How much bleach?

[gus]

We drink the water from our tank all the time. We start out in the spring with a tank full from our well then use whatever we get in RV parks along the way.

Sometimes we wait a day or two for the tiny bit of bleach odor to decrease but we've never had any problem. I can see how it would be a problem if much larger amounts of bleach are used, but just a tiny bit is plenty just to take away the initial stale odor of the tank.

To me a filter is just another gadget to clean and, in the case of good well water, it ruins the taste.

[Chopper Scott]

I don't even brush my teeth using the storage water from the bus. I generally throw some Clorox in the tank at the beginning of the year. Where do you get the food grade peroxide Cliff? I'd like to give that a try. Is that what happened to your hair?.....

[HB of CJ]

Just keep adding a little bit (like a pinch per gallon or soss) until the bleach smell goes away.  The amount will vary.  A little too much Vitamin C will not hurt.  Just mix the Vitamin C laced Coach water with any cheap alcohol to prevent SCURVY!!!, as we all know alcohol does this soss well.   HB of CJ (old coot) 

[white-eagle]

Just keep adding a little bit (like a pinch per gallon or soss) until the bleach smell goes away.  The amount will vary.  A little too much Vitamin C will not hurt.  Just mix the Vitamin C laced Coach water with any cheap alcohol to prevent SCURVY!!!, as we all know alcohol does this soss well.   HB of CJ (old coot) 

So the vitamin C could be orange juice concentrate, mix with vodka, add bus tank water in the form of liquid and frozen.  i think i've tried that and unless you use Rickb's 1/4 cup, the bleach taste is gone after the first one.  you probably wouldn't even taste the 1/4 cup after 3 or 4 of these on a hot day.   great suggestion. 
We add a touch of bleach when i think our water is stale which doesn't happen often because we try to use it up before we fill.  i drink out of our tank, after the filter.  my wife prefers the bottled stuff.

[JohnEd]

I err on the side of caution.  Especially since the C is so easy to get out of the water.  Heating it seems to work and letting a unsealed container sit for a few hours takes care of it also.  Nothing defeats the taste of the mint in my toothpaste....even my morning breath and that used to trigger Bio alarms in the military.

John

[akroyaleagle]

Here's my way:

We've done this several times after storage and once when we got bad water. The water system is fine afterward and we use it to cook and drink. This is probably less bleach than is recommend for cleaning raw vegetables.

I pour a gallon of bleach down my well a couple times a year and let sit overnight. Then make sure to flush all cold lines thoroughly.

I would not draw the water through the hot water heater.

Freshening water tank

To get started the fresh water tank should be empty. With the hose hooked to the fresh water fill, use a measuring cup and pour 1 cup of household bleach per fifty gallons of water into the end of the hose.
Then, hook that end of the hose up to the water source and fill the tank.
Let this sit for 12-24 hours.
Drain the tank.
This is a relatively small amount of chlorine but could leave a slight smell/taste in your water system. To eliminate this: hook your hose to your fresh water fill. Mix a slurry (pourable liquid) of water and baking soda, 1 cup per fifty gallons of water and pour into the hose then hook the hose up to the water source and fill the tank. Let sit for 12-24 hours and drain.
You are then ready to fill your holding tanks with fresh water.

[les marston]

If you want to add bleach to your tank please consider this. House hold bleach runs between 3 and 6% when they make it. The type of chlorine in it is  sodium hypochlorite and this is the part of the "bleach" that does the job you want i.e. sanitize
 Each 1% is equal to 10,000 parts per million. Normal municipal water systems try to maintain about .5 to .75 parts per million residual chlorine to maintain the sanitary condition of the water in the system.
 Sodium hypochlorite has a shelf life of about 90 to 120 days so when it is made the bottling company adds a stabilizer chemical to it to try to keep it active for a longer period of time. This chemical is a known carcinogenic and should not be added to any potable system.
In years gone by some sources have advocated using house hold bleach as a sanitizer for potable water but now no credible source would.
 You want to introduce a hypochlorite to the water to maintain a sanitary system?
 PLEASE use a calcium hypochlorite instead. Most often it has no stabilizer chemical because the calcium is a better binder for the hypochlorite than sodium and it usually comes in a dry powder form and is often in the 66 to 70% range.
 Keep in mind that each 1% is equal to 10,000 parts per million and you only want .5 to .75 p.p.m
 Well you do the math based on the size of your holding tank.
 If you get to much chlorine in the tank it can be neutralized with sodium meta bisulfate but make sure you well flush your tank after to get rid of the extra chemistry.
 To the fellow who has the 2 part filter, it is the carbon part of the filter that is removing the chlorine.
Hope this helps
 

