Non-potable water in drinking water tank!
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Forum Name: I need HELP!!!
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Topic: Non-potable water in drinking water tank!
Posted By: britmama
Subject: Non-potable water in drinking water tank!
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2021 at 1:43pm
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My first time ever camping this weekend I made a really stupid mistake and put non-potable water into my water tank. I had recently finished de-winterizing, as in, flushing all the antifreeze out of the system, filling the system with bleach water, letting it sit, and flushing it out again. I put the wrong water into the tank as part of what was supposed to be a final step of rinsing out any remaining bleach water. The two low point drains were open when I put the non-potable water in. Once I realized that I had used the wrong water (a few minutes later), I completely filled the tank with drinking water and pumped it out of the two low point drains again. My question is: Since I didn't actually use any of the bad water, do I need to flush all the lines with bleach again, or will filling the tank with bleach water, letting it sit for many hours, and then pumping it out of the low point drains be sufficient? Or do I need to run bleach through the whole system all over again? Thank you for your help!
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Replies:
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2021 at 2:46pm
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Just re-sanitize. ------------- |
Posted By: britmama
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2021 at 5:04pm
| Do you mean re-sanitize everything? |
Posted By: Pod People
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2021 at 5:18pm
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glad you realized what you had done and reacted quickly. what you do next depends on what you want to get out the faucet when you use it- I would start over and totally sanitize the whole system, including opening each faucet until you smell bleach. that's the only way to insure that all of the supply lines are filled and have been cleaned as well as the tank. I assume you had bypassed the water heater-if not, then you have to clean the water heater as well. flush it several times. I use baking a soda and first rinse and follow with a lemon juice second rinse. this will remove any bleach taste. good luck- Vann ------------- Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179 https://postimg.cc/0zwKrfB9"> 
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Posted By: fwunder
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2021 at 5:58pm
Beer! That is all. ------------- 2014 RPod 178 => https://goo.gl/CV446f - MyMods and Buying Habits 2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2021 at 6:00pm
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Ditto! Re-sanitized and you will be all set. ------------- Leo & Melissa Bachand 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
Posted By: fwunder
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2021 at 6:17pm
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Then beer! ------------- 2014 RPod 178 => https://goo.gl/CV446f - MyMods and Buying Habits 2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
Posted By: britmama
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2021 at 8:00pm
| Is there somewhere I can watch or read EXACTLY how to do each step of the sanitizing? I am confused by the water heater. I have a 2011 RP177. |
Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2021 at 10:08pm
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I'm just curious; what kind of non-potable water did you put in the fresh tank? As for videos, there are usually at least a dozen or so vids on almost any imaginable topic on YouTube. I'm sure you can find something there. The process is pretty straight forward. TT ------------- 2010 176 FJ Cruiser |
Posted By: Pod People
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2021 at 10:09pm
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for the best directions, go to the the Podmods, Maintenance , Tips section of the Forum. the first post is the Instruction Manual that covers just about everything in the Pods. Look at the advanced search function and check for "water heater bypass", "water heater valve positions" and "dewinterization". There will be lots of info and pictures.Note that different models have different valve configurations. some have 1 valve and some have 2. Basically, if the valves are set to bypass the water heater, you will not have any water from the freshwater tank or the city water fill going into the water heater. Therefor, the heater should be as clean as it was before you dewinterized. If the valves are set to supply water to the heater, then non potable water did go into the heater and you will need to clean it also. An easy way to tell if the valves are set to bypass is to turn on a hot water faucet-if there is no pressure or water then the valves are set to bypass. If you hear air , get sputtering or water, then the valves are set to supply the heater. Once you look closely at the valve(s) and read the instructions, it will make a lot more sense. don't worry-we've all made mistakes. this will not cause any long term problem-just need to start the sanitizing over and when finished, it will be fine Vann ------------- Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179 https://postimg.cc/0zwKrfB9">
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Posted By: britmama
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2021 at 9:38am
| Just want to make sure of something: will letting bleach water sit in the water heater for several hours damage it or the anode rod (if there is one in the RP177)? |
Posted By: podwerkz
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2021 at 10:09am
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There is no 'drinking water' tank on an r-pod...unless you installed one. There IS a freshwater tank....but your 'drinking' water should be in sealed bottles or jugs or totes, or after a 'drinking water' filter attached ahead of (or directly at) the faucet. There are also countertop water filters that can make a quart or a gallon of drinking water after you pour in the quote 'freshwater'. Yes I am aware that others will not see it this way.
------------- r･pod 171 gone but not forgotten! |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2021 at 10:40am
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After sanitizing the FW tank we do like "pod people" by using 1st rinse with baking soda followed by a second rinse with lemon juice. That was the ticket to rid the FW tank of that nasty bleach taste after sanitizing. Yes, still alive after 10 years drinking out of the FW tank, isn't that what it is supposed to be for, after all it is called the FRESH water tank. And no, we do not use filters or anything of that sort either, our well water is really good stuff. ------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
Posted By: britmama
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2021 at 12:03pm
| One further question: I filled the freshwater tank with bleach solution, turned on the pump and then turned on each faucet in turn. I let the water run for several minutes through each faucet and I am not smelling any bleach, only antifreeze still. How many rinses should it take for the antifreeze smell to go away? |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2021 at 12:33pm
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That is where the baking soda after the bleach sanitizing will help. It may take a bit though. Did you flush out the antifreeze first? If you added bleach, you should smell it at the faucets. You may need to cup your hand and let the water flow over it to concentrate the bleach smell a little. ------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2021 at 1:06pm
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What we did was 1 cup baking soda and 5 gallons in the FW tank. I had the valves set to winterization so I didn't have to run this through the hot water lines, don't drink from them anyway. Ran through cold water lines only bathroom and kitchen sink until tank was dry. Second step was 2 cups lemon juice in 5 gallons water in FW tank, repeat the process. Took care of the 'bleach smell.' ------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
Posted By: britmama
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2021 at 1:27pm
I did add bleach and I did cup my hand over the flowing water right next to my nose. No bleach smell whatsoever, just antifreeze. I added 1/2 cup of bleach to my 36 gallon freshwater tank. Should I repeat the whole process, filling the tank with bleach water again, but this time adding more bleach?
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Posted By: podwerkz
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2021 at 2:58pm
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Yes pour in bleach then baking soda and then drink the stuff. Never mind all the black mold and algae growing in the top inside surfaces of a warm moist dark tank last summer, and the summer before that...and loose particulate matter that has been sloshing around in the bottom of the fresh tank, from years of previous fillings by other owners who may or may not have been filling the tank from sterile and filtered potable water hose with 100% safe water obtained from safe water sources at campground dump stations (NO!) or friendly little RV parks where dogs like to lick from the spigots... Yuck. It's the unknowns in life that can get ya...or not...as we have recently all been made aware of. Carry on...just don't ask me over for a glass of iced tea.  ------------- r･pod 171 gone but not forgotten! |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2021 at 4:39pm
30 gallons is one heck of a lot of beer, but I like the idea! ------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: RoverPod
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2021 at 6:12pm
Watch John Marucci's video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqlqgaH7nus ------------- 2017 F150 XLT SuperCab 2020 rPod 180 |