No water will circulate in the RV, so make sure you won’t be needing it for about 5 hours. Running a pump while dry can cause it to overheat, so always shut the pump off first.
The water heater is located inside a square box on the RV and is covered by a removable panel. The water heater can overheat and burn out, so make sure it is off before draining the water.
The lines are often colored red and blue. Depending on your RV, they may both be colored white instead. You will need to reach underneath the RV to access these pipes as well as the fresh water tank line. To keep the RV still, park on a level surface. You can place chocks on the wheel, but these usually are not necessary.
Consider changing the filter inside the cylinder to avoid reintroducing bacteria into your clean tank. You can get a replacement filter online or wherever camping supplies are sold. Filters are made in a standard size.
If all the lines are closed off, no more water should be leaking out. Watch for any signs of leaking as you clean the tank.
Avoid pouring chlorine directly into the tank. Undiluted chlorine will damage your system and give you much bigger problems to solve.
You can buy a portable hand pump and hose at most home improvement stores.
If you know how much water your tank holds, you can use the size of your bucket to estimate how much water to add. An easy way to fill the tank is by hooking the hose to a city water connection, such as at a campground or similar location.
A good time to clean the tank is when you are taking a short ride to a campground or another location.
If you drive for 4 hours or longer, that should be enough to sterilize the tank.
If you wish to clean out the rest of the RV’s water system, you do not need to drain the tank yet. Pump water through the system first. Be courteous when draining the water. You may not want to do it if people are nearby. The bleach is diluted, so dumping it near a storm drain isn’t a big deal. If you can, make use of any nearby dumping facilities.
As a rule of thumb, add approximately 6 fluid ounces (180 mL) of bleach per every 15 gallons (57 L) of water your tank can hold.
Let both hot and cold water run, since they are supplied by separate lines. Forgetting a faucet is easy, but try to get all of them. This includes the shower as well as any sinks.
If you clean the system once a year or more, 4 hours is usually enough soaking time. Ideally, leave the water in the system for at least 12 hours.
You can turn off the pump and water heater. However, since you will refill the tank immediately, these elements won’t have a chance to overheat if you leave them on. The water is diluted, so you can let it go into a storm drain. You can also drain it at a dumping facility or onto nearby grass.
If your RV has a water gauge, use that to monitor the tank’s fullness. Otherwise, estimate or wait for water to flow back out of the hose.
You do not want to drink chlorine water, so make absolutely sure the water is clean before using it.
You may need to do this a couple of times before the water is safe.
Remember to drain the water again and refill the tank with clean water after doing this.
