Here is a detailed “How To” on sanitizing your freshwater system, in proper order:

Water heater

If you have a tank-type water heater, it’s best to bypass it (close the valves on the back of the water heater, or the red valve on a Nautilus System – or consult your RV owner’s manual). The solution below can harm aluminum or lined-steel tanks. If you have a tankless water heater, this method is OK, as most do not have bypass valves.

If you have a tank-type water heater, this is a good time to flush it out using THIS FLUSH WAND.

Determine your freshwater tank size

Tank size in gallons can either be found in your RV’s build sheet (usually a single page listing all items in your RV, including model numbers and serial numbers) or paperwork specific to your RV.  If you cannot find it, you will need to purchase THIS WATER FLOW METER, attach it to your freshwater hose, and fill your tank (start with it empty). 

All freshwater tanks have an overflow. Stop the water when it overflows and note the number of gallons your meter shows.

Mixing the solution

The recipe is ¼ cup basic Clorox Bleach (not scented) per 15 gallons of your freshwater tank size.  So you will have to do a little math. I like to mix it with some water in a clean 5-gallon bucket to dilute it a bit.

Now, you HAVE to use fresh Clorox that is within one year of its manufactured date and has been stored away from heat and direct sunlight. Otherwise, it becomes ineffective at killing the bad stuff. The manufacturer puts the date of manufacture on the bottle, but it takes just a bit of decoding:

Find the long sequence of numbers on the bottle. The first two are the plant code, the next two are the last two digits of the year, and the next three are how many days into that year it was produced. In the photo below, the production date was 2022 and the 234th day of the year. So August 22nd. That means if today is after August 22, 2023, the bleach is no good.

Filling your tank

Get this solution into your freshwater tank. Either use the “Sanitize” selection in your wet bay to pump the solution into your tank, then fill the tank until full.  Or, pour it into your freshwater tank and fill it the rest of the way. You want it to overflow just a bit so you know the solution touched the inside ceiling of your tank, a good place for “baddies” to live.

Remove filters

Remove any filters or filter cartridges in your RV, and replace the canister or housing so the solution flows freely through your system, and doesn’t clog any filter cartridges.

Sanitize water lines

Now, with your RV in dry camping mode, turn your water pump on and open each faucet in your RV until you can smell the chlorine…sort of smells like a swimming pool. Then shut that faucet off, and move to the next one, both cold and hot (If you didn’t bypass your water heater, it may take longer to smell the chlorine).  Do that with each faucet and shower.

Let it sit

Let your RV sit like this overnight, to hopefully kill any bacteria or “baddies” in your tank and lines.

Drain and flush

The next day, drain your freshwater tank completely.  You can open the freshwater tank to drain on the ground. The chlorine concentration is pretty low, but if concerned about pets or plants, then open a faucet or two and fill your gray tank. Remember, most gray tanks have a lower capacity than the freshwater tank, so be careful to not overfill it.

When drained, close the drain and add at least a few gallons, then turn your pump on and open each faucet until it smells clean.

Replace any removed filters or cartridges.

Check for leaks.

Go RVing!

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The post Sanitize Your Freshwater System first appeared on BJC RV Inspections and Repairs.

That is enough to get “baddies” on you and even in you.  So this post is how to stop the baddies from even getting into your RV water pipes and fresh water tank…from an RVer and RV Technician’s point of view.

Here’s “why”, “what’s not very good”, and what “is good” as a MINIMUM because there are a lot of excellent (and more costly) water filtration and purification systems out there that do better…sort of “you get what you pay for”, but this is the best advice for RVers to start with. And it’s what we use.

Why Filtration is Needed 

My thoughts center around sediment and chemicals.

Sediment is what I call floaties in the water.  Dirt or sand, undissolved minerals, cysts, amoebas, parasites, bacteria, viruses, and similar.

Many of these can clog up your RV water system, such as the aerator at the end of your faucets or the small piping in your tankless water heater.  Some can coat shower heads and electric elements in your tank-type water heater, rendering them less than effective.

What scares me the most is the Giardia parasite (because my Wife and I have had it, and the sickness is terrible. And, the other is the Naegleria Fowleri brain-eating amoeba that tragically took the life of an RVer in Texas recently. It has made countless RVers sick, and luckily, they received treatment in time.

I looked up the size of most of those two, and they are just larger that 0.5 micron (1 micron or so).  So choose a sediment filter that is 0.5 micron (half a micron) or smaller to filter those out of your RV.

