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Topic: Did I mess up with sanitizing fresh water tank? (Read 1202 times) previous topic - next topic
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Did I mess up with sanitizing fresh water tank?
I watched a couple videos and read an online instruction.

I (thought that I ) drained the the fresh water tank by uncapping the metal pipe under the rig.  I drained it the other day that way. But today, though I could still get water when I turned on the pump, almost nothing came out the pipe. I thought that was weird but what did I know.

 Then I did the 1/4 c. bleach per 15 gal water. Initially I only added 1/2 cup to 1gal water, thinking i had a 30 gal tank. But then learned it was 50 gal. and so when it was already almost full, I added another ~1/4 c. bleach.

I ran all the taps and the shower until I smelled bleach. Then shut them off.

I was looking at more instructions just now to make sure it had to sit 12 hours, and I came across a different tutorial that talks about draining the hot water heater and some other drains in the vehicle. It was not LD specific, but now i'm wondering if I was supposed to drain some other stuff.

And somewhat related- when I turn on the hot water heater, the red light comes on and I hear the pilot light. But when I run the hot water, it lasts a a short time and then the water just stops. And the red light goes out. The cold water keeps going. I have to flip the switch to get HWH back on (and I hear the pilot go on again).  I read old forum posts and saw others had an issue with the hot water not coming out after a short while, but not about the light going out.  I will have it checked next week, but interested in input.

Thanks,

Lisa
1991 22' LD Multi-Plan
Re: Did I mess up with sanitizing fresh water tank?
Reply #1 –
Lisa, you said you "...drained the the fresh water tank by uncapping the metal pipe under the rig. "
I am not sure what you mean by uncap. Ours has a spigot with a handle, similar to a garden hose round handle.  Initially our faucet opening was clogged with dirt, that had to be cleaned out before water came out. 
Are you referring to something like that - a handle that opens a spigot?  If it is just a cap covering the spigot to keep it clean, then the spigot also has to be opened to let the flow out.  The spigot and handle is right under the fresh water tank (under the openings where you fill the tank)?  Ours is underneath the rig, not something you can see standing up, you have to lie down to see under the rig a little bit.  The handle is right on the spigot.

Hot water heater - once this is turned on, our red light goes on to say it is igniting the pilot light.  Once the pilot light is lit, the red light goes out and the water heater is heating the water.  It heats to a certain temperature, then waits until the water cools down, then heats it again - continuing as long as the switch is turned on.  If you go to the outside bin (vented) where the water heater is, you can hear it running when it is actively heating the water. 
I don't know of anything with the hot water heater running that prevents water from coming out of the tap. 
Nor the sanitizing you did.
However, if you emptied the hot water tank, then filled it up again, that can dislodge particles that can clog up your faucets (aerators, cartridges, etc.).  A yearly cleaning of the hot water tank, especially if you are in hard water areas, will help keep those particles under control.
A caution, you should never turn the hot water on if the tank is not full of water - that can damage parts. 
Jane & Scott
Currently have a 1989 TK  LD we did a lot of upgrades on.
Bigfoot 25RQ Twin on order with early summer 2024 ETA

Our smartphone autocorrects into very poor English.
 We disclaim the illusion of ignorance this creates as we have enough ignorance we rightly claim.
Re: Did I mess up with sanitizing fresh water tank?
Reply #2 –
PS, your hot water tank is something like 6 gallons.  It is not well insulated, so if it is cold out even if you heat it until the hot water heater goes off, unless you are continually reheating it (left the hot water heater switch on), the water will cool off fairly quickly (an hour give or take depending on the outside temperature).
Also, If you are not mixing the hot water with cold water, depending on your faucets/shower head, you could be using it up quickly.  The old 3 gallon a minute shower heads that most stick and brick houses had until the last decade or two would last 2 minutes if you were not mixing the hot water with cold water.  
That is why most people do military showers and do a wipe the dish off right after using then doing something like a spray bottle with water & dish detergent followed by a brief hot water rinse.

