How Do You Clean An RV Fresh Water Tank
How often do RV owners sanitize their water systems and fresh water tanks? If you ask around at a campground, chances are most people won’t even know what you mean.
Related Product: Keep your RV freshwater tank clean using a Beech Lane RV Dual Water Filter System (click to view on Amazon)
Sanitizing your RV water system should be done at least once a year. If your camper has been in storage or the fresh water tank hasn’t been used for months, it’s essential to sanitize it for safety, smell, and taste.
Bad odors are often a clear sign it’s time to sanitize. Keeping your water system and tanks clean is crucial, even if you don’t drink the water, to avoid algae, slime, or harmful bacteria that can damage your plumbing and cost a fortune to fix.
See Also: Best RV Water Hose For Drinking Water
Many skip RV maintenance because it seems like too much work, but sanitizing the water system is simple and mostly involves waiting.
Let’s break down how it’s done.
How do you know when it’s time to clean/sanitize your RV water lines and system?
If your camper has been in storage, parked with water in the fresh water tank for months, or has a strange smell, it’s time to sanitize with bleach.
Even after visiting a campground with questionable water quality, sanitizing your system should be your first step. This applies even if you only connected a water hose to the city water inlet, as bacteria and microorganisms can linger in the pipes and cause problems later.
Using an RV filtration system to clean water before it enters your camper is a smart preventative measure. If you’re dealing with algae or slime, a thorough cleaning of the entire water system and pipes is essential.
How to clean/sanitize your RV water system/lines
Sanitizing your RV water system is a very easy and straightforward process.
It doesn’t take a lot of preparation or cost a lot of money. There are six things you’re going to need:
- Access to potable water and place to dump the grey tank – Since we’re going to fill the fresh water tank and drain it several times, access to potable water and a place to dump that water is a necessity. See Also: How To Find Nearby RV Dump Stations & Fresh Water Fill-Up
- A clean fresh water hose
- Regular Bleach (Like Clorox) – This is what’s going to clean the whole water system thoroughly.
- Funnel – Used to pour our bleach + water mix into the fresh water tank
- One gallon container – You don’t want to dump bleach straight into your holding tank without mixing it with some water first.
- 1/4 Cup Measuring Cup – We’re going to mix 1/4 cup of regular bleach with water for every 15 gallons of your fresh water holding tank. For example, 1 cup bleach for a 60-gallon holding tank.
Step 1: Make sure you’re not connected to city water
Step 2: Turn off the water pump and water heater, then drain the water heater.
This is done by removing the drain plug, often found in the lower left corner, usually accessed on the outside by opening the water heater door.
When empty, screw the drain plug back on.
There is normally a water heater bypass located where the water pipes go into it.
In order to stop the water heater from refilling again, you will need to access the inside of the water heater and turn off the hot and cold water pipes.
There should be a single valve between them you can open to bypass the heater.
Step 3: Drain the whole water system in your RV by turning on faucets and emptying the gray water tank.
Step 4: Bypass any internal or external filters. If not possible, change the filters when done sanitizing.
Step 5: Fill your fresh water tank with potable water until it’s about 1/3 full.
It doesn’t have to be exact, but we want it to be somewhat filled, although not all the way full.
Step 6: Now we’re going to make our bleach mix.
For every 15 gallons, we want 1/4 cup.
If you have a 45-gallon water tank, use 3/4 cup in total. Add bleach to the one-gallon container and then fill it up with potable water.
Step 7: Pour the mix you just made into your fresh water holding tank.
Then fill your fresh water tank with potable water until almost full.
Step 8: You can now open the water heater valves, turn on your water pump, and turn on one faucet at a time in your RV.
Let the bleach water run through your water lines until the water smells like bleach, then turn it off and do the next one.
You should be able to smell bleach after a minute or two.
Step 9: Now we have to wait. Waiting for at least 3 hours is recommended. I usually wait 12 hours to make sure the bleach can do its job.
Step 10: After X hours has passed it’s time to start the draining process.
Open the grey tank valve and empty it, leave it open during the draining process.
Step 11: Turn on your water pump and the faucets again. Let them run through your water lines until your fresh water holding tank is empty.
Step 12: Refill the fresh water holding tank with clean water, turn on faucets again, and repeat.
Refill and empty until the water coming out of your taps doesn’t smell like bleach anymore.
I also recommend draining the hot water heater again using the plug.
Step 13: When you can’t smell any bleach, you’re done!
Before you turn your water heater back on, make sure there is no air in it by turning on the hot water faucet in your kitchen sink.
It’s easy to damage the water heater if it’s turned on with air inside of it.
See Also: Best RV Water Hose For Drinking Water
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an alternative to using bleach?
Yes, there are alternatives to using bleach for sanitizing your RV water system. Some popular options include:
- Hydrogen Peroxide: Food-grade hydrogen peroxide (3%) can be used as a natural disinfectant. It’s effective against bacteria, algae, and slime without the strong smell of bleach. Use about 1/2 cup per 40 gallons of water in your fresh water tank.
- White Vinegar: Vinegar is a natural and eco-friendly option for removing odors and bacteria. Mix 1 gallon of vinegar per 15 gallons of water in your tank. While less powerful than bleach, it’s a good alternative for light cleaning.
- RV-Specific Sanitizers: There are commercial products designed for RV water systems, such as Camco TastePURE or Thetford Aqua-Clean. These are safe for RV plumbing.
Each alternative has its pros and cons, so choose one based on the level of cleaning required and your preference for chemicals versus natural options.
If I add twice the amount of bleach, will it get done faster?
No, adding twice as much bleach won’t be any more effective and will not make it work harder and faster.
Don’t start the process if you don’t have enough time and won’t have access to potable water.
Can I put bleach in my black tank to clean and sanitize it?
I don’t recommend putting bleach in your black tank, but RV holding tank treatment like the Happy Campers Organic RV Holding Tank Treatment (click to view on Amazon) will help clean the black tank and break down anything left inside.
See Also: How To Maintain RV Holding Tanks To Prevent Clogs & Odors
What kind of bleach is best to sanitize the RV water system?
Chlorine bleach, non-scented and non-gel.
Can I dump bleach straight into my fresh water holding tank without mixing it with water first?
No, this won’t be good for your water lines and holding tank. Mix it with water first.
How to sanitize and clean the RV water system and lines without using bleach?
If you don’t want to use bleach, Camco sells a mixture they call TastePURE (click to view on Amazon) that you can use instead.
The instructions for how it’s done can be found on the container itself. I have seen these for sale at regular stores as well.
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How to sanitize RV water lines only and not fresh water holding tank?
To sanitize only your camper’s water lines without the freshwater holding tank, you can pump a bleach-and-water mixture through the city water connection. Here’s how:
- Using a Portable Water Pump: Mix bleach and water, then use a portable water pump to push the solution into your city water inlet.
- Using a Water Hose: Fill your water hose with the bleach-and-water mixture, hold the hose upright to keep the solution inside, and connect it to the city water inlet. Once connected, attach the other end to a potable water source and turn it on.
- Sanitize the Lines: Open your faucets until you smell bleach, then turn them off and let the solution sit in the lines for at least three hours.
- Flush the System: Turn the faucets back on to rinse out the bleach. Make sure the grey tank valve is open to prevent it from overflowing.
See Also: How To Maintain RV Holding Tanks To Prevent Clogs & Odors
How often should I sanitize my RV water system?
For full-time RV living, it’s a good idea to sanitize your water system twice a year.
If you only camp during the summer and store your RV during the off-season, sanitize the system once in the spring when you bring it out of storage.
What RV water filtration system do you recommend?
We have a post on the best RV water filtration systems that you can find by clicking here!
How do I sanitize my RV sewer hose?
To sanitize my RV sewer hose, I use a bleach-and-water solution:
Sealed Hose Method:
- Mix bleach and water in a bucket.
- Pour the solution into the sewer hose with a cap on one end.
- Fill the hose with water until nearly full, then cap the other end.
- Let it sit for 1–2 hours before thoroughly rinsing with water.
Submersion Method (if caps aren’t available):
- Prepare a bleach-and-water solution in a large bucket or container that can hold the entire hose.
- Submerge the sewer hose completely and leave it overnight.
- Rinse thoroughly inside and out with water.
See Also: Best Heated Water Hoses For RV Campers, Barns & Livestock
How dangerous is bleach to deal with?
Bleach isn’t toxic but can irritate your eyes, skin, lungs, and mouth, so handle it with care and never ingest it.
Avoid contact with clothing and hair, as bleach will discolor them.
After sanitizing your RV’s freshwater tank or water lines, ensure no bleach remains. Rinse thoroughly, even if it means refilling the tank and flushing the system multiple times. It’s worth the effort to make sure everything is clean and safe.
My water system, lines, and hoses still smell like bleach after rinsing through all of them, what can I do?
If your RV water system, lines, or hoses still have a bleach smell after multiple rinses, you can neutralize it with a baking soda solution:
For Water Systems and Lines:
- Mix 1/2 cup of baking soda with a gallon of water.
- Pour the solution into the freshwater holding tank.
- Run your faucets to distribute the mixture throughout the water lines.
- Let it sit for a couple of hours.
- Drain the tank by running the taps until empty, then refill with fresh water and rinse thoroughly.
For Hoses:
- Prepare a larger batch of the baking soda solution, enough to submerge the hoses.
- Soak the hoses in the solution for a couple of hours.
- Rinse the hoses thoroughly, flushing them with clean water, until the bleach smell is gone.
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Let me know if you have any questions about any of the processes we’ve gone through above by leaving a comment.
Does the bleach damage the plastic? I’ve always been told that bleach will damage the plastic in refrigerator and not to use it on plastic.
Hi Sue,
If you use a diluted solution and make sure you rinse it out, it shouldn’t damage the plastic.
I wish someone would give an alternative to bleach.