Chemicals are dissolved in the water, some of which are good for us, but most are bad…some are REALLY bad. Pesticides, herbicides, volatile organic compounds, lead, nitrates, micro-plastics, pharmaceuticals, and even chlorine, to name several, should be removed as best as we can. A block of carbon that water can flow through works well at removing most of those.

What’s Not Very Effective

Some RV filters are not very effective or are effective only for a short time.

Sediment filters that are 1 micron or larger just don’t filter out all of what was mentioned above; they do some, but not all. Many RVs from the factory, if they have a canister filter, install a 5 micron sediment filter. Ineffective at filtering out the “baddies” mentioned above.

Granulated carbon filters are little pieces of carbon that you can hear when you shake the filter.  Those are prone to channeling, which is the water burrowing straight through the carbon pieces, pushing them aside, and eventually not going through them at all.

You know those blue, in-line water filters that are available at any RV section at hardware/big box stores or even RV Dealers? I like to call them “weekenders” because they are what I just described; they work okay, but not as long as you assume, and the water pushes aside the carbon, rendering the filter basically useless…giving you a false sense of effectiveness.

What’s Better for RVers

The very minimum for RVers is to use a 0.5 micron sediment filter, and a solid carbon block filter. Either a 2-stage filter, or a single stage that has both of those in one filter. I suggest the latter.

Also, avoid in-line filters, and use a canister-type filter that forces the water through the sides of the filter and its solid carbon block. Here is a photo of one I installed for an RVer, and how it works:

So here is the canister housing and filter I suggest, or ask me for it if I’m servicing your RV, this is the only water filter system I keep in my truck for customers, and use myself (I have the Pro version).

https://amzn.to/4nKVnck  A good canister filter housing, but toss the filter it comes with in the trash.

https://amzn.to/44SOqhI Is a link to the 0.5 micron sediment and carbon block filter. Oh, and these seem to last around 6 to 10 months. I have not noticed any reduction in water flow either.

Bonus Tip: 

Prior to connecting your potable water hose to the hydrant, open it up for a few seconds to flush out anything that may have settled in the hydrant (or crawled up inside, you know the song “The itsy bitsy spider crawled up the water spout…”)

I hope this helps your RVing experience to be “Fun, not frustrating!”

If you found this helpful, I would appreciate some coffee money by scrolling down near the bottom when you click on THIS PAGE HERE!

The post RV Water Filter Tips first appeared on BJC RV Inspections and Repairs.

• The dreaded poop pyramid.
  Yes, I said it, and most all of us have had it…the black tank seems full, but doesn’t drain. Most of the time that happens, there is a pile or pyramid of “stuff” in the black tank just below the toilet drain and it just sits there, not going down the sewer hose.
  
  To get rid of that pile, you need to use this flexible spray wand  that goes on the end of a garden hose.  With your foot on the flush pedal, stick this down the drain and turn it on and let the spray break up that pile and flush it down the sewer hose to the RV park sewer drain.
  
  To prevent it from happening again: Start with an empty black tank, flush your favorite RV Black Tank Treatment down the toilet per instruction, along with about 1 or 2 gallons of water (which usually is 2 toilet bowl fills).  Most black tank issues are due to not using enough water.  
  
  Occasionally you should use a digestor, such as this one to help break down sludge and grease buildup.
  
  Since we are on the subject of toilets, about every 4^th black tank dump, pour ¼ to ½ cup of vegetable oil down the toilet followed by 1 cup of water to help maintain and keep supple the gate valve rubber seals. Also, when your RV is sitting for a while, let some vegetable oil cover the black seal you can see in the bottom of the toilet bowl to keep it supple and sealing well.

• The awning catastrophe
  I have seen many people set up their RV, run the awning(s) out, then leave to head to the trail or grocery store, only to come back and find their awning ripped off the sidewall, or wrapped up over their RV.
  
  Awnings are expensive to repair or replace (mainly because it takes 2 RV Technicians), and are out of stock at most RV parts departments.
  
  Please, only deploy your RV awning if you are sitting under it, or need it to shade the windows while you are inside. NEVER leave your RV with the awning out, because you never know when a gust of wind will lift and mangle your awning.  Never leave it out if it’s windy at all, and not if it’s raining hard. 
  
  Some higher-end awnings have wind sensors that automatically retract the awning if needed.  I have worked on those and the owner said they will never trust them again.  Food for thought?

• The burned up water pump
  If you are dry camping, turn off your water pump when you leave the RV, and back on again when you return. I have seen and heard of RV’ers who have come back from a hike to find a burned up water pump because of a leak or dripping faucet and the freshwater tank ran dry. 
  