Jane
Jane & Scott
Currently have a 1989 TK  LD we did a lot of upgrades on.
Bigfoot 25RQ Twin on order with early summer 2024 ETA

Our smartphone autocorrects into very poor English.
 We disclaim the illusion of ignorance this creates as we have enough ignorance we rightly claim.
Re: Did I mess up with sanitizing fresh water tank?
Reply #3 –
Quote from: Jane and Scott  - 
Lisa, you said you "...drained the the fresh water tank by uncapping the metal pipe under the rig. "
I am not sure what you mean by uncap. Ours has a spigot with a handle, similar to a garden hose round handle.  Initially our faucet opening was clogged with dirt, that had to be cleaned out before water came out. 
Are you referring to something like that - a handle that opens a spigot?  If it is just a cap covering the spigot to keep it clean, then the spigot also has to be opened to let the flow out.  The spigot and handle is right under the fresh water tank (under the openings where you fill the tank)?  Ours is underneath the rig, not something you can see standing up, you have to lie down to see under the rig a little bit.  The handle is right on the spigot.


OMG. THANK YOU!!!! I had NO idea where it was. There is a cap on the pipe. I thought that was it because water came out last time I uncapped it. I did not know there was a an actual handle. It is inside the propane compartment on mine. It's red, and it is the handle my dad and I originally thought was for the propane, but realized it was attached to a PVC pipe above the propane tank. I had totally forgotten about that handle. And didn't think the water handle would be in the propane compartment.

Thank you thank you thank you.

That means that I did not fully drain the tank before adding the bleach solution. So I guess I'll have to do it all over again. :(

Oh well. Better to learn this now then when I'm not in my backyard.

Guess I'll start over tomorrow and figure out where the drain for the HWH is, too.

Lisa
1991 22' LD Multi-Plan
Re: Did I mess up with sanitizing fresh water tank?
Reply #4 –
Hi Lisa, The drain for the HWH should be a white plastic plug (1/2" MIP, if I remember correctly). You will need a wrench to unscrew it. Be careful not to cross thread it when you re-install it. (It is easy to do that).   RonB
RonB (Bostick) living in San Diego
Original owner of "Bluebelle" a '99 TKB
Re: Did I mess up with sanitizing fresh water tank?
Reply #5 –
Quote from: RonB  - 
Hi Lisa, The drain for the HWH should be a white plastic plug (1/2" MIP, if I remember correctly). You will need a wrench to unscrew it. Be careful not to cross thread it when you re-install it. (It is easy to do that).  RonB

Thanks. Do you know where it's actually located? I will wait until daylight to check, of course, but the only water pipe I've seen so far is the pvc pipe for the fresh water tank.

Thanks,

Lisa
1991 22' LD Multi-Plan
Re: Did I mess up with sanitizing fresh water tank?
Reply #6 –
It is a white Delrin plastic plug screwed into the side of the hot water tank, near the bottom left.
    This is a picture of the valve I screwed into the drain plug location, so that I could easily flush/empty the water heater. Your HWH will likely just have the plug.    RonB
RonB (Bostick) living in San Diego
Original owner of "Bluebelle" a '99 TKB
Re: Did I mess up with sanitizing fresh water tank?
Reply #7 –
Quote from: RonB  - 
It is a white Delrin plastic plug screwed into the side of the hot water tank, near the bottom left.
This is a picture of the valve I screwed into the drain plug location, so that I could easily flush/empty the water heater. Your HWH will likely just have the plug. 

A spare water heater plug is a good item to have, if the plug gets cross treaded, it usually needs to be replaced.
Luckily, the plug' plastic threads get damaged and not the water heater threads.
While the plug is out, it is a good time to flush the water heater, to remove the calcium build up. A flushing tool will remove more of the calcium and should be done at least annually.
Amazon.com: Camco Water Heater Tank Rinser-Cleanses and Removes Sediment...

Larry
As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: Did I mess up with sanitizing fresh water tank?
Reply #8 –
Lisa,   I needed a 15/16 12 tooth box wrench to remove mine.    The open end wrench would tear the plug.   I needed the 12 tooth because I could only get 1/8 turn at a time due to metal flange.    The gas inlet blocked using a socket wrench.  Photo is how mine is installed on a 31 IB.   As Joan says,  YMMV.

Get the spare plugs (2 - if you have a backup you won't spoil the first one) before you start this.
Good luck and pat the dogs.
Joel
Joel & Terry Wiley
2013  31 IB   ORWAN   / 2011 CRV Tow'd LWEROVE
Re: Did I mess up with sanitizing fresh water tank?
Reply #9 –
Will wait for appointment at the RV shop  to do anything more.

