Water Line/Hose Contamination or Treatment

[carolyn]

If one lives in an RV full time, parked in one place, in a campground with healthy, regularly tested water  and does not use onboard watertank storage, should the sanitation procedures with clororx, etc. still be followed in order to remove possible biological contaminants from the water lines and hoses?    I have been told this should be done, but it's puzzling to me because I've lived in houses for 50 years and never known water lines to need to be cleaned.  Now, the source of the RV water is the typical white RV hose that affixed the park faucet, running along the ground that is exposed to very hot southern sun, so heat would occur in this hose.

Thank you
Carolyn

 

[John From Detroit]

When you do the initial hookup (or just before actually) Sanitize as per procedure  Once you hook up if you never break the line, I would not worry about it,  Though I would sanitize the fresh tank (supply tank) occasionally in case I need it

 

[Jim Godward]

If you have a filter with the carbon block for a filter element, it should be changed periodicly, whatever the manufacturer recommends, AND the RV water system sanitized at that time.

The carbon filters remove all the purifiers in the water, i.e., chlorine etc., and allow stuff to grow in your system.  If you are in a location where the water is good, I would use just a sediment filter and use a carbon filter on only the drinking water.  Better yet is to use a reverse osmosis system for drinking water.

 

[KodiakRV]

Make sure the power to your onboard water pump is turned off.  If it has power and the city water pressure drops, it wil turn on, draw water out of your tank, and inject it into your pipes to mix with the city water. 

 

[Karl]

MFA,

Make sure the power to your onboard water pump is turned off.  If it has power and the city water pressure drops, it wil turn on, draw water out of your tank, and inject it into your pipes to mix with the city water.

And your point is...... What?
If your onboard water is  clean and pure, what difference does it make if it mixes with city water??? Answer: none.

Carolyn,
If you're hooked up to a city or campground water supply that's tested and treated regularly, there's no need to sanitize on any fixed schedule. Many of us travel and hook up to various water supplies of unknown quality, and use water from our on-board systems which may have been retained for weeks or months. In these cases, it may benefit you to sanitize your water system occasionally. How often is not clear, but I do mine at least twice a year, and change the filters at least every 3 months.   

 

[jjhamick]

Your water is as good as its source.  If the campground has good water I wouldn't worry about it.  If the source is unknown or an untreated well problems COULD develop but not necessarily.  I worked on water systems in northern Wisconsin which were mostly well systems.  They could be great for months evens years then all of a sudden have a problem.  We would then sanitize the well and the entire house system.  It's not as hard as it may seem.