  Water pumps need water to lubricate and cool them.
  Usually the water pump switch will light up when it’s on, so it is easy to see when it’s on or to make sure it’s turned off (not lit) when you are headed out to enjoy the outdoors.
  

• The flooded RV
  While traveling, always turn off your water pump. I’ve heard of faucet handles jiggling open during the bouncing around of travelling down the road, or a water fitting coming loose…and when the driver stopped, they found a flooded RV with the water pump running.
  
  Similarly, when staying at an RV park and you leave for the day, turn off the water at the hydrant.  A blown fitting can cause flooding in your RV and you don’t know about it until it’s too late.  Also, I have been at RV parks where they perform a water system flush, sending sandy dirty water to your RV and clogging your filter when you’re gone.

All four of these items take just a few seconds to do, and will hopefully keep RVing fun, not frustrating!
Remember to visit my RVing Products page for more information and links to Amazon products I recommend.

Keep checking back to my website for more “Oops, wish I knew that” content!

See you down the road!

The post Wish I Knew Those Too (2) first appeared on BJC RV Inspections and Repairs.

When repairing an RV, I often hear “Oops, wish I knew that!” when I explain the issue could have been avoided.  At risk of losing business, and keeping with my theme of “RVing should be fun, not frustrating”, here are 4 things you should do (or not do) to avoid calling a costly mobile technician:

• RV refrigerators have to be level. Most RV’s have an absorption style of refrigerator. They can run on either 120 volt AC and propane. They heat a chemical liquid in a tank that turns to gas, which rises to the upper back of your fridge. As that gas cools (and cools your food), it returns to a liquid flowing back to the tank through zig-zag tubing like a roller-coaster set at a slight slope of 7 degrees.  That’s not much of an angle, but if it were steeper, it wouldn’t cool your food.
  If your RV is not level, that liquid will not flow back to the tank and crystalize. That causes a blockage in that tube and your fridge no longer cools. 
  Here’s the “oops” moment…that blockage can not be un-blocked.  You will have to replace your cooling unit or refrigerator, which is very costly.
  
  When your RV fridge is on, keep it within 5 degrees of level. I suggest using a bubble level and if any part of that bubble touches the center, it’s within 5 degrees. 

• Always use a water pressure regulator when hooked up to “city water.” Water leaks in an RV are bad, and when fittings leak where you cannot see them, it’s devastating. Many of them are from fittings blowing out due to high pressure, which could be avoided. 
  RV manufacturers pressure test new RV plumbing systems at about 60 psi of water pressure. Many homes and most RV parks have pressures from 75 psi to over 100 psi.
  The Oops moment comes when you find out your RV has a slow drip or a full spray where you cannot see it until too late! Water damage can be costly or ruin your RV.
  Water pressure regulators are pre-set to around 55 psi, which is less than what your RV is rated to handle. They are inexpensive and you should always connect one on the end of your potable water hose. You can also get a type that you can adjust the pressure, but please remember, 60 psi is the “break and spray” threshold.

• Harming your battery. Most RV’s have one (or more) 12 volt “Marine Deep Cycle” battery. Deep cycle batteries are considered dead at about 50% of charge, and that’s when they should be re-charged back to full. To be more specific, they’re fully charged at 12.7 volts and are fully depleted at 11.6 volts (which is actually 50% of charge).  Yes, you read that right… 11.6 volts on a 12 volt battery is depleted. 
  The “Oops, wish I knew that” comes when the RV owner realizes they ran their battery below that 50% several times until it was totally dead and will no longer hold a full charge. Or, worse yet, the battery starts stinking like rotten eggs when being charged, which is an explosive gas and very dangerous to your health. That stink comes from your RV converter trying to charge a ruined battery with over 14 volts, boiling the acid in the battery.
  Most RV’s have a battery meter or lights to show their available power, when those lights get to half, it’s time to recharge them. 
  Also, a couple of times per year, check the water level of each cell. See the rectangular covers on the batteries in the photo below? if your has those, they can be popped off to check the water levels. As batteries re-charge, the fluids evaporate. Check to make sure water is equal in each cell, covering the lead plates, and to the bottom of the filler tube (you may need a flashlight). Use distilled or purified water.

• Your water pump switch doesn’t need to be on when your RV is hooked to city water. Your water pump is only used to pump water from your fresh water storage tank to your faucets and toilet when “boondocking”.  When you attach potable water hose to your house or RV park’s hydrant, the water pressure from that source causes the flow to your fixtures. You can turn off your water pump then.
  The “Oops, wish I knew that” comes when you have to replace a burned-out water pump.

The post Wish I Knew… first appeared on BJC RV Inspections and Repairs.