Apparently my tank drain and refills, and/or my attempt to deep clean bathroom (gross), did something to the water tubing that is tacked along the perimeter of the bathroom floor, causing a leak.  I am squeamish about bathrooms as it is (thank my years as a professional house cleaner for that), so a leak in the bathroom, even if it is (hopefully) from the fresh water tank, is not something I want to be messing with. Plus if there is a leak in the bathroom tube, seems highly probable that there may  be leaks elsewhere that I can't see. I was going to spend one more night in here before going back to my sublet, but may have to drain the tank and go back tonight to avoid further potential damage.

Even so, I've learned ALOT spending several nights in here. And I realize I have much more storage space to work with than I thought.  The most annoying thing is two big dogs underfoot, but they are finding their places. And last night I even brought the cat over.  The shower was turned into a cat condo. It's the only place I can keep the dogs out of her food and litter box.

Once my animals learn more tricks and I have some time to learn the accordion, I'm going to quit my job and become a traveling circus.


Lisa


1991 22' LD Multi-Plan
Re: Did I mess up with sanitizing fresh water tank?
Reply #10 –
Lisa, I would be interested in a picture of that "water tubing that is tacked along the perimeter of the bathroom floor".
I would be surprised if tubing was put in unprotected and tacked down - maybe something a previous owner put in......
Jane & Scott
Currently have a 1989 TK  LD we did a lot of upgrades on.
Bigfoot 25RQ Twin on order with early summer 2024 ETA

Our smartphone autocorrects into very poor English.
 We disclaim the illusion of ignorance this creates as we have enough ignorance we rightly claim.
Re: Did I mess up with sanitizing fresh water tank?
Reply #11 –
Quote from: Jane and Scott  - 
Lisa, I would be interested in a picture of that "water tubing that is tacked along the perimeter of the bathroom floor".
I would be surprised if tubing was put in unprotected and tacked down - maybe something a previous owner put in......

I wondered about that. Seemed weird to me.

I will take a pic when I'm back in there and post.

Lisa
1991 22' LD Multi-Plan
Re: Did I mess up with sanitizing fresh water tank?
Reply #12 –
Lisa, One thing about space - the older 22' LDs will only take so much weight.  We find we have a lot of space and hit the weight restriction way before we use up the storage space. 

The total weight - GCWR (Gross Combined-vehicle Weight Rating) of the coach should be , your belongings, the live critters (2 and 4 legged), liquids in tanks (propane, gasoline, grey water, black water, fresh water) should be no more than that number.

You can get your RV weighed at several places  CAT scales can weigh front and back axles and you can ad them together to get the GCWR as well as see that you are reasonably balanced across both axles.  CAT scales cost about  $11/12 in our neck of the woods.  Getting all 4 tires measured separately is better - someone recently told me drag racer repair places have these scales - one for each tire, but you can also look up RV weigh places though there is not a lot and you might have to drive to get to them. 

How heavy is your TV?  If it is older, maybe you could get new TV the size you want that is lighter.

Jane
Jane & Scott
Currently have a 1989 TK  LD we did a lot of upgrades on.
Bigfoot 25RQ Twin on order with early summer 2024 ETA

Our smartphone autocorrects into very poor English.
 We disclaim the illusion of ignorance this creates as we have enough ignorance we rightly claim.
Re: Did I mess up with sanitizing fresh water tank?
Reply #13 –
Quote from: Jane and Scott  - 
Lisa, One thing about space - the older 22' LDs will only take so much weight.  We find we have a lot of space and hit the weight restriction way before we use up the storage space. 

The total weight - GCWR (Gross Combined-vehicle Weight Rating) of the coach should be , your belongings, the live critters (2 and 4 legged), liquids in tanks (propane, gasoline, grey water, black water, fresh water) should be no more than that number.

You can get your RV weighed at several places  CAT scales can weigh front and back axles and you can ad them together to get the GCWR as well as see that you are reasonably balanced across both axles.  CAT scales cost about  $11/12 in our neck of the woods.  Getting all 4 tires measured separately is better - someone recently told me drag racer repair places have these scales - one for each tire, but you can also look up RV weigh places though there is not a lot and you might have to drive to get to them. 

How heavy is your TV?  If it is older, maybe you could get new TV the size you want that is lighter.

Jane
Just to avoid confusion, I think Jane meant GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) when GCWR was mentioned.  GVWR specifies how much total weight the single vehicle (LD) can safely weigh.  GCWR pertains to the total combined weight of both vehicles when towing another vehicle (trailer or a tow car).

