Do I even need to use my fresh water tank?

[Bigdog3162]

Hi, we are on our first camping trip with the Imagine 23LDE. I just flushed my winterizing and put water heater and pump back to normal use lever positions. I have the city/fresh fill lever and I was trying to partially fill the fresh tank so I could flush the pump, using a bucket for priming with the siphon hose. I can't seem to fill the fresh tank with the city/fresh fill selector lever in passthru. I checked the tank level indicator and it does move. I can't hear any water running either. I've read can do the gravity feed fill so I might do that to cycle and glush my pump. But my main question is do I even need to use the fresh water tank? I do not plan on dry camping at all and will always be in a spot with city water. Is it ok to simply not use it?

I also have an electrical rocker switch beside my outdoor shower faucet and I have no idea what it does. I'm disappointed in the Imagine owners manual thus far, seems to leave a lot of info off for first timers.
thanks

[howson]

Hi, we are on our first camping trip with the Imagine 23LDE. I just flushed my winterizing and put water heater and pump back to normal use lever positions. I have the city/fresh fill lever and I was trying to partially fill the fresh tank so I could flush the pump, using a bucket for priming with the siphon hose. I can't seem to fill the fresh tank with the city/fresh fill selector lever in passthru. I checked the tank level indicator and it does move. I can't hear any water running either. I've read can do the gravity feed fill so I might do that to cycle and glush my pump. But my main question is do I even need to use the fresh water tank? I do not plan on dry camping at all and will always be in a spot with city water. Is it ok to simply not use it?

I also have an electrical rocker switch beside my outdoor shower faucet and I have no idea what it does. I'm disappointed in the Imagine owners manual thus far, seems to leave a lot of info off for first timers.
thanks

Yes, you do not need to use the fresh water tank.

The switch is most likely for a blue LED that illuminates over/around the waste dump connection.

[TucsonJim]

Although you won't need to use your fresh water tank for normal day to day operation of your rig while attached to city water you will need to sanitize the entire water system on a routine basis, and this will include the fresh tank. I suggest you sanitize the systems with a bleach/water solution prior to using the system for the first time. Your health could depend on it.

Jim

[TedS]

Could be the water pump switch.

[Bigdog3162]

Ok thanks everyone. I will do the whole sanitizing as a precaution.
Rob

[Country Campers]

It is also good to be able to use the fresh tank when traveling for use when stopping also if the campground loses water or electric and can not provide you with water you can get jugs to fill the fresh tank. We usually travel with 1/2 to full tank even on weekends to use on the road and also if an emergency pops up that we do not have city water. I realize that a full tank is a lot but 5 or 10 gallons might get you thru.

I also agree with sanitizing , we do it a few times a year.

Brian

[Cate&Rob]

Sanitizing the water tank is a process only needed if you consume the water from your tank. This can be a false security when travelling because hooking up to a new and unknown campground water system can quickly undo your sanitizing. We use campground or tank water only for washing or flushing and don’t worry much about sanitizing. Bottled water for drinking, coffee, tea, etc.

Rob

[uwskier]

Sanitizing the water tank is a process only needed if you consume the water from your tank. This can be a false security when travelling because hooking up to a new and unknown campground water system can quickly undo your sanitizing. We use campground or tank water only for washing or flushing and don’t worry much about sanitizing. Bottled water for drinking, coffee, tea, etc.

Rob

Same with us. Adds weight lugging water bottles around with us, but my wife doesn't trust campsite water, even though I have two different types of filters on ingress.

[Bigdog3162]

Yes, that is our plan as well, gallon jugs for ingestion and any other needs. Bathing and flushing city water with hose in-line filter. I will still periodically sanitize with the pump and gravity fill for tank, or do the hose solution prep method i read about of pouring a little bleach solution in my external supply hose then attach to city water inlet to cycle thru.
you guys are a great resource, thank you!

[Cate&Rob]

We are lucky enough to travel with expert water quality inspectors. (the two in my Avatar ) At a new campground, I will put down a bowl of campground water. If Molly and Angel turn up their noses at it . . . we don't connect to that water unless absolutely necessary. This happens more often that you might expect. And yes . . . they still drink from streams and puddles . . . where the water is apparently better than some campgrounds.

Rob

[Jlawles2]

Cate&Rob Rob, I wonder if they are sensitive to the Chlorine or some other additive? If the smell is too great, they reject it. Since their smell is 100's ro 1000's times better than ours, they may be detecting an additive.

[Cate&Rob]

Jlawles2 Joseph, Agreed that it is something in how the water is treated or stored. I’m not saying that the water is “unsafe” . . . just (apparently) not fit for a dog to drink!

Rob

[uwskier]

Jlawles2 Joseph, Agreed that it is something in how the water is treated or stored. I’m not saying that the water is “unsafe” . . . just (apparently) not fit for a dog to drink!

Rob

Dogs will drink toilet water... that's saying something about campground water...

[ncitro]

When we switched out our RV fridge to a residential one factor was we decided to start drinking the water in the rig. I use a carbon filter on the main coming in (city and fresh tank fill) and the fridge also has a drinking water filter in it. We are pretty picky about water smell, but have not had a problem with it. We were both sick of having to fill and carry drinking water jugs.

[Guest]

We used to haul our own well water to local campgrounds in Michigan and arrived at a really nice park where we were told at check in, the water cannot be used due to ecoli in the wells. The trip was saved by bringing our own water. I remember kids playing at the wells and ignoring the signs with parents just feet away.
The dump station was also shut down since it had been leaching into the wells. Wonder how long it took for that to be discovered? Now we live in Ohio and will fill with city water and carry bottled water for consumption. We will never forget that experience.

City water to us is like drinking gasoline where I installed an RO system at home.

We are headed back to Michigan this week (a wonderful state by the way) to a different park where we are hauling our own water.

Jim