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Old 07-31-2016, 06:31 AM   #1
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70's fresh-tank crud

Just dropped the fresh water tank (doing a full restoration), on my way to removing the floor in the front end. Everything is good--no cracks or leaks.
But there is a fair amount of "crud" floating around inside. There's no way to rinse it out, as the tank is flat-bottomed, and the only entry points (fill, and drain) are in the side wall. So putting some water in there and sloshing it out doesn't really work.
Anyway, I've seen others post about cleaning it out, but can't remember how you actually did it. I'm thinking that the only way is to put a little water in, and tip it up so its standing on its back corner, where all the water and floating crud will accumulate, then suck it out through some sort of pump, shop vac, etc using a long pipe.
any other suggestions welcome.
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Old 07-31-2016, 07:46 AM   #2
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Maybe getting a gallon of white vinegar, and pour it in? Let it sit overnight, and dump it out. It may dissolve the gunk, so you can just rinse it out. If not, you're just out a couple of bucks for the vinegar.
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Old 07-31-2016, 08:12 AM   #3
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I used a bleach solution - i don't recall the mox, but you can probably find it. I left in over night with the hole plugged and repeated.a few times with the freshwater tank in different positions - upside down, right side up, etc. Worked well. I think i also read people using denture cleaner, but I did not try that
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Old 07-31-2016, 08:16 AM   #4
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Its the "dump it out" part that is the problem. I guess I should clarify that the "crud" that I'm talking about isn't stuck to the walls, so much (although there is some of that, too); it is solid bits of debris floating around free. Because of the shape of the tank, there is no way to tilt it so that the only possible entry/exit points are at the lowest point, so much of the water and floating debris wind up in the "wings" that protrude on either end of the tank.
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Old 07-31-2016, 08:40 AM   #5
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Pam cleaned ours out using bleach and water she would fill it drain it on the slope of our driveway. She spent a whole day and did a good job got most if not all the crud out. I like the idea of using a shop vacuum, maybe with a small section of PVC and some type flexible hose.


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Old 07-31-2016, 09:08 AM   #6
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Anyone ever put a see-level tank monitor on one of these tanks? I'm planning to (already attached to my new black and grey tanks).
I'm a little concerned about attaching to this tank, though, as there is a fairly prominent seam right in the middle. (tank was obviously made in a mold, creating this seam all around). Anyway, I'm hoping that the stick-on sensor isn't going to have an issue with that bump in the middle.
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Old 07-31-2016, 09:29 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by Chuck View Post
Anyone ever put a see-level tank monitor on one of these tanks? I'm planning to (already attached to my new black and grey tanks).
I'm a little concerned about attaching to this tank, though, as there is a fairly prominent seam right in the middle. (tank was obviously made in a mold, creating this seam all around). Anyway, I'm hoping that the stick-on sensor isn't going to have an issue with that bump in the middle.
They are fairly flexible. I did use a bit of gorilla tape on the lower edges to ensure long term adhesion around the tank edge radius. Be sure to clean the area of mounting very well.
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Old 07-31-2016, 09:30 AM   #8
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Crud in water tank is the reason we've never drank the water in any trailer or mh we've owned, new or used. Don't know what the solution is.
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Old 07-31-2016, 11:33 AM   #9
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Re the different water uses: consider avoiding all future risks from unknown/questionable drinking water by adding a water distillation system to your camper to make pure water for your *consumption* purposes. 25+ years ago, I acquired our first Waterwise Model 7000 distiller. We now have three 7000 systems and I have yet to even need to buy a single repair/replacement part - these things are *workhorses*. Two systems are permanently home-installed: 7 gallon models w/ demand faucets to every sink & to icemakers/fridges. The 3rd is the more portable 3 gal reservoir model that always stays with our AS. It provides all our drinking/cooking water no matter where we are, no matter whether we think we can probably trust the source water, and also for when we know with absolute certainty that we can't trust it, e.g streams & creeks with their "wild organics" load. We've even "fed it" Gulf of Mexico salt water while beach camping with nothing but pure fresh water coming out. Distilling does require treating the boilertank w/ Kleenwise every 3 to 6 months to remove the minerals left behind by the process and we also replace a small carbon filter (that removes any lingering volatiles a/o odors) at the same time. Waterwise distillers do require 120v power - 6 hours running produces 3 gallons - so when going to be boondocking, we pre-distill while still on the grid and store into 5 gallon water containers; doing this also *greatly* reduces our off-grid generator usage. Here's a link to the Waterwise 7000 info page:
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Old 07-31-2016, 12:43 PM   #10
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Doesn't the tank have a spot where the fill hose is attached to the tank via a threaded connector. If you in screwed the adapter it should give you a decent way to drain the tank.
If you get that out, tip it up on end with the hole down, put a hose up in through the hole and run some water for a while. The constant flow of water down and out the hole should help flush out the gunk. Then an overnight soak or two with vinegar or bleach. Rinse, repeat. Finish with bleach for antiseptic purposes.
If you do get it sealed you'll want to try to seal the fill door as best you can otherwise you'll just start getting more crud in there. The fill doors don't seal well and when it rains dirty water runs down the side of the trailer and slowly gets back into the tank through the flip out fill door. Or you can replace the fill door with a marine fill and a vent.
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Old 07-31-2016, 01:56 PM   #11
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Doesn't the tank have a spot where the fill hose is attached to the tank via a threaded connector.
yeah, but its not in the lowest part of the tank, and if you tip the tank up to direct water toward it, much of that water (and floating crud) winds up in the "wings", which are much lower than the outlet. Its also only a half-inch fitting, so the water just trickles out...not big enough for any sort of "flushing" action.
I'll see if I can find a pic of that tank online.

