I'm approaching time to dewinterize, and remembered my gravity fill consists of a pipe plug in the top of the fresh water tank inside a cabinet. It's actually higher than the opening of the cabinet door so not a good gravity fill. Has anyone just used the antifreeze hose and pump to inject a clorox-water mixture and flipped the tank fill valve on? Seems like it would work but wondering if it puts too rich of a mixture in the plumbing before it gets to the tank.
Using antifreeze valve to sanitize system
- Thread starter Mile High
- Start date
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HappyWanderer
Well-known member
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That's exactly how I do it.
Rene T
Site Team
That will work and will not hurt any of your piping. Do you have a valve that allows you to fill the fresh water tank while hook up to shore power? If you do, some people just pour the bleach in the empty hose, connect it to the RV then turn on the water filling the tank with the bleach. .
I do have a tank fill valve off the fresh water side. My hose is on an electric reel, but that should make too much of a difference. I've had trouble in the past pouring direct bleach into anything as it fogged my tubing a couple of coaches ago. I try to dilute the bleach in at least a couple of gallons, but I may be too cautious.Rene T said:
John Canfield
Site Team
There is absolutely no issue with a forum member asking a question, that is the reason this forum exists. Otherwise we could pull the plug and refer everybody to a search engine.mel s said:
Charlie 5320
Well-known member
Using the antifreeze valve on my Dolphin won't sanitize the tank on my coach. It has a separate fill valve, so you either fill the tank or the lines on city water. Using the antifreeze valve only supplys the pump and lines.
I think I may be OK, as my tank fill seems to be downstream of the pump, and the antifreeze valve is upstream of the pump. At least I know if I accidently leave the tank fill open the pump wont shut off as it just circulates water.
I do have drawings, I guess I should look.
I do have drawings, I guess I should look.
John Canfield
Site Team
Winnebago started eliminating gravity fill on some (all?) models a few years ago undoubtedly to save maybe ten bucks in production costs. I heard this was a controversial decision and the topic of discussion with product managers, but the bean counters prevailed. That was a very, very bad decision, apparently the bean counters don't have much if any hands-on camping experience.Mile High said:
The gravity fill is essential for some non-commercial campgrounds that don't provide your typical hose faucet. When we were going to dry camp for a week in Alaska (Denali), the only way we could fill the FW tank at the staging area was via gravity.
John Canfield said:
John (& Mile High)
My coach, like many RVs, has no "gravity fill".
I carry a 2nd spare/replacement 12V RV water pump.
If/when I boondock. (or stay in a campsite without a water faucet), I use that pump to pump water from a bucket, (or from a 5 gallon plastic water jug), into the water tank through the hose fitting.
Mel
'96 Safrai
John Canfield
Site Team
Good tip Mel! It's also smart to carry a spare water pump. Not having a spare kept us from a Province campground in BC on our way back from Alaska. Lesson learned many years ago.mel s said:
