Sanitizing Hot water lines

[SweetHomeFarm]

We went out today and began to sanitize our system. We drained all the tanks 1st as directed from the Google machine.

When we went to go bypass the instant hot water heater, we noticed there was only a cutoff going to the inlet on the water heater, there was not a way to get water to the hot water lines without going through the water heater.
So my question is, do I need to add a bypass? How do y'all get the hot water lines sanitized if your in my situation?

Thanks in advance and y'alls advice is always appreciated,

Evan and Raye

 

[HueyPilotVN]

`Are you asking about sanitize or winterize.

You can sanitize by using the correct amount of bleach in the water and then rinsing.

 

[SweetHomeFarm]

Sanitize. I was told that I had to avoid bleach in the water heater because it's caustic

 

[Rene T]

When sanitizing, you want to do the entire system including the water heater. Can you give us a picture of the back the heater showing the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe?

 

[CharlesinGA]

The best product to use for water system sanitation and water treatment is Purogene. If you follow the link, at the bottom are links to some PDF files with information on the mixing of the Purogene and citric acid crystals, which you then pour into your fresh water tank and top it with fresh water.

Charles

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

If you don't sanitize the water heater, you may be preserving a bacterial colony that will just reinfect the rest of the system. The water heater gets a dose of whatever sanitizing agent you use and let it sit for the prescribed time. Bleach is cheap and works well. At the concentrations and times you use it there is no issue with corrosive effects.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Ex-Calif]

There is a lot of old wives tales about neutralizing bleach. IN open air vinegar should not be used to neutralize bleach.

Having said that vinegar is used by lots of boaters for general freshening.

I personally cleaned my water lines with a mild bleach solution, then followed up with a vinegar solution to get rid of bleachy smell/taste. Then fresh water.

There are apparently pool chemicals that neutralize bleach as well.

But I am in agreement with Mark - the few times you are going to run bleach through the hot water tank I would not worry about it.

 

[Rene T]

If you don't sanitize the water heater, you may be preserving a bacterial colony that will just reinfect the rest of the system. The water heater gets a dose of whatever sanitizing agent you use and let it sit for the prescribed time. Bleach is cheap and works well. At the concentrations and times you use it there is no issue with corrosive effects.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

1/4 cup of bleach for every 15 gallons of water

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

When we went to go bypass the instant hot water heater, we noticed there was only a cutoff going to the inlet on the water heater, there was not a way to get water to the hot water lines without going through the water heater.

It would be an unusual "heater bypass" that didn't bypass the tank. Maybe some home-grown substitute? Or is it simply that you only see one valve near the inlet? The standard single valve design still provides a bypass to let cold water flow around the tank to the outlet. It's a diverter-type valve. A photo of diagram of the plumbing would help.

Understanding RV Water Heater By-pass Systems

In this post I want to help RV owners learn everything you need to know about RV water heater by-pass systems. Most RV manufacturers today install water heater by-pass systems on the RVs they sell.…

rv101withmarkpolk.com

 

[Kirk]

So my question is, do I need to add a bypass? How do y'all get the hot water lines sanitized if your in my situation?

You need to sanitize the water heater too so no bypass should be used if available. There is no problem with using a chlorine bleach to sanitize and if you do so, to remove the bleach odor and taste, mix 1/2 cup of baking soda with a gallon of water and pour into the freshwater tank. Add a enough water to pump through the entire system and allow it to sit for an hour or so and then drain and flush again with clean water.

 

[SweetHomeFarm]

Thanks!

That was the last step before we hit the road. Our ems arrived and my wife got the new linens ready. Tried the heat pump out last night while we were inside stocking stuff. I'm impressed with the heat pump and how well it worked for our little space. We will be sure to update y'all with some pics.

 

[Ex-Calif]

Is your heat pump propane or electric? I found that the furnace was a propane hog and had to fill every month. I then bought a very small room electric from Walmart.

I had to run it on the lowest setting not to be overheated in the north Florida winter. Electricity was free at my site so it was basically free heating.

 

[SweetHomeFarm]

It's dual. I was running it on the generator. The only thing I've ran on propane so far is the tankless water heater. It is really cool. Never had on demand hot water like that even in a home

 

[gwinger]

We've had an instantaneous water heater in or house for over 12 years. It is an older type without all the electronics. Two things to be aware of, first it takes a little longer to get hot water and ours, and I think most, will only raise the temperature of incoming water 80º. Not really a problem since you very seldom find water coming in at anything below that. Since ours does not have the electronics, there are controls on the heater to adjust the flame size and hot water flow.
Never going back to a tank. No more leaking tanks after the warranty runs out.

 

[Ray-IN]

Sanitize. I was told that I had to avoid bleach in the water heater because it's caustic

OK, substitute Sodium Percarbonate for bleach. This chemical is widely used in the beer and wine making industry to clean and sanitize equipment. It also has many household uses.
I just bought another 9# jar of Sodium Percarbonate off Amazon for $35. It should last the rest of my lifetime, as you only use 4-6 oz at a time. When mixed with water it has a useful life of 5-6 hrs. then turns to oxygen and water.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I was told that I had to avoid bleach in the water heater because it's caustic

That's just a scare story. I wouldn't fill the heater tank (or much of anything else) with 100% laundry bleach, but there is no issue with running a sanitizing solution of bleach through it. It takes at most about one tablespoon per gallon of water to sanitize and many official sources say 1/2 that unless the water is so bad it is cloudy. That's not gonna bother any tank lining or Pex tubing.

 

[Ray-IN]

Yup, Gary is right. Chlorine is only corrosive to metals >500ppm.
reference: Chemical Disinfectants | Disinfection & Sterilization Guidelines | Guidelines Library | Infection Control | CDC

Personally, I use Sodium Dichlor, but it's not for everyone. It is around 95% pure chlorine and requires knowledge of how to handle and store; but is acidic in nature vs bleach is basic.
Same reference.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Even at 500 ppm (about 2.5x the recommended 1 Tbsp/gal) it would take long term exposure to substantively affect most metals. Water heater tanks aren't that wimpy!