[Chopper Scott]

Actually pouring a couple shots of Seagrams Seven in my drinking water helps. If I had a newer bus I would try the Eight or Nine. Never was a fan of the Seagrams 102 A3 or whatever.The guys with the million dollar s&s's use Crown but I save that for when I'm driving!

[gus]

OK Les, I'm convinced.

Where do I find calcium hypochlorite and what is its household name?

[JohnEd]

Les,

And this is your first post?  Can't wait till you hit your stride.

This chemical is a known carcinogenic and should not be added to any potable system.

So, Clifford, how much hydrogen peroxide do we add to 50 gallons of water?  And will it whiten my teeth and make me less offensive.  Really, how much?

Thanks,

John

[RJ]

Where do I find calcium hypochlorite and what is its household name?

Gus -

You can pick it up at any swimming pool supply store, such as Leslie's.  Commonly called "Cal-Hypo", usually comes in 1 lb. bags, or you can get it in bulk buckets. 

Beware!  Cal-hypo is more dangerous and unstable than other forms of chlorine in that it is very dusty and becomes contaminated easily by foreign substances which can cause combustion. Mix this product with water only and don't breathe the dust. Keep the lid tightly secured and clean.


All -

Recommended chlorine residual in swimming pools is 1 - 3 parts per million, and for spas/hot tubs is 3 - 5 ppm.  At those levels, 90% of folk cannot smell and/or taste the chlorine, and obviously the levels are low enough not to be harmful. 

As was mentioned earlier, liquid pool chlorine is the least expensive form of sodium hypochlorite (bleach), and is most commonly found in 10% or 12% concentrations - basically double what you'd get with Chlorox (using that name in a similar fashion as we use the term Kleenex).  You can pick up pool chlorine not only at a pool supply store, but also at Lowe's, Home Depot, sometimes even at Wally World and your neighborhood grocery store.

If you don't want to carry liquid chlorine around all the time, another option is Sodium Dichloro-S-Triazinetrione, more commonly known as Di-Chlor.  Often sold in 1 lb bags as "shock", it's virtually pH neutral with roughly a 55 - 60% concentration.  Dissolves rapidly in water, so it's easily mixed.  For a 100-gallon holding tank, 1/8 to 1/4 level teaspoon would be just about all you'd need.  Has a really long shelf-life, so it could be kept in a Tupperware-like container (properly labeled!!!) somewhere out of the way.  I've even used 1/8th teaspoon in the washer (using HOT water) to get rid of that mildew-like smell in bath towels.  Most often found in pool supply stores (Leslie's), but cases of 24 bags are frequently carried at Sam's and Costco. 

Or, simply drain, rinse and refill your fresh water tank. . .

FWIW & HTH. . .

 

[gus]

RJ,

He didn't say sodium hypochlorite, he said calcium hypochlorite??

Evidently there is a big difference but he hasn't answered my question yet.

[RJ]

RJ,

He didn't say sodium hypochlorite, he said calcium hypochlorite??

Evidently there is a big difference but he hasn't answered my question yet.

Gus -

I sorta answered your question on Les's behalf.

Sodium Hypochlorite is commonly known as bleach in household strength (Clorox), or liquid chlorine in swimming pool strength.

Calcium Hypochlorite is a powder commonly known as Cal-Hypo.  As I said before, it's most easily found at your local swimming pool supply store, such as Leslie's.

Here's a link to a pretty decent discussion about the various types of chlorine.  Altho geared to the hot tub/spa market, the basics are the basics.

http://www.rhtubs.com/chlorine.htm

FWIW & HTH. . .

 

[gus]

RJ,

This is weird, I'm sure I answered your post recently but it is obviously not here?? Maybe I had another senior moment!!

After reading your link I think I see why powdered Calcium Hypochlorite isn't used, it is pretty hazardous to use if mixed incorrectly. None of those problems with liquid bleach.

At any rate, we use bleach in such small quantities I don't think it will ever be a problem.