Question about the procedure for Sanitizing the Fresh Water system with bleach

[MAG]

The directions from Oliver on sanitizing the fresh water system describe drawing a bleach solution in through the back bumper connection, and then connecting a fresh water hose to the fresh connection port to finish filling the tank.  

At the moment we have a Calmark cover on our Ollie, and the edges of the back bumper have protection secured in place to protect the cover from rips.  To follow the above directions I would need to undo the cover, remove the protective corner  pieces, and then proceed.

What if instead, I pour the bleach down the fresh water hose, and connect it to the Fresh Water Connection and fill the tank with water, and do not use the back bumper at all in the sanitizing process?  Maybe the pipe between the back bumper and fresh water tank needs bleach too, and it would not get any?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Mike and Carol]

Whenever I sanitize the fresh tank I pour some bleach (a couple of glugs) down the hose and then connect the hose to my water source and fill the tank. I don’t use the back bumper water connection so I’m not worried about sanitizing it.  Mike

[SeaDawg]

What is the bumper water connection?.  2008 owner here. Only discharge, in the bumper compartment. 

[MAG]

1 minute ago, SeaDawg said:

What is the bumper water connection?.  2008 owner here. Only discharge, in the bumper compartment. 

Our 2014 Ollie has a water connection in the back bumper for intake of antifreeze or water.  In Jason's description of Sanitizing the Fresh Water System he calls it the rear winterization/boondock port.

 

Am grateful for the support the folks on this Forum provide!  My thanks to you and Mike!

[dewdev]

1 hour ago, Mike and Carol said:

Whenever I sanitize the fresh tank I pour some bleach (a couple of glugs) down the hose and then connect the hose to my water source and fill the tank. I don’t use the back bumper water connection so I’m not worried about sanitizing it.  Mike

Mike - What hose are you referring to?

[John E Davies]

Common sense says you should add a bleach solution to all three of fresh water inlets, because they can breed bacteria just like all the other parts of the system. (You can skip the black flush port….) If you never ever drink the water straight out of the tank, you can maybe get away with not treating those areas. But if one does get contaminated, the next time you use that port, for example the City Water connection, it is going to carry the bad stuff straight into your tanks and water lines.

I once spent most of an afternoon sitting in my camp chair at an RV park watching the nearby dump station in operation. I lost count of the number of owners who filled their fresh water tanks straight from the non-potable water hose, which was painted red and attached to a labeled red post. The fresh water hose with its blue post was prominently positioned 100 feet away, in direct line of sight of the driver…..

So I guess you need to ask yourself that famous Clint Eastwood line, “Do you feel lucky?”

Treat the entire system or not at all, because doing it part way won’t work. Read this: https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/ecoli-symptoms.html

John Davies

Spokane WA

[Mike and Carol]

10 hours ago, dewdev said:

Mike - What hose are you referring to?

The hose that I fill my fresh tank with.  I hook it up to the trailer, pour some bleach into the hose, hold the hose up so the bleach moves toward the trailer, then hook the hose to my fresh water faucet and fill the fresh tank.  Mike

[ScubaRx]

On 7/21/2022 at 8:16 PM, SeaDawg said:

What is the bumper water connection?.  2008 owner here. Only discharge, in the bumper compartment. 

Yours is located under the starboard side bed near the water pump. It consists of a short length of hose that you can drop over into a container of water. Just like in the current models you will have to reverse your valves, although yours will be two 3-way valves instead of four on/off valves. Turn on the water pump and you’re putting water in the fresh tank. 

[SeaDawg]

17 hours ago, ScubaRx said:

Yours is located under the starboard side bed near the water pump. It consists of a short length of hose that you can drop over into a container of water. Just like in the current models you will have to reverse your valves, although yours will be two 3-way valves instead of four on/off valves. Turn on the water pump and you’re putting water in the fresh tank. 

Thanks, Steve. That's how we do it.and, many times.

But, your explanation will help a new owner of a pre-loved 2008, someday, I'm sure.

As you know, our older trailers have no intake in the bumper.

I have sent photos of the original manual to a number of  second owners of our older elites.

No 2008 manual in University.