White water tank cleaning...

[Andy R]

My '61 Bambi has an Alumi-Tank 25 gallon white water tank. Not knowing if the tank is orginal or how old it is, I would like to clean it properly prior to drinking from it. The intake looks nasty, so I would imagine the water running into the tank over the intake is getting tainted. It looks like the tank itself is in good shape, so I would like to keep it. Are there any methods of cleaning that would result in a cleaner/safer tank?

I plan on replacing the nasty intake pieces or cleaning and treating them somehow.

Any help is appreciated! Thanks in advance...

[83Excella]

Try this Andy,

1. Close pressure relief valve on water heater. Remember to remove
mothballs from the vicinity of the gas burner assembly.
2. Close all drain valves and faucets (including shower head).
3. Flush out RV antifreeze by running water through entire system.
4. Reinstall drain plug (removed in the winterization process).
5. Add a few ounces of baking soda to the tank, drive around to mix
solution, then drain and refill.
6. If your water has a bad taste or strange odor, take these steps to kill bacteria that may be present:
a. Fill fresh water tank half way with clean, fresh water.
b. Mix 1/4 cup of household bleach for every 15 gallons of tank
capacity in a container with a gallon or two of clean water and
pour this mixture into the water tank.
c. Top off the water tank with fresh water. Go for a drive to mix the solution.
d. Pump water through each faucet so that all the lines are filled with the water/bleach mixture from the tank. Usually, running a quart of
water out each faucet is adequate.
e. The hot-water tank holds at least 6 gallons of water. Run the hot water
faucets until this much solution has passed to insure that the old water
has been purged from the hot-water tank, and it is now filled with the
water/bleach solution from the water tank.
f. Let the water stand for several hours.
g. Drain the entire water system, hot water tank included.
h. To remove the bleach odor, mix 1/2 cup of baking soda with
a gallon of water and pour into the freshwater tank.
i. Fill the tank completely and pump this solution through the water
heater and rest of the water lines. This solution can sit in the system
for a few days. Driving the rig around the block will slosh water
around and thoroughly clean the tank.
j. Drain the entire system and refill with fresh, clean water.

John

[Andy R]

Your detailed instructions are very much appreciated!

[igor]

Andy,

I used a process almost identical to the one John describes. It worked real well. I might add, use a proper (food grade) hose to fill the system. I chased a bad taste in my water system around for months until I realized the nice grey industrial hose I was using (instead of getting out the nice white one) was imparting the taste upon the water in the system. I couldnt even blame the brain fade on lack of oxygen to the brain, only 3400 feet here!

Les Brush

[niftypkg]

Excella84 you mention in step 4 to replace the plug , [on the hot waterheater??? ]removed when the system was winterized. What plug??? I don't see one on my tank. When I took posession of my 71 Int. The pump was disconnected the tank looked mean. I flushed it several times and was rewarded with a black slime. Still coming. Installed a filter to catch the stuff before it entered the plumbing and reconnected the pump. Slime still comming . Keep cleaning the filter. Same solution??? !!!

[83Excella]

Niftypkg,
Yes I was referring to the plug on the water heater, should be a plastic or aluminum (rare) hex plug that takes a 3/4 wrench. You can leave it out when you initially flush out that line providing the valves are still closed or in by-pass it wont hurt anything.

If your saying the black slime is coming from your fresh water tank as it sounds you may have algae, bacteria, or really bad water. If so, just keep flushing it using bleach until you get rid of it. Use more bleach in the solution and let it sit longer, and if possible hook up the trailer and pull it around allowing the solution to really slosh around good. The only other thing I can think of causing black slime is a blck rubber hose that is deteriorating from the inside and causing it.

Hope this helps.

John

[niftypkg]

Excella 84 Thanks for your reply. I'll try a little harder. MY hot water Heater is an original Bowen 10g. I looked under the trailer and saw no plug. Could it be in front??

[83Excella]

You should have an outside access door for your water heater and the plug should be accessable from there.

John

[niftypkg]

John, I believe the drain is located next to the dump valve. I believe the plumbing has been modified. There are two suspicious valves next to the dump valve and I wondered what the were? I'll have to check. They don't make any sence?? There are 3 gate valves under the sink and I know what they are: tank drain, trailer HP drain and main drain. They all lead to the main drain. Previous owner must have been an out of work plumber!!

[83Excella]

Your 10 gal. heater may have been a factory upgrade when the original owner bought the trailer, I think most trailers came with a 6 gal. heater and that may also explain the re-routing of your plumbing.

John