All You Need To Know About RV Water Storage Tanks
One of the major responsibilities of owning a recreation vehicle is the time cleaning and maintenance of the RV water storage tanks to prevent algae and slime from thriving inside the water holding tanks. Clean RV water tanks are a necessity during long camping trips, trekking or any long road journey. Untreated RV water tanks usually contaminate the water, and the degraded water quality doesn’t make it ideal for consumption. Maintaining and cleaning the water tanks is not that difficult and can be done easily if carried out in the right way. Before you go through the different cleaning and maintenance steps, it is necessary for you to be aware of the various RV water tank types.
Types of RV Water Tanks
A precise knowledge concerning the different types of RV water tanks will help you choose the best cleaning and maintenance activities.
Fresh Water Tank: This is one of the most important types of RV water storage tank as it stores clean freshwater for drinking and cooking. It means the water for consumption, doing dishes, and washing fruits & vegetables come from this tank. Apart from having knowledge related to checking the water levels displayed on the monitor, knowing where the drain water valves and waste valves are, you need to know some more things. Always remember to use white hoses that are non-toxic in nature to fill the water in the tank.
To ensure higher safety levels, you can also attach a pressure regulator to the hose. One more important thing worth considering is to keep the ends of the non-toxic white hose locked together when not in use. It is done to prevent the dirt from entering the hose and contaminating the tank's freshwater.
Gray Water Tank: Gray water tanks hold the dirty water that comes from washing dishes, showering, and cooking. Some RVs have two gray water tanks installed for convenience. Many people don’t know that gray RV water storage tanks have very small draining pipes. To avoid any fiasco during your road trip, it is advised that you are cautious of any food particle going down the pipe of the gray water tank. Even small food particles can clog the pipe making the cleaning process difficult and messy. Always carry a hose (other than the non-toxic white hose for filling the water tank) to drain the gray water in the nearest cluster of bushes or a sewer line.
Black RV Water Storage Tanks: Though people may find it uncomfortable to clean this tank, they cannot avoid it at any cost. This RV tank has been made to collect and dispose of wastewater that comes from the washrooms and you need to be extra careful while cleaning this tank. High-quality cleaning gloves, a special odor tight connection, a separate hose fitting, and a valve are required to clean the black water tank. If you feel finding a dump site and disposing of the waste will be difficult, then you can buy portable holding tanks too. Depending on your RV size and requirement, you can buy the best black water tank.
Tips for Cleaning RV Water Storage Tanks
You need to have clean RV water storage tanks to enjoy your road trip without falling sick. Here are some tips that can help you clean and maintain the water tanks.
Fresh Water Tank: Bleach is the best product to clean a fresh RV water storage tank. To clean the tank, add bleach in the holding water tank and run the water till you start smelling bleach in it. Once the smell of bleach becomes persistent in the running water; allow the tank with bleach water to sit for a minimum of 24 hours. M After the said time, drain all the bleach water and refill the tank with fresh water. Now keep draining and filling the tank till the bleach smell disappears from the running water. When you can no longer smell bleach in the running water, refill the tank with fresh water that you intend to carry on the trip.
Black Water Tank: Maintaining the black water tank is necessary, especially when too many people are joining you on the road journey. You should take care of the fact that the dump valve of this tank must be never left open. If it does, then all the black water will drain away leaving a mess which will be difficult to deal with. Purchase some chemicals that break down solid materials easily, making it easy to drain. Special RV toilet paper can also be purchased as they break down quickly compared to the regular toilet paper. You need to set a schedule to frequently dump the black water if you wish to enjoy a clean and smooth journey.
By following the tips shared above, you can rest assured of having a clean and well-maintained RV water tank.
In Conclusion:
As people don’t like to spend time cleaning, maintaining and refilling tanks during road trips, it is advised that you try to use water tanks wisely. Try to use the fresh water tank only if it is necessary. When too many people are traveling, you can even divide the responsibility equally. One more thing to take note of is to never dump the content of the gray or black RV water storage tanks on the road. If you feel that finding dumping stations may not be possible always, then carry a portable holding tank or container.