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Hummingbird · 07-05-2011, 08:13 PM

I am very allergic to chlorine and chlorine dioxide gases so I need another way to keep my water tank from getting funky...both with the everyday use and the couple times a year cleaning of it. Any ideas? My only thought was food grade hydrogen peroxide but I'm not sure what concentration to use on it. Thanks for your advice! Lisa

Broccoli · 07-05-2011, 09:25 PM

Speaking as a chemist, ozone treatment will likely be your best option as iodine comes with a major taste penalty. There are two flavors, either generating the ozone and passing it through the water as a gas or using UV light to generate the ozone in the water. Haven't looked into options that would work with an RV tank so I can't help with specifics. Cities that purify this way generally still treat with Cl to keep the water potable while sitting in pipes, so you may have to take shelf life into consideration without.

dznf0g · 07-05-2011, 09:26 PM

Well, there are purification tablets and liquids which are used for backpacking and wilderness water treatment, but in order to disinfect a tank the size of your AS it would be pricey. I am not familiar with the Peroxide method.

Broccoli · 07-05-2011, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dznf0g

Well, there are purification tablets and liquids which are used for backpacking and wilderness water treatment, but in order to disinfect a tank the size of your AS it would be pricey. I am not familiar with the Peroxide method.

Oh, btw, peroxide treatment will work using the same mechanism as ozone. Peroxide is generally only purchased at 3% concentrations (it's already fairly dangerous at 30% which is generally used for lab work). It may therefor be rather bulky as a treatment option (I'd have to ask google what effective levels or drinking water treatment are, but it will depend on how well filtered organic material is before treatment, again same with ozone). Again potability after storage may be an issue if not used quickly after treatment.

**DKB_SATX** · 07-05-2011, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Broccoli

Oh, btw, peroxide treatment will work using the same mechanism as ozone. Peroxide is generally only purchased at 3% concentrations (it's already fairly dangerous at 30% which is generally used for lab work). It may therefor be rather bulky as a treatment option (I'd have to ask google what effective levels or drinking water treatment are, but it will depend on how well filtered organic material is before treatment, again same with ozone). Again potability after storage may be an issue if not used quickly after treatment.

As long as you don't significantly overdose or underdose the tank with hydrogen peroxide, there would be no storage issue because you have a tank of sterile water. The hydrogen peroxide will all break down to oxygen water.

Wsmith · 07-05-2011, 11:56 PM

Use a in-line filter for drinking water, you can buy filters to take everything out of the water that is harmful. I keep my tank full for emergency use I drain it three times a year and refill with city water. (that is chlorinated) I believe GE makes one of the total filters.
An activated carbon filter will take out all chlorine also.

1. Install a activated charcoal filter. Mount close to pump.
2. Install a total removal cartridge.

There are chlorine test am-pet's called CheMets for measuring chlorine from 0 to 5ppm.

techiej · 07-06-2011, 07:02 AM

You can get "absolute" filters that will take out everything...this place RV Water Filter Store: Standard Filter Canisters for Whole RV carries quite a selection of filters, housings, etc.

Jammer · 07-06-2011, 10:09 AM

If you use chlorine at the proper concentration you shouldn't react to it. The CDC recommends 0.2 - 2.0 ppm of free chlorine.

40 mL of bleach in a 55 gallon tank is enough to provide 1 ppm provided that the water is clean and free of organic material, which will bind with the Cl and reduce the available free chlorine:

55 gallons
458.15 pounds (x 8.333)
1007.93 kg (x 2.2)
1007.93 liters (=)
1 mg/L (ppm) target
1.00793 mL Cl2 (liters x target / 1000)
3% hypochlorite concentration (typical for household bleach)
33.59767 mL solution required (mL Cl2 / concentration)

Most people use much more than that which is what leads to complaints about odor, allergies, and so on.

If you're confident of the purity of the water going in you could drop that to 8 mL and still hit the 0.2 ppm target. That's less than most people can detect.

