Written by: Anna Sibal 11/04/2011 11:30 AM
Is the water in your RV fresh water tank really safe to use?
Just think about it. We are so accustomed to having clean water flowing from the tap at home that access to clean and safe water is something that we tend to take for granted. So, when we go on road trips wenaturally assume that the water stored in our RV fresh water tank is just as safe and clean as the water we use at home.
However, one of the cardinal rules that frequent travelers and veteran RVers often live by is that you can't always trust the water you use or consume away from home. You can never be sure where that water came from. And if you're not that careful, you can end up getting sick with some form of stomach or skin ailment from using contaminated water.
Thankfully, even if you're not sure whether the water in the last campground or RV park you stayed at is clean or not, you can at least keep yourself and the people you are traveling with in your RV from getting sick as a result of using contaminated water. You can do that by sanitizing your RV fresh water tank regularly and by observing a few measures that will eliminate the presence of harmful bacteria in the water you use in your RV.
How to sanitize your RV fresh water tank
Sanitizing your RV fresh water tank is much easier to do than it sounds. It can take around half a day to get the chore done, but the actual work will only take less than an hour to accomplish.
To get started with sanitizing your RV fresh water tank, you'll need to get your RV plugged into an electric hookup or have its batteries fully charged. That's because you'll have to use the pump as you're doing this chore. You should also turn off your water heater and get rid of the anti-freeze in your pipes, as you're going to use cold water for this task. Lastly, you'll have to open the drain valve of your gray water tank and pay attention to your levels in case of overflow.
So, here's a step-by-step guide to sanitizing your RV fresh water tank.
You should sanitize your RV fresh water tank at least once every six months. However, it is ideal that you do this chore once a month if you're frequently on the road in your RV.
How to prevent your RV fresh water tank from getting contaminated
As the old adage goes, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Aside from sanitizing your RV fresh water tank regularly, you should also observe a few measures that will prevent harmful bacteria from colonizing your water tank and contaminating the water you use in your RV. Here are a few tips that will help you out:
It doesn't take much to keep your RV fresh water tank clean and sanitized. Keeping the tank clean and sanitized, though, will do a lot in making sure you won't get sick from drinking or using contaminated water.
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The other thing to do is use the water in your tank all the time. Here's my routine:First I always travel with my fresh water tank full. Some people say they don't like pulling the extra weight, but that weight is directly over the axles (of our trailer), lowers the center of gravity of the trailer, and adds to it's on-road stability. My routine goes something like this for overnight stops: get parked and level, connect electricity, make a martini :-). Switch on the pump and use the water in your tank for the overnight stop. In the morning, refill the fresh water tank and dump the gray water tank. Drive to next location. If we are staying for more than a night, we will still use the water in the tank and when it's empty, refill and connec