Algae in fresh water tank

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   Wow, sorry you're having so much trouble with the algae. Even with pressure washing its going to be difficult to get all that mess out of there.  Have you checked what it would cost to just buy a new tank?Its not that difficult to install one. 

You might also consider installing a good water filter or drinking bottled water so you don't need to be concerned about getting ill from whatever is in there. 

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offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Topic: Algae in fresh water tank Posted: 15 Sep 2020 at 2:48pm
	Wow, sorry you're having so much trouble with the algae. Even with pressure washing its going to be difficult to get all that mess out of there. Have you checked what it would cost to just buy a new tank? Its not that difficult to install one. You might also consider installing a good water filter or drinking bottled water so you don't need to be concerned about getting ill from whatever is in there.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

Taospod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 30 Jul 2016 Location: Taos, NM Online Status: Offline Posts: 12	Posted: 15 Sep 2020 at 12:57pm
	Offgrid. Sorry to take so long to reply, but here is the situation. Noticed flecks of green algae when emptying tank even after sanitizing and repeated flushings. Decided I really needed to see what was going on inside the fresh water tank. First drained the tank. Cut hole though floor of R-pod over tank. Cut a five inch hole in the top of the tank (carefully, more details later). Now that I could really see into the tank, I found a mess. Algae had grown on the top, bottom and all sides of the tank interior. Water sprayed through the hole with a garden hose dislodged only bits of the algae from the surfaces. Also found that emptying the tank through the usual drain hole left several gallons of water in the tank. As you suggested, removed the connection to the fresh water system and added a T for a new drain. Helped to drain but still left a gallon or more at the deepest part of the tank. Clearly indirect sunlight does not kill algae. Also algae must not be toxic for it has not sickened or killed me yet. I suspect the algae has grown incrementally over the four years of owning the R-Pod. The fact that it is impossible to really drain the tank each year unless one parks on steep downhill slope is an inherent problem in the tank design. Amazingly, I had observed no algae coming through the faucets and the pump filter was clear. Cannot explain that. What to do. I have ordered a small high-pressure washer with an elbow to try to clean the tank surfaces of algae. Will also try to remove last gallon of water and remaining algae with a wet/dry vac. Did not yet try to paint the tank black because I still want to see what is happening inside. Have lots of pix, but having some trouble adding to this post. Will provide pix and more details later, e.g. cutting and sealing the five inch hole and the results of high pressure washing. Thanks for your patience. Taospod W

Modogsb Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 10 Jul 2016 Location: CA Online Status: Offline Posts: 5	Posted: 12 Sep 2020 at 6:32am
	Taospod, I have been having the same issue and noticed the drain is clearly NOT at the lowest point. I like the idea of the T and new drain and curious if you went that route and what your outcome was, so I can learn from your experience. Pictures are also a great help if you have any. Thanks

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 29 Apr 2020 at 10:04pm
	Yes, of course, one would need to investigate all those things before using a chemical like that. It was just a thought not a suggestion. I don’t drink water from my fwt (or pool) so that’s not a problem. Proportionally I would only need about 2 grams of shock in a 30 gal tank. Then I’d need to check the chemical compatibility with the various materials in the plumbing system, that could be and issue, although I would guess that for a relatively short period in that concentration it would probably be fine. In the end I’m not sure it would be any more effective than bleach anyhow.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

lostagain Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2595	Posted: 29 Apr 2020 at 6:01pm
	I think it might be a little safer to stick with products specifically designed for drinking water systems to clean algae and gunk from your fresh water tank. There are many available in the market. Use of strong chemical agents, such as pool shock, that are not designed for the small scale fresh water tanks of an RV, are likely contrary to chemical product labeling instructions. At the very least, contact the manufacturer's help line to ask whether their product is safe for a potable water system and and how much to use. Most pool shocks are made with high levels of calcium hypochlorite, sodium di-chlor, or potassium monopersulfate and are designed to be used in larger containers of water of about 10,000+ gal. Effectively, they are forms of poison and need to be handled accordingly.
	Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 29 Apr 2020 at 4:13pm
	City water or well water, you can turn a pool green overnight if its not treated. Just happened to me in my pool (city water). First spring in this house and I figured I had more time to dewinterize as its still pretty cold out, pool temp only about 60. But days are getting longer fast so lots of solar energy for the algae. Exponential growth set in and boom, a tiny stain one day became a murky green pool the next. Kinda like Covid-19 without social distancing.... Pool shock took care of it, cleared it in about 8 hours. Pool shock might work well in the rpod FWT actually....
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

Our pod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 03 Oct 2016 Location: Olympia WA Online Status: Offline Posts: 62	Posted: 29 Apr 2020 at 3:24pm
	Check your water source, too. Had friends who would fill their pool with well water. The algae growth was amazing. City water may be surely treated to prevent such growth.
	Life is good.

lostagain Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2595	Posted: 29 Apr 2020 at 9:21am
	We use a multi-use 2.5 gal. plastic container rather than the single use ones. Depending on where we anticipate sourcing our drinking water, we either fill it at home with filtered water or, if the campground has good water, fill it there. We have two of these re-useable containers, so if we think we'll need more and can't fill it at the camp ground's faucet, we'll bring a second. While traveling, we keep them in a large re-useable plastic bin that can catch any leakage, if they happen to be filled. For drinking and cooking it lasts quite nicely. The down side is that it can involve up to an additional 42 lbs. if we can't fill at the campground. As for algae in the tank, there are a lot of products on the market that the sellers claim remove the algae and get rid of bad taste and odors. Here's one from West Marine: https://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-marine--water-tank-flush-cleaner--14044424 Since we don't make a practice of drinking tank water we just flush the tank and pipes with a bleach solution every so often, which is plenty good for non-consumption purposes.
	Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 29 Apr 2020 at 7:59am
	Taospod, if you're the kind of person who goes to the trouble of inspecting their tank with an endoscope, you'll probably never be truly satisfied that you are getting proper drinking water out of it. I don't blame you at all, I feel the same way. Do your best sanitizing, but you might be better off just bringing bottled water for drinking, cooking, and tooth brushing, and limiting the water from the tank for use for dish washing and showering. That's what many of us do. I bring a couple of those 2.5 gallon disposable plastic water dispensers and set one up on the counter while camping. I put it in the sink while travelling in case it leaks. Two last us well over a week. Just a thought..
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

Tars Tarkas Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 14 Jan 2013 Location: Near Nashville Online Status: Offline Posts: 1447	Posted: 28 Apr 2020 at 7:54pm
	Yeah, I haven't done it yet, but I always sanitize at the beginning of the season and again anytime I haven't used the system for a couple of months. I do like the idea of a tee at the low point of the plumbing, unless the actual low point drains would suffice. I'd still want to sanitize the tank regularly even if I knew all water was out of the tank or it was painted black. TT
	2010 176 FJ Cruiser