Sanitizing Fresh Water Tank & System

[Jeff57]

As you can tell I am a newbie on this forum, so I will apologize in advance if I am doing something incorrectly. As I have read the Andersen valve has 3 positions, the Tank Fill which fills the fresh water tank, City Fixtures/Dry Camping which is used for the fresh wnater tank in conjunction with the on board pump and the city water hook-up. Finally is the Winterize and Sanitize which is a little.confusing. From what I can tell is that this position you run a short hose from a bucket with the sanitize or winterize solution and pump it into the plumbing of the RV. I am wanting to sanitize the camper, 2017 Bighorn 3270RS. Okay I mix the proper solution, 1/2 cup bleach per 15 gal water, turn on the pump open valves and run till bleach is smelled, that takes care of the plumbing now finally to my concern, how do I get 2 cups of bleach into the tank when filled? It is my understanding that the sanitize valve position doe not go into the fresh water tank.

Help would be appreciated, thank you.

 

[NYSUPstater]

Well, I'll chime in and others may too. I just use the tank fill for on board tank after putting 1c of reg Clorox non perfume scented bleach down the RV's water hose(s) and then continue to fill tank til full. Then as you mentioned, turn on pump and run water into the hot water tank (fill up) from on board tank and then thru rest of the outlets incl outside shower till ya smell bleach. Once done at each outlet, let sit 24 hours. Drain the water heater and on board tank, then re-fill w/ fresh water (can use a water filter) the on board tank and use that water to fill water heater and repeat running water thru all outlets till you don't smell bleach. Let this all sit 24 hrs, drain on board tank and all done. Can leave the water in water heater. Never have used the Winterize/Sanitize position

 

[oldelmer1]

I have a whole house filter that I use, just leave the filter out, put the bleach in and screw the housing back onto the top.

 

[Jeff57]

So you are just draining the garden hose filling it up with the correct amount of bleach and using the hose pressure to get it into the fresh water tank. I do have a small transfer pump that runs on 110V, I guess I could mix bleach and water in a bucket and use that pump to get it into the tank and then fill it up the rest of the way with the garden hose. Basically this works the same way as the gravity feed system but in this case the bleach/water has to be pressure fed. Is that correct?

 

[jmarnell]

So you are just draining the garden hose filling it up with the correct amount of bleach and using the hose pressure to get it into the fresh water tank. I do have a small transfer pump that runs on 110V, I guess I could mix bleach and water in a bucket and use that pump to get it into the tank and then fill it up the rest of the way with the garden hose. Basically this works the same way as the gravity feed system but in this case the bleach/water has to be pressure fed. Is that correct?

That's exactly the way I load the sanitizing solution on our Cyclone. I put the Andersen valve in the tank fill setting, attach a small transfer pump to the hose connection and use the transfer pump to pump the solution from a bucket into the fresh water tank, and then fill the tank the rest of the way with water. Then switch the Andersen valve to the Normal setting and run the solution into all the fixtures using the RV's water pump.

 

[CoveredWagon]

I prefer to put the bleach into the fresh water hose and then use water pressure to push it into the tank. That way I'm sanitizing the hose as well. I do not fill the hot water tank with chlorinated water, you don't drink hot water anyway. I do however descale the hot water tank every couple of years and replace the the anode rod as necessary.