hi clean freaks and germaphobes...
there is a basic difference between 'sanitizing' and dis-infecting....you can look it up.
how much chlorine depends on several variables....
http://www.water-research.net/watert...inecontact.htm
concentration and contact time are the issues and water temp and pH also factor in.....cold longer, alkaline longer...
-for a basically clean tank 4-5 oz of household bleach, in 40 gal of water.....
leave for 4-5 hours at 60-80 degree water temps...
higher concentrations can be used for shorter times....there is a table on the gov website.
if the tank is known to be contaminated with any number of bacteria.....then the concentration of chlorine and contact time increase. as the bacterial load climbs...
if the tank contains solids (organic matter) like leaves, concentration and contact time increase again as organic matter increases.
many viruses are killed with chlorine.....again increased concentration and contact time....
protozoa/cysts vary....
-giardia can be killed with chlorine....with long contact times......
-cryposporidium cysts have too thick a wall.....so chlorine isn't effective
if you've somehow managed to start a fungi or mold growth....chlorine is less effective than a fungicide for dis-infecting this problem...
one important thing to remember is......
if using bleach to sanitize the the tank and lines......DO NOT flush the toilet with this water.....it will take much longer to build up the good bacteria again for tissue/waste breakdown....
cheers
2air'