Fresh Water Tank

[rarin2go]

Should the fresh water tank be emptied before putting TM in garage.It may
be a month between trips,maybe a little longer.Does it hurt the seals to
leave it empty.I've heard different comments.We are new owners of a
2008 2720SL. It had water in fresh water tamk when delivered.
rarin2go

[B_and_D]

I usually keep our water tank full while it's here at home but empty it before we leave on a camping trip (and don't travel with it full).

If the TM is going to sit for a while, I put in a few drops of liquid chlorine bleach via the large inlet and then fill it up.

I usually remember to empty the hot water heater so that the anode rod doesn't corrode away.

[mtnguy]

If the TM is going to sit for a while, I put in a few drops of liquid chlorine bleach via the large inlet and then fill it up.



I am not too sure that long term chlorine in the plastic tank is a good idea or not. I read somewhere that it might not be good for plastic. That said, I do disinfect my water system each year with Chlorox, but I rinse thoroughly afterward to remove the residual chlorine.

I hafta leave my water system empty through winter because the TM is left outside.

Chap

[PopBeavers]

I always kept mine empty, but I think I will start storing it full:

1. I leave in earthquake country. 40 gallons of drinking water might come in handy some day.

2. my city water has chlorine in it, not enough to sanitize, but perhaps enough to keep stuff from growing.

3. a tank full of water is a tank with no air. some bad stuff that might be tempted to grow in a warm moist environment might not grow in a flood.

I always leave home full of water, because on rare occasions I have reached a destination that had a problem with their water.

Though I keep the tank full, I do not keep the water heater full.

I sanitize once a year, in the spring, done already.

I do not need to winterize.

[B_and_D]

I don't put in a lot of chlorine, just a few drops. Our well water is not chlorinated.

[Mr. Adventure]

We've always stored our RV's with empty tanks (they might freeze in this area), and then we just use the water normally during the season. We've never had a problem with the water getting "stale" in the fresh water tank, but we'd just flush it out or use a little bleach if it did.

[ShrimpBurrito]

I live in SoCal, so I, like Wayne, don't have to worry about freezing. But I've gotten in the habit of storing my tank empty under the expectation that any residual water would evaporate shortly thereafter, primarily through the vent hole. There's not an easy way to check if that is actually happening, though. We usually go out about once a month, and always leave the house with a full tank of water. We too are in earthquake country, so Wayne's thought about having some water in reserve isn't a bad idea. If an earthquake hits, and you don't have water, you are obviously too late to get any, especially if you need to quickly evacuate.

My immediate thought is that I don't really like the idea of water sitting in the tank for that long, as stuff might grow. But then I just think about all the gallon bottles of distilled and spring water in the grocery store that sit for months at a time. Clearly, that water has not been sterilzed, nor is it bottled in a sterile facility, and you never see stuff growing in the store, or even if you leave a few jugs sitting around the house (which I've done before without giving it a second thought). It's probably filtered, but the stuff coming to your house is purified too.

Dave

[Bill]

When I was growing up during the cold war days, we used to think about emergency water, too. Not because of earthquakes, but because we lived near a SAC base (anyone heard of Dow Air Force Base?) We concluded that in an emergency, there is 40 gallons of good water in the water heater, and another 6 gallons or so in the back of each toilet (not the bowl, obviously, but the water in the tank is fresh and clear).

Of course, this water is not readily portable, like the water in a TM tank. And if an earthquake knocks either of these off its pins, then you lose it. But earthquake folks should remember that is is there.

Bill

[mrosspa]

I've no real experience yet with water storage in the TM. While there are always some safe variations from what the manufacturer recommends, I'd stick with their recommendations. We might unwittingly hurt a family member. While what is done might be safe, could anyone forgive themselves if they did something that ultimately affected a family member?

If you live in California, and are concerned about earthquakes, storing water in a TM might not work well if stored indoors. The the building is damaged or collapsed and the trailer is inaccessible, you are again without water.

The recommendation is 1 gallon per person per day, and that 40 gallon tank looks pretty good. One can buy a food grade 55 gallon drum and store their water outdoors. The recommendation is 1/2 teaspoon per 5 gallons in a 55 gallon drum, and change it twice a year.

My 2 cents about water and earthquake preparedness.

Michael

[mtnguy]

I am not too sure that long term chlorine in the plastic tank is a good idea or not. I read somewhere that it might not be good for plastic. That said, I do disinfect my water system each year with Chlorox, but I rinse thoroughly afterward to remove the residual chlorine.

I hafta leave my water system empty through winter because the TM is left outside.

Chap

In rereading my post and going back and rereading B&Ds also, I now see that they only use a couple of drops of chlorine. I was thinking the 1/4 cup per 15 gallons that is used in sterilizing the system, which might hurt the plastic, but surely a couple of drops or so would probably be benefitial........I might do that also if I weren't on a public system that probably has chlorine in the water already.

Chap

[NYJeff]

In rereading my post and going back and rereading B&Ds also, I now see that they only use a couple of drops of chlorine. I was thinking the 1/4 cup per 15 gallons that is used in sterilizing the system, which might hurt the plastic, but surely a couple of drops or so would probably be benefitial........I might do that also if I weren't on a public system that probably has chlorine in the water already.

Chap
Doesn't the chlorine bleach come from the store in a plastic bottle? I'd be surprised if there was an incompatibiltiy of some sort.

[mtnguy]

Doesn't the chlorine bleach come from the store in a plastic bottle? I'd be surprised if there was an incompatibiltiy of some sort.

Good point, Jeff. And what do people dump into their plastic lined swimming pools....chlorine. :eek:

I don't know where I read that too much chlorine is not good for RV plumbing, but I retract my above posts.....unless I can find documentation. :rolleyes:

Chap

[larsdennert]

Maybe it's not good for the rv'ers plumbing. If you can leave water in a drum for six months, you could do the same in the TM right? Water sits in storage tanks. Heck it sits in the ground forever . I live in earthquake country too but don't store mine full. I can't decide but usually boondock once a month so maybe I should leave it full. My house water heater is strapped but that doesn't help if the house it's attached to falls down. My 1930 garage is already leaning pretty good. The TM doesn't fit inside though.

[B_and_D]

When we lived in Silicon Valley, we had a pool. We constantly had to add chlorine to the water. I'm not a chemist so I can't explain it in a scientific manner, but somehow the chlorine dissipated into the atmosphere. In the TM tank, the tank is vented; so I would imagine that the chlorine finds its way out in the same sort of a process.