dripping even when shut off....we are running our sinks as well...

[J & J Bumblebee]

Regardless if you do the WH or not there are two ways of killing bacteria.

1. Shock with a large amount of Chlorine, let it sit for a period of time.
2. Less Chlorine with a longer 'contact time' to kill bacteria.

Flush until the Chlorine smell has vanished. You can use a pool test kit to check the level of chlorine in the water.

The amount of Chlorine will depend on the method and amount of water you use.

Depending on the source, you might still have chlorine in the water when you hook up in a new campground. They are required to have the water tested from time to time, but you never know.

I worked for a large water utility for 16 years and am slowly forgetting all the fun technical data I once knew. Of course, we had much larger systems to deal with.


John

[howson]

We put the brass hose valve on to stop the water from coming through but it's still dripping even when shut off....we are running our sinks as well...

FIRST--shut off the pump and ensure there's no water pressure in the system by opening BOTH a hot water and cold water faucet. Once water stops flowing you can close the faucets.

Remove (temporarily) the brass hose valve installed on the city water inlet. Underneath you'll find a screen that you can (carefully) remove. Under that screen is a valve meant to allow water to enter the trailer but not exit. Exercise that valve by pressing it in and letting it spring back into place. Do it multiple times.



If water still continues to come out (the wrong way) that valve has failed. Hopefully that's not the case, so give the exercising a shot and (please) report back.