Courtesy David H. Deitrick david.deitrick@verizon.net and the Scampers group on Yahoo! Groups.
Potable water systems require periodic maintenance to deliver a consistent flow of fresh water. Depending on use and the environment the system is subject to, sanitizing is recommended prior to storing and before using the water system after a period of storage. Systems with new components, or ones that have been subjected to contamination, should be disinfected as follows:
Before you start, read and understand all labels on the bleach container. Pay particular attention to all warnings and cautions. Bleach is not as dangerous as radioactive waste, but it is poison and has the potential to harm many things and must be handled with care.
NOTE: The sanitizing procedure is in conformance with the approved procedures if RVIA and ANSI A119.2 and the U.S. Public Health Service.
| 1. | Use one of the following methods to determine the amount of common household bleach needed to sanitize the tank: |
| A. Multiply “gallons of tank capacity” by .13; the result is the ounces of bleach needed to sanitize the tank. | |
| B. Multiply “Liters of tank capacity” by 1.0; the result is the milliliters of bleach needed to sanitize the tank. |
2. Mix into solution the proper amount of bleach within a container of water.
3. Pour the solution (water/bleach) into the tank and fill the tank with potable water.
4. Open ALL faucets (Hot & Cold) allowing the water to run until the distinct odor of chlorine is detected.
5. The standard solution must have four (4) hours of contact time to disinfect completely. Doubling the solution concentration allows for contact time of one (1) hour.
6. When the contact time is completed, drain the tank. Refill with potable water and purge the plumbing of all sanitizing solution.
Dave's Comments:
| 1) | For a 12 Gallon Tank use 1.56 oz. of Bleach (Standard Scamp Tank) |
| For a 16 Gallon Tank use 2.08 oz. of Bleach (Standard Casita Deluxe Tank) | |
| For a 18 Gallon Tank use 2.34 oz. of Bleach (Scamp Tank + Hot Water Heater) | |
| For a 22 Gallon Tank use 2.86 oz. of Bleach (Casita Tank + Hot Water Heater) | |
| For a 25 Gallon Tank use 3.25 oz. of Bleach (Optional Casita Tank) | |
| For a 31 Gallon Tank use 4.03 oz. of Bleach (Optional Casita Tank + Hot Water Heater) |
2. I used 2 oz of bleach and filled both my hot water tank (HWH) and fresh water tank (FWT), filled all of the water lines then let the trailer set overnight.
3. After letting the camper set the appropriate time, I drained both the HWH and the FWT using their respective drain plug/spigot.
4. Filled & drained both tanks about 3 times until I couldn't smell the bleach any more.
5. Ran water to each faucet until I could no longer smell the bleach coming from the faucet. This took about 1 full “tank” (i.e. 18 gallons for my trailer)
Now re-fill your water tanks and go camping!
The fine print: All standard disclaimers plus the following disclaimer apply: Only you are responsible for the consequences of using this information. Not Dan Meyer, David Deitrick, ShurFlo Corporation, Scamp, Casita, RVIA, Yahoo! Groups, ANSI, the manufacturer and / or the distributor of the bleach you used, any government or government agency of the United States of America, or any other inhabitant of any kind in the known universe not listed will accept the responsibility for your use of this information. It is completely up to you to determine how you use this information and by visiting this web page you do accept all responsibility for any and all consequences of your use or non-use of this information. This information applies even if you do not read this paragraph.