I never drank the water out of the tank either. We're primarily weekend campers...a jug or 2 of spring water from the grocery store is typically plenty. I did regularly sanitize the tank with a bleach soak every year, anyway.
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Old 07-31-2016, 02:08 PM   #12
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70's fresh-tank crud

Suggestion: obtain a shiny new 1 1/2 inch sewer line test plug made of plastic and stainless steel. Big box home improvement stores have them.

Pull the tank out and determine where you have clearance on top to install the plug when the tank is in place. Drill a hole for the plug with an appropriate sized hole saw. I'd suggest drilling a test hole in some other material about the same thickness as the tank to test the fit of the plug.

Flush the sediment out through the new hole. Install plug, replace tank in AS.

Alternate method is to cut a hole in the tank top, then use a tank repair kit and a heat gun to weld it shut again.

YMMV.

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Old 08-05-2016, 01:08 PM   #13
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I have the same freshwater tank so I know exactly what you're talking about with those wings. I can't get mine completely drained out for the same reason. What about using a long piece of narrow PVC pipe, insert into the tank with the tank standing on end so that the crud is not in the wing section. Then if you can somehow attach the other end of that PVC pipe to a wet vac attachment and seal it up enough so that you can still get the suction maybe you could at least grab a hold of the crud and then pull the PVC pipe out with the crud. I do crazy stuff with duct tape. LOL
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Old 08-05-2016, 01:18 PM   #14
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Clean a fresh water tank

For our 1967 Caravel we added a deck plate look them up on Amazon easy to install and come in different sizes. You need a flat section on top of the tank but it is worth putting in and seals well.
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Old 08-05-2016, 03:17 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HiJoeSilver View Post
Doesn't the tank have a spot where the fill hose is attached to the tank via a threaded connector. If you in screwed the adapter it should give you a decent way to drain the tank.
If you get that out, tip it up on end with the hole down, put a hose up in through the hole and run some water for a while. The constant flow of water down and out the hole should help flush out the gunk. Then an overnight soak or two with vinegar or bleach. Rinse, repeat. Finish with bleach for antiseptic purposes.
If you do get it sealed you'll want to try to seal the fill door as best you can otherwise you'll just start getting more crud in there. The fill doors don't seal well and when it rains dirty water runs down the side of the trailer and slowly gets back into the tank through the flip out fill door. Or you can replace the fill door with a marine fill and a vent.

