Water Tank Sanitizing ?

I know people from culligan locally. I've been asking around today. This would be a great addition or upgrade to any bus who does not currently have something like this.

A RO system about the size of a fat briefcase and about 500 bucks and easily installed sounds like a smart thing to do if nothing else.

How big and what is the recovery rate on yours Phroner and what about yours John what is the recovery on yours and how big is it?. The recovery rate on a system that is compact might be 2 or 3 gal per hr?

So if you have about 5 days headway for a trip one could fill a fresh water tank from empty with good water from home pushed through a compact, easy to install system? Then always run off the tank and pump even at a campground and constantly replenish the tank with campground water pushed through the system about 25 gal a day or so?

Would that be correct? Comments and suggestions and pictures welcome:rolleyes:

Gary,

I have a water filtration system on my coach. I'm not sure how it works but the water and ice tastes good and there is no odor ever from the fresh water tank. Once a year I connect a hose to it, run water thru it, and set the timer for 30 minutes. This back flushes it - then it is good to go for another year.

If you want some more information on it let me know.

I just came back from Costco, buying a battery for my bus generator. While checking the RO system they sell in the store another customer told me about a new one available on-line that is 'no waste'.
RO systems spit about 4 gallons down the drain for every gallon they purify. This model is more expensive but does not waste any water, a very important item for an RV. The size looks about the same as mine, which is mounted under the sink.

We usually refill our Dasani and other expensive water bottles a time or two out of the filtered water. I am sure we have paid for our system several times over with just the saving on water. Checking the back of the Dasani bottle will reveal that their water uses exactly the same process as as the Watts-Costco system.

Am I cheap? Probably in this regard but those pennies do add up. I am guessing that saving money is one of the reasons many of us belong to this great group!:rolleyes:

Darl,I don't believe that system is a real RO system because it states that it reduces impurities.I have a industrial RO system in my manufacturing plant and it makes 10 GPM and uses 2 GPM to discharge the impurities.Based on the description the Cosco unit appears to be a filter.Chlorine in short order will destroy a DI or RO system.My experence has been that I want chlorinated water (city water) in my fresh water tank because it will be good for several weeks.Jack

If you have chlorinated water and want to protect the integrity of the RO unit you must have a charcoal filter ahead of the RO unit to assure that chlorine has been removed.

I think that there is much too much concern here. Public water systems are required to maintain a free chlorine residual of between 0.2 and 0.5 ppm.

When chlorine is added to a water supply, it is consumed by natural organic material that may be present, and is also impacted by temperature, pH, and even sunlight.

After so much of the chlorine is "consumed", there is some left, which is referred to as a free chlorine residual, and means that there is still some chlorine left to disinfect the surfaces that it comes into contact with. Accordingly, your fresh water tank has some protection afforded it if you use a municipal water supply on a regular basis.

A reverse-osmosis system is probably the best at removing most contaminants, but wastes a significant amount of water in the process. Not a big concern if you are using it solely for the refer or perhaps a single sink outlet. Essentially, it passes water, under significant pressure, through a membrane that is sized to allow only the water molecules through. The volume of water that doesn't get through is sent to waste. Of course, this quantity is determined to a certain extent on how clean the water is to start with.

Personally, I feel that there is very little chance of a health risk when using public water supplies in a bus water storage system that is kept reasonably clean.

I would worry more about keeping it leak-free than microbe-free...

And keep those ice cubes sterile with liberal amounts of alcohol!!

Good comments Paul. I must say I was surprised to here that Jon will not use it even for ice and he is not alone either.

I can land a pretty good unit for nothing a side from some new filters and installation and am considering it.

Paul, you're the guy with experience in these things so I'll defer to the expert. The only reason I use the RO system in my house is to improve the taste of my water. I couldn't count the times I've gulped water out of a mountain stream or from a bubbling spring. I am sure many times there were cattle and other animals upstream doing the same thing while urinating, etc. in the water. In my almost 70 years, to my knowledge, I was never sickened by water, even when I lived over ten years in Mexico.

I have some experience with water stored in polypropylene tanks in RVs. When I owned my RV business we would often find algae, bugs, and other junk inside of freshwater tanks. These were always because the security of the tank was not intact. People would remove the wood covers or they were exposed to sunlight in some manner and almost instantly green growth appeared. Loose or missing caps/vents allowed bugs, dust or other debris inside. In short, contamination occurred mostly as a result of carelessness, not because of the liquid introduced into the tank.

I don't have an RO system on my bus. I am very careful about the source of my water. Like Jon, we drink mostly bottled water and use the Walmart gallons for coffeee. We do use the ice made by the ice maker in the coach. And like Paul, I think if integrity is maintained while water is introduced into the tank we will be safe without elaborate measures.

Jack, the Watts system advertised and sold by Costco states it is RO. I haven't vetted Costco so they might be like some of our political candidates.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Joe Cannarozzi

Thanks Paul now I can tell Deb that I had to add a little rum to the cold drink to disinfect the ice:rolleyes:

Hmmmmmmmm, how can I disinfect the coffee???????????:eek:

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Hey Joe, A shot of Baileys to the coffee, should do it! :D

Gary S.

I have been out in the bus since Friday, learning more about it's inner workings, and finding nooks and crannies to store stuff in, and having a great time, so I have not been keeping up with my posts, SORRY.

Now about this thread I started, "SANITIZING the Tanks. I truly believe it would be a smart thing to sanitize and treat the tank and lines of the bus, at least once a year, but again everybody has to be happy with the labor involved in doing it. (Like everything else that is done on these buss's.)

Ray, here is the web site I got "Bills" Information from, http://rvbasics.com/techtips/sanitiz...er-system.html and I called my pool supply store to check out this chemical, and it is designed to be put and LEFT in the water to sterilize and sanitize, tanks and lines. It has to be carefully administered to the tank.

Even the owner of my bus, Jerry stated that he sanitized this tank at least once a year, and he used the Clorox Treatment, but with this treatment you have to treat, drain, refill, and probably drain and refill again?

I believe I will still look into the Thetford Chemical procedure as well, which is designed for bus use.

I also found on the bus this weekend a "Pure Water Enterprises" tank for something to do with the water system, ( their phone listing is N/A ) and a removable canister water filter, which I could not see any markings on, but will be trying to remove and replace this unit, soon.

See Ya'll in a couple of weeks.

Gary S.