Hummingbird · 07-06-2011, 11:48 AM

thanks all for the great responses. We do already use two inline filters...one is hooked into the hose used to fill the water tank and is carbon and KDF to remove everything. Then the AS came with an inline filter to a separate drinking water tap (no idea what is in it and I couldn't get AS to tell me either

....So while the drinking water should be ok, the shower, etc water isn't...technically it could have bacterial growth. AND I want to stave off having to replace a freshwater tank in the future because it is funky with mold...

As per chlorine and my reaction - we used aqua mira which creates a chlorine dioxide gas and is used for backpacking (similar technology to many municipal water supply)...at any rate, at a dosage used just to purify 1 qt of water when backpacking, when we put it in the 21 gallon freshwater tank to test it, I got nauseous and dizzy (had no idea my husband was doing this) and it took awhile for us to sort it out. Hence looking for something other than chlorine-based solutions.

The reason for the hydrogen peroxide is that all freshwater tanks I've used before - van and truck campers - can start to grow bacteria, etc when sitting even for just one day in a hot vehicle...it's my understanding that is just the nature of the beast....

SOOO, if I try the hydrogen peroxide - any ideas on what the doseage would be or where I could find that information?

Thanks again! Lisa

Steamy1 · 07-06-2011, 11:57 AM

Does anyone have experience with "Purogene"?

To quote:

3R PUROGENE PUTS THE 'FRESH' BACK INTO WATER

3R PUROGENE is a 2% solution of stabilized chlorine dioxide (contains no free chlorine). Chlorine dioxide has been recognize safe for water treatment for more than 50 years. It is EPA approved (Registration No. 9804-5). EPA registration to disinfect water storage systems aboard aircraft, boats, RVs, and off-shore oil rigs. EPA registration as a bacteriostat in potable water and for enhancement of taste of stored potable water.

I am considering trying this to sanitize my water system.

SilverCottage · 07-06-2011, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steamy1

Does anyone have experience with "Purogene"?

I am considering trying this to sanitize my water system.

This is our fifth year using it and we cannot smell or taste it in the shower, sink, or tap. I just add the recommended amount when filling the fresh water tank during the season and have not had any problems with it. We do use regular bleach once at the beginning of the season.

Jammer · 07-06-2011, 12:15 PM

I doubt if the nausea and dizzyness had anything to do with the chlorine. Perhaps there's something else in the tablets.

All municipal water supplies in the U.S. are chlorinated, and even if you grew up in a rural area, you've no doubt consumed a good deal of chlorinated water while traveling or at restaurants or schools.

DaveFL · 07-06-2011, 12:46 PM

I would just do the chlorine yearly cleaning by bleach, then flush with non chlorinated water. Do you have a non chlorinated supply of water, well or cistern? Good water doesn't go bad or age. If you are prefiltering your water you could be contaminating as filters are known to hold bacteria. Filling a tank with the filters they sell for hose using full pressure, filters containing activated carbon would not take out contaminates as the surface area and time in contact would be too short, but they are great for removing grit.

345bill · 07-06-2011, 01:17 PM

Our local RV parts store carries this product made by CAMCO.

The label does not show any chlorine contents.

Although it's made for drinking water we primarily drink bottled water. We always do dishes, shower and brush teeth with this in our MH. We add one ounce per twenty gallons of tank capacity every time we fill our water tank and it seems to do what's claimed.

SilverCottage · 07-06-2011, 01:41 PM

The Material Safety Data Sheet for TastePure does show a chlorine compound Sodium Hypochlorite. The full MSDS is at:
http://www.kelloggmarine.com/msds/ca...40208_MSDS.pdf

Darkspeed · 07-06-2011, 06:58 PM

Ok here you go.. they offer this little guy in a 12v model and if you run a micro hose like fishtank hose to a bubbler stone in your water tank it should meet your need.
It was on my gadget list for my rebuild..

http://www.delozone.com/files/portpu...utsheet_DC.pdf

Portable Purifier | Household Ozone Disinfection

CanoeStream · 07-06-2011, 08:25 PM

More than what you might want to know about neutralizing halogen taste with ascorbic acid -- Iodine / Ascorbic acid expriment

I can't quite tell if they're saying it really works or not. My backpacking years tells me it reduced it some. But then it's extra steps and I ultimately decided not to be so bothered by iodine taste.