# Bleach In Water Heater When Dewinterizing



## SDCampers (Oct 29, 2008)

As I dewinterize for the first time this week I'm sure I'll have many questions.
1) I've been told to sanitize the lines put a cup of bleach in the fresh tank, fill tank, when water till no pink, let sit 8 hours, drain and run fresh water to clear. Should I let the bleach water sit in the water heater tank also?

2) Do you put a shot of fresh water in the city water connection just to clear it, or just fill the fresh water tank?

Thanks for helpin' the new dude.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

I do let bleach water flow through the water heater. Just don't fire it up until you have everything flushed out with fresh water.


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## Rip (Jul 13, 2006)

Nathan said:


> I do let bleach water flow through the water heater. Just don't fire it up until you have everything flushed out with fresh water.


X2


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

Sounds like a good plan !! I actually have not let the bleach water sit in the water heater...actually never thought of it. I think i might do that from now on.


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

I do not sanitize the water heater, because I bypass it in the fall when I winterize, and then leave the drain plug out all winter. (No pink stuff in the water heater.) That ensures that all the water will evaporate and it keeps any water in there from going foul.

When I de-winterize, I keep the heater bypassed as I flush the system and then sanitize the holding tank and water lines with bleach water. I only let the bleach water sit for 3-4 hours, then flush several times with clear water, followed up by a baking soda/water solution (and let it sit like the bleach water) to remove the chlorine odor and taste, and sweeten up the holding tank.

(Note - mix the 1/2 cup of bleach with 3-4 gallons of water before pouring into your fresh water holding tank, lest you spill bleach down the side of the Outback. I don't know what straight bleach would do to the flexible filler tube. Chlorine can damage some stuff, and will definately bleach out the color in your decals.)

After all this is done, I then take the water heater off bypass and let it flush out the drain plug, using water only. Then I replace the drain plug in the water heater and let it fill. After all that, we're ready to go camping! That procedure has kept everyone happy and no foul water ever.

Just my $.02.

Mike


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

Scoutr2 said:


> I do not sanitize the water heater, because I bypass it in the fall when I winterize, and then leave the drain plug out all winter. (No pink stuff in the water heater.) That ensures that all the water will evaporate and it keeps any water in there from going foul.


thats a good point - probably no need to sanitize the water heater although im sure it wouldnt hurt.


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## SDCampers (Oct 29, 2008)

Thanks All for the speedy replies. I'm getting too addicted to Outbacker's.com, my boss is starting to watch. (for his own info)


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

SDCampers said:


> Thanks All for the speedy replies. I'm getting too addicted to Outbacker's.com, my boss is starting to watch. (for his own info)


Hi Boss!


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## jolarsen (Apr 10, 2006)

Not my Outback but my last camper I had here is my experience. For 2 camping seasons I had a foul odor almost like rotton eggs every time I turned on the hot water. By the end of the second season the smell was not as bad but still there. After doing alot of talking and internet searching heres what I learned. Do not let anything other than water get into water heater. Some are made of possibly alluminum(?) and anti freeze, bleach etc. if you let sit in the tank will soak into the tank and make a very foul odor (trust me). It wasnt harmful just very bad smell. So there you go I never let enything other than water get into my tank...Take Care


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

SDCampers said:


> Thanks All for the speedy replies. I'm getting too addicted to Outbacker's.com, my boss is starting to watch. (for his own info)


Sign him up for an account!!!


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## Just Add Dirt (May 5, 2009)

Hi all;
I am a water treatment expert, I own a water treatment company. First; a cup of chlorine in 3-4 gallons of water is overkill, all you need to do the job is about 100 parts per million; Sodium Hypochlorite (the active ingredient in bleach) is about 5-6%, therefore, all you need is about a 1/3 to 1/2 cup in 4 gallons of h2O. The important thing is retention time. I sterilize large buildings as part of our services; the Hypochlorite must sit in the system 24 hours @ 100ppm in order for me to issue a certificate of sterilization. Please keep in mind that NaCl2 is very very corrosive, it is an oxidizer (this is why it functions so well as a sterilzer), any metal is going to corrode severely in the presence of NaCl2; the water heater lining and the electrode(s) are metal, they will suffer. Another way to sterilize the potable water is heat; all the water has to do is get to 162 degrees and all the lil' bacteria are toast. A water heater cranked up to 170 for about 2 hours is all you need, to do the trick, don't forget to crank it back down so no one gets scalded. Bypass that water heater with the chlorine and let the heat do the trick. BTW a lot of water heaters have a sacraficial anode in them that when exposed to pH extreems will emitt a foul "hydrogen sulfide" odor (the rotten egg smell); the anode can be removed, but it will shorten the life of the water heater vessel. Also Baking soda does not remove or nutrilize chlorine; carbon will, or Sodium sulfite (So3) will. Fruit fresh or potato whitener, made of potasium sulfite, will nutrilize chlorine, available in the canning section of the local grocer.
Happy trails to all
Just add Dirt..... at the Cove this weekend shreddin mud


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

Thats good info! Thanks!!


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