RV fresh water care: sanitizing, filters and pumps

Sanitize an RV fresh water system under the applicable coach and component instructions, using a compatible product, measured dose, required contact period and complete rinse. Identify heater and filter bypass requirements first. Water appearance or odor alone cannot establish drinking-water safety.

A specific Jayco procedure keeps the heater bypassed

The 2022 Jay Flight Bungalow manual’s plumbing section turns heater power off, bypasses the heater and removes/bypasses the specified cartridge filter during sanitizing. It keeps the heater bypassed during rinsing, then restores the normal arrangement at the specified stage.

That procedure contradicts a blanket instruction to run sanitizer into every water heater. Follow the installed heater, pump, filter and appliance restrictions as well as the coach procedure. Do not assume a different utility center uses the same valve positions.

Check compatibility before mixingIdentify the coach, heater, filters and connected appliancesThen: Set the specified isolation and bypass positionsThen: Use the approved product, dose and contact periodThen: Drain, rinse and restore equipment as instructedCheck compatibility before mixingIdentify the coach, heater, filters and connected appliancesSet the specified isolation and bypass positionsUse the approved product, dose and contact periodDrain, rinse and restore equipment as instructed

Tank size, concentration and time are separate

That Jayco procedure uses one-quarter cup household bleach diluted into a gallon of water for each 15 gallons of tank capacity before completing the tank fill. It describes a 50-ppm procedure with at least four hours’ contact, or a separately specified 100-ppm procedure with at least one hour.

For a 60-gallon tank under the applicable quarter-cup-per 15-gallon instruction, 60 divided by 15 is four doses, totaling one cup of bleach in the prescribed dilution. This is arithmetic for that instruction, not approval to use any bleach strength or formulation in any RV.

Before applying a sanitizing recipe
CheckWhy it matters
Actual tank capacityControls the measured dose
Product concentration and formulationDifferent bleach strengths or additives change suitability
Component restrictionsFilters and heaters can need bypassing
Contact periodA brief rinse is different from sanitizing
Final rinse and restorationComplete the specified process before use

Check the product label and applicable manufacturer directions for the actual concentration and formulation. Never mix bleach with vinegar, ammonia or another cleaner. Obtain clarification when the product or component instructions do not match.

Keep the clean supply separate from waste equipment

Use a hose rated for drinking water, protect its ends and store it apart from sewer equipment. Hose color alone is not a drinking-water rating. Replace filters and service strainers under their actual instructions, rather than using an invented universal seasonal interval.

For suspected contamination, stop using the supply for drinking until the cause and appropriate treatment are established. An ordinary taste or sediment filter does not establish that untreated surface water is potable.