Accepted Method to Sanitize Fresh Water System

A generally accepted method of sanitizing your RV’s fresh water system involves filling the fresh water tank with a solution of household bleach and running the solution through each faucet. Then let it stand for at least three hours and finally flush the system once or twice to remove the taste and smell.

This procedure is one you’ll find in most any book about RVing

Just follow the instructions below to sanitize your RV’s fresh water system:

1. Start with a nearly full fresh water tank.
2. Turn the water heater off and let it cool.
3. Dilute 1/4 cup of household bleach for each 15 gallons of tank capacity in to a gallon of water.
4. Add the chlorine/water solution to the water tank. (Never pour straight bleach into the RV fresh water tank. )
5. Open one faucet at a time, let the chlorinated water run through them for one or two minutes. You should be able to smell the chlorine. (Make sure you are using the water pump and not an external water supply.)
6. Top off the RV fresh water tank and let stand for at least three hours, over night is better.
7. Completely drain the system by flushing the faucets for several minutes each. Open the fresh water tank drain valve to speed up emptying the tank and open the hot water tank drain plug. Drain the tank until it’s empty.
8. Close all valves, faucets and drain plugs.
9. Fill water tank with fresh water.
10. Flush each faucet for several minutes each repeating until the tank is again empty. (Make sure you are using the water pump and not an external water supply.)
11. Fill the tank again. The water should now be safe to drink but if the chlorine odor is too strong you can repeat the fresh water flush.

Your RV fresh water system should now be safe for use.