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Old 07-19-2004, 03:56 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rfield54
Jack
Why do you use anti-freeze in your fresh water tank? It's the water lines and faucets (confined spaces) that can't handle water freezing. Though the FWT should be drained before winter, it could handle a small amount of frozen water if one couldn't get to it in time . . . IMHO -Roy
Roy, unless you are using high pressure air to blow out the lines, you are never assured that the lines are completely clear. My little 12 volt pump removes the bulk of the water. Any dropplets or moisture left in the lines can run to a low area and be of sufficient quantity to freeze. I've been winterizing this way since '82 and have never had any freeze damage to the water lines. Call it overkill, but its insurance to me.

The fresh water tank was my way of getting antifreeze into the system and pump without having to dismantle the pump area (at least the way it was enclosed in the Safari as noted in the previous postings). I wasn't concerned about the fresh water tank.

Jack
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Old 08-16-2004, 07:54 AM   #22
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Smile Fresh water

Hello
A BIG thank you to all of you who helped & suggested "cures" for the smelly water!! We drained everthing again, including hot water tank, added bleach. We let it set overnight. Then drained everything again & added vitamin C tabs. The next day we drained everything & filled the fresh water tank (city water). We went on vacation, toured most of Nebraska, & never had a bit of trouble. "Tillie" (80 Excella) is back at the farm resting. There has been NO return of the dreaded sour smell.

You folks are great.
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Old 08-16-2004, 12:20 PM   #23
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Plains70, If your 80's era Excella is similar to mine, there is an additional drain plug in the bottom of the tank. The side petcock is usually sufficient, but in your circumstance you need the bottom drain. If you look under the trailer about a foot inboard from the petcock you may see an aluminum patch about 6 inches square, held on by a few self-tapping screws. Remove the screws and the plate, and a drain plug will be exposed. This drain plug requires a large hexagon wrench. Lacking this, I use a bolt with the correct size head to insert in the hollow in the plug. Two nuts, locked against each other on the bolt, are used with a normal wrench to remove the plug. I hope you have such a plug. That should enable you to clean the tank. It worked for me. Good luck. Nick.
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Old 08-16-2004, 03:17 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by plains70
Hello
& added vitamin C tabs. The next day we drained everything ...
You folks are great.
I am not familiar with what the Vit C does for the smell. Please explain..

Thanx,
Steve
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Old 08-17-2004, 06:09 PM   #25
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Not familiar with vitiam C tablets either, we do however clean Navy warships with citric acid which has a lot of vitiam C in it. The acid does a good job of cleaning without being too harsh.
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Old 08-17-2004, 07:02 PM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sav'h Steve
I am not familiar with what the Vit C does for the smell. Please explain..
The Vitamin C wipes out the residual bleach taste after you've disinfected the system. Don't know why, but it works great. We use it every year. It's also good for eliminating the residual taste of winterizing fluid.
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Old 08-18-2004, 12:41 AM   #27
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Vitamin C is used for this purpose when at sea or travelling away from reliable sources of clean water. Iodine is used as the disinfectant. After the iodine has done its job, vitamin c is added to remove the taste of the iodine. Vitamin c is ascorbic acid. This link refers:- http://www.high-altitude-medicine.com/water.html
Nick.
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Old 08-18-2004, 01:01 AM   #28
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When I first got my trailer, I put a gallon of bleach in the tank and filled the tank up. Then pumped bleachy water through the system, added another pint of bleach to the tank and filled it again. Then let it sit overnight. then I pumped it all though the system, both into the grey tank and into the black tank through the toilet. Then I completely drained the grey and black tanks, and also the remaining fresh water tank and water heater.
Next, the fresh water tank was filled, and we went on a shakedown cruise. Everything was completely disinfected and performed fine.
I am convinced that there was probably green stuff growing in the fresh water tank from the inital looks of things, and this cleared that up.
The black tank had "skid marks" in the bottom of it where the PO allowed a "mountain" to build up. Putting 5 gallons of water and a couple bags of ice in the black tank then driving around while it melted and the cubes scrubbed the tank cured that problem.
The sour smell in the grey tank was cured by pouring Pine Sol down the drains with hot water, and then driving around while the Pine Sol soapy solution cleaned the grey tank.
Much of the musty smell I had when I purchased the trailer instantly went away.
The rest of the "smell" left when I got the half dozen leaks stopped.
If you keep after it, and do proper maintenence, then you have fewer problems.
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