It is recommended that twice a year we sterilize our fresh water holding tanks with chlorine. Usually that means spring and fall.

The formula is 13 ounces of household bleach (chlorox) per 100 gallons of water.  Or if you prefer, 1.3 oz per 10 gallons of holding tank water.  (13 ounces of the 5% bleach, 11 ounces if you use the new 6%)

The easiest way is to empty some water out of the end of your hose. Then measure out the correct amount of bleach, and pour it into the end of the hose, connect the hose to your water tank fill valve, and fill up the tank.

Then drive around a bit to slosh the chlorine mixture around the tank, run some water through all your faucets, until you smell chlorine.  Be sure to run enough "hot" water to chlorinate the water heater;  most heaters are 6 gallons.  Then empty the tank and refill with plain water and drive around again; some folks like to add a quarter of a cup of baking soda, dissolved in water, to this first rinse. Empty and then give a final rinse with clear water, and rinse out the faucets.  Generally adding chlorine to the holding tanks is discouraged, since if dumping chlorine into a septic system (most campgrounds) will kill off the bacteria which makes the system work.

Remember to be compulsively careful about not contaminating the ends of your fresh water hose.

Doug

doug@rexhalltips.com