WHere is this threaded connector? Is it underneath? Is it under an inspection plate?
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Old 08-05-2016, 04:22 PM   #16
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WHere is this threaded connector? Is it underneath? Is it under an inspection plate?
Depends on the tank. My originL tank had a 1-1/2" plug on the bottom just above a plate screwed on the bottom of the pan and the 1-1/2" port where the fill hose entered the tank.

I just got hit by why Chuck is having such a hard time. The wings, I forgot about the tanks that have the big indentation on the fill end creating the wings,
It'd be drastic but you could hole saw in top and then seal it with some stainless sheet, stainless screws and a bunch of sealant. Sucking with shop vac and piece of pipe is probably the best first option.
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Old 08-05-2016, 04:24 PM   #17
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...What about using a long piece of narrow PVC pipe, insert into the tank with the tank standing on end so that the crud is not in the wing section. ...
That's the plan, actually. I did some experimenting with fittings and pipe that I had on hand...all I had was some of that black plastic pipe used for sprinkler systems (and also, a/c condensate drains). Its semi-rigid, but a little bit too flexy. I attached it to a hose-barb fitting that is threaded on the other end, and connected that to a little pump that operates with a drill. It worked, sort of...just too difficult to maneuver the pipe to the right spot. When I did manage to hit the spot, it did suck out water + crud. I figure it will work like a charm with a piece of more rigid pvc pipe.

I'm also going to make a spray-wand out of another piece...cap the end, and drill 1/8th holes around the cap...connect the other end to a garden hose, and then I'll be able to "power wash" any remaining crud that is stuck to the walls.
(they sell something like this for spraying out black-tanks by sticking it down the toilet...but its too short for the fresh tank).
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Old 08-06-2016, 08:24 AM   #18
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One solution to two issues

Here's what I did to 1) adequately clean my tank and 2) allow a way to completely dry it after use. I never liked the idea of leaving moisture in it enclosed, then expect a rinse with bleach water to clean it for next use.

As suggested above, I added a deck plate (available at any marine store) in the street-side back corner of the tank. This allowed me full access for cleaning and draining. I used bleach, crushed ice, hot water, cleansers - all worthless at getting the slimy gunk out. I finally used about a half gallon of KrudKutter with a few gallons of water, then added several handfuls of sharp pea gravel. I shook and tumbled the tank around the back yard a bit with this mixture then emptied and rinsed a few times, and the inside was squeaky clean. (The pictures show the black residue that was all over the interior of my tank, then the "after" results.)

I tested the deck plate under pressure by filling the tank half full and standing it up on end with the plate down - more pressure than it will ever see in the trailer - and it held without leak.

I planned so that the access plate would end up under the galley cabinet. Now I use my shop vac to empty the tank; jacking the trailer up at the tongue and the curbside gets all the water to that corner. Now my tank stays dry when not in use.

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Old 08-06-2016, 09:13 AM   #19
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Bleach will get all the bad actors. Some sediment is not harmful. I am still not an advocate of drinking water from tanks that sit a lot. If you are full timing, I would sterilize the tanks once a year with bleach. If it sits a lot then sterilize and rinse before each trip. Figure out how much bleach you need to get above 10ppm and use that for routine maintenance, rinse after. For really neglected tanks, I would use probably 1/2 gal of bleach and fill the tank all the way up with water and let it sit for an hour. If you can take it for a drive all the better then drain and rinse. Tap water can go as high as 3ppm of Chlorine. That will keep the tank sterile if you use it a lot. Carry bottled water to drink or use a carbon filter. Baths, hand washing, and brushing your teeth should be fine with properly maintained tank systems.

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Old 08-06-2016, 10:47 AM   #20
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Thanks for the pics, Alan...great idea. I think that deck plate might work out in my config, too...should be accessible.
I had the same concern for my flat-bottomed grey tanks that I installed; those will surely accumulate solids that won't ever completely drain, too. I don't need a deck plate on those; I'm going to just make sure that the vents are attached with a clean-out fitting, so I can get access...probably just pump into the toilet. (black tank is sloped, so that will completely drain). It'll just be part of the end of season/winterizing routine.
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