Art
Art and Barbara
Settled in Atterdag Village of Solvang
2015-2022 fulltime in a 2016 Tiffin Allegro Bus 37AP
2002-2015 2002 LD MB
Art's blog
Re: Did I mess up with sanitizing fresh water tank?
Reply #14 –
Art, you are right. I went looking for the acronym in the forum and didn't find gvwr (and I didn't want to check our label in the dark). I didn't think to check the lazydaze.com specs where they obviously are.
Jane & Scott
Currently have a 1989 TK  LD we did a lot of upgrades on.
Bigfoot 25RQ Twin on order with early summer 2024 ETA

Our smartphone autocorrects into very poor English.
 We disclaim the illusion of ignorance this creates as we have enough ignorance we rightly claim.
Re: Did I mess up with sanitizing fresh water tank?
Reply #15 –
OH MAN.

Good thing I tried out my LD while in my yard!

Turns out the leak in the bathroom was NOT from the hoses- it was from the toilet!! The guy who sold it to me had installed laminate flooring of which he was just so proud...but in doing so he apparently removed the toilet and did NOT correctly reinstall it!  The gasket was missing! So it was leaking under the rig. Plus he only glued the floor down back around the toilet. F'n gross.  Thankfully I only used the toilet twice to test it, and no, er, solid materials!  But still disgusting!!

So my toilet is now fixed. The hot water heater had a broken bypass or something, so that is also fixed.

As for the exposed hoses- the placement is normal, but it seems there was probably a cover over them that was removed for the floor replacement and the guy never put the cover/ledge back over them.  I would like them back, honestly.  That would make it easier to keep clean.

All these things!! I just hope that is about it for now.  Going to take her on a very short trip next week and I don't want any major issues.

Lisa
1991 22' LD Multi-Plan
Re: Did I mess up with sanitizing fresh water tank?
Reply #16 –
Lisa,

You are getting years worth of experience with maintenance issues...all without hardly leaving the driveway.

Enjoy the open road...it’s more fun that’s for sure.

Kent
2015 27' RB "MissB.Haven"
Re: Did I mess up with sanitizing fresh water tank?
Reply #17 –
Quote from: meandthedogs  - 
All these things!! I just hope that is about it for now.  Going to take her on a very short trip next week and I don't want any major issues.
Lisa
Good for you!!!  After you get back, let us know how it went.  You can also report from the road.
Safe travels and pat the dogs.
Joel
Joel & Terry Wiley
2013  31 IB   ORWAN   / 2011 CRV Tow'd LWEROVE
Re: Did I mess up with sanitizing fresh water tank?
Reply #18 –
Hi
The covers over the hoses in the back were just thin plywood covered in matching wallpaper,  placed at an angle from wall to floor. Held in place with screws You should be able to use anything to cover that space.  We are in the process of replacing the vinyl flooring in our bathroom and removed them to complete this task.
Theresa

Theresa & Everett  GLLDCC Making wonderful friends at LD rallies.
Surfside our 2018 31IB ( our current LD)   Sandcastle  2001 26.5MB ( our first LD)
Michigan born and home based. Traveling with our spoiled dog Dax.
Re: Did I mess up with sanitizing fresh water tank?
Reply #19 –
Quote from: tlbh2o  - 
Hi
The covers over the hoses in the back were just thin plywood covered in matching wallpaper,  placed at an angle from wall to floor. Held in place with screws You should be able to use anything to cover that space.  We are in the process of replacing the vinyl flooring in our bathroom and removed them to complete this task.
Theresa


But where will I get the matching wallpaper?!  ;D

(JK)

Lisa
1991 22' LD Multi-Plan
Re: Did I mess up with sanitizing fresh water tank?
Reply #20 –
Quote from: meandthedogs  - 

But where will I get the matching wallpaper?!


Lisa,
 I wouldn't even try to match the wallpaper, any plain contact paper will do the trick. The plywood is just meant as a cover over the hoses so they are safe from stepping on or being pulled, and to make it easier to keep clean.
Theresa


Theresa & Everett  GLLDCC Making wonderful friends at LD rallies.
Surfside our 2018 31IB ( our current LD)   Sandcastle  2001 26.5MB ( our first LD)
Michigan born and home based. Traveling with our spoiled dog Dax.