| This article covers some steps we can take to | | | | drains. It may take a while to find them, but I |
| ensure our RV water system is safe to use. | | | | assure you they are there. There will be one for |
| There are no guarantees that any water is | | | | the hot and one for the cold water lines. This is |
| completely safe for us to drink, but if we take | | | | the lowest point in the water system. Open these |
| certain precautions we can keep our RV water | | | | and let the water drain out. |
| system safe to use. So where do we start? Let's | | | | Now, find the drain for the fresh water holding |
| take a look. | | | | tank and drain all of the water from it. At this |
| The water system in your RV provides the | | | | point you can turn the water pump on for a |
| water that you drink from and the water you | | | | moment to force any remaining water out. Do |
| use to wash dishes and take showers with. We | | | | not let the pump continue to run once the water |
| cannot assume that it will stay safe and fresh like | | | | stops draining. Close all of the drains. What we |
| the water system in our home. Contaminated | | | | have accomplished so far was to evacuate the |
| water is extremely dangerous. We not only have | | | | majority of water from the system. |
| to deal with a water system that hasn't been | | | | Now take a quarter cup of house hold bleach for |
| used for sometime, but when we travel in the | | | | every fifteen gallons of water that your fresh |
| RV we hook our water system up to a different | | | | water tank holds. Mix the bleach, with water, into |
| water source every time we stop to spend the | | | | a one-gallon container and pour it into the fresh |
| night some where. We hook up to city water, | | | | water holding tank. |
| well water, and eventually contaminated water. | | | | Fill the fresh water tank almost completely full of |
| You've probably heard people say don't drink the | | | | water. Turn the water pump on, open all hot and |
| water if you go to Mexico. Well that can be true | | | | cold faucets and run the water until you smell the |
| anywhere. We stopped at a campground one | | | | bleach at each faucet. Close the faucets. If it's |
| night just to get a few hours of sleep and I didn't | | | | possible drive the RV or pull the trailer so the |
| bother to use the water filter. The water coming | | | | water can move around to assist in cleaning the |
| out of the faucet was cloudy and had small | | | | entire tank. Let it sit for at least 12 hours. Drain |
| particles suspended in it. | | | | the entire system again and re-fill the fresh water |
| Possibly the most important step you can take is | | | | tank with potable water. |
| to keep the fresh water system sanitized. At a | | | | Open all of the faucets and run the water until |
| minimum you should sanitize the system every | | | | you no longer smell any bleach. It may be |
| spring when you take the RV out of storage and | | | | necessary to repeat this process again to |
| any time you notice stale water or an odor. It's | | | | eliminate all signs of bleach from the water |
| really quite simple to do. | | | | system. Once this is done it is safe to use your |
| You can start by draining the water heater. Go to | | | | water system. |
| the outside compartment where the water | | | | If you follow these simple steps you can rest |
| heater is located. The drain plug, or pet*censored* | | | | assured that the fresh water system in your RV |
| is located in the bottom left hand corner. Remove | | | | truly is fresh. |
| the plug and open the pressure relief valve on top | | | | Happy Camping, |
| of the water heater to assist in draining. | | | | Mark J. Polk |
| CAUTION: NEVER drain the water heater when | | | | Copyright 2007 by Mark J. Polk owner |
| it's hot or under pressure. | | | | rveducation101. |
| Next you need to locate the low point water line | | | | |