3 Essential Things You Need to Know About RV Water System
Do you want to have fresh water with you every time you are traveling? You can do that if you take care of your RV water system! RV Water system is essential for your comfort when you are enjoying your vacation in the heart of nature. You need freshwater that you can drink and use for your cooking daily, so this is not something you can compromise on.
And even if your RV most likely comes with its water tank and plumbing system that assures your water supply, that doesn’t mean that you can take it for granted. What are the main aspects to consider about the RV water system? This is what we are about to discuss next!
You need to maintain your RV water system clean and sanitary to enjoy it during your trips. This is very important not only for your comfort but also for your health and safety. Contaminated water can have severe consequences for you and the rest of your traveling partners. But fear no more because this is not as a complicated task as it seems.
Certain things are essential for the well functioning and maintenance of your RV water system. Here is what you need to know about your RV water system and how you can keep it at optimum standards for a long time!
RV Water System Components
Did you ever wonder what RV water systems are made of? Let’s see what are the most important things!
Fresh Water Tank
This is where your potable water will be stored. You can use water from the fresh tank for cooking, showering, and even drinking. This tank comes in different sizes, and each RV tends to have its model of freshwater tank. It is a tank that comes hooked at a plumbing system of your RV, and you can even hook it up to an exterior water system so you will never run out of fresh water.
Grey Water Tank
The grey water tank is also an important part of your RV water system, but it is not common to all types of RVs. This tank will cost the water eliminated by the sink as well as by your shower. You can’t drink this water, but you can find ways to reuse it. For instance, you can use this water for the toilet or, in extreme situations, even for washing dishes. Should you use this water? If you have a fresher alternative no, but there are extreme situations in which greywater can be a real lifesaver!
Waste Water Tank
The dirtiest water in your RV water system will be in the wastewater tank. This is the water that comes from your toilet or other drains in your RV. This tank collects more water if your RV is missing the grey water tank. However, you should never drink this water or use it to wash dishes as it is full of germs and bacteria.
Accumulator Tank
An optional part of your RV water system is the accumulator tank. This type of tank comes with an air bladder, and it is very efficient for collecting water or pressurizing the water in your RV water system. By using an accumulator tank you get the stress of your water pump, and you avoid different spikes or sags as well. You can add this tank to your RV even if it is not coming with it.
Water Pump
Water pumps are also essential for your RV water system, and you should use them. Most RVs come with water pumps, but if you have one that doesn’t, you should consider installing them. You might want to install new water pumps also if your Rv’s water pumps are of a low quality, which can happen. These pumps are responsible for directing your water through the water system of your RV, such as pipes or hoses.
Water Filtration
If you want to be sure that the water you use is in proper condition, most likely you should consider using a water filtration system. You will travel in different places with your RV, and it is hard to be sure of the quality of the water in all of them. You can add such a filtration system to your RV at any time, and you will find that the most common ones use the carbon filtration method. But the market if full of different models of water filtration systems that come at different prices as well.
How does it work？
RV water systems differ from one RV to another. You can keep in mind that the more complex the RV is in terms of features, the more chances you have to end up with an efficient water system as well. But even if there are differences between RV water systems, they all function based on the same principles.
As we discussed in the previous section, an RV water system works based on three different tanks. One is for your potable water, a second one for water that you might be able to reuse, and a third one that is just wastewater that you can’t reuse at all. The water can be directed by using water pumps and hoes, and the three tanks are coordinated through certain ports created especially for this purpose.
Wondering how much water should you bring with you? There are many people with the same question in mind. You will be able to fill your potable water tank quite easily and with the quantity that you need. Ideally, you should fill this tank up to its maximum capacity because it is always better to have more water than you need. Use a sanitary hoe that will not add bacteria to the tank as you fill it up and make sure that your tank is clean before this operation.
Just as easy, you can empty the wastewater tank. You will need to use a sewer hose and drain the water out of your tank entirely. Once you do that, you should clean your tank as well, so you leave it empty and prepared for your next trip.
Introduce the important about Cleaning RV water system
Cleaning your RV water system is an essential process that you shouldn’t skip. This will help to maintain your water system in proper conditions and have fresh water to use during your trips. Make sure to always clean and disinfect your RV water system after every trip because the more your residue stays in the system, the harder it will be to eliminate it.
Besides the bacteria that will find their way in your water, not cleaning your RV water system will also develop an unpleasant smell in your tanks and therefore, in your RV altogether. But how hard is it to clean your RV water system? Keep reading to find out!
How to clean the RV water system
A. Drain any water in your fresh water holding tanks completely.
The first thing that you will need to do is empty your fresh water tank. You need to get rid even of the water that you didn’t use because you can’t let it sit there until you take another trip.
Use the water pump to push the water out easily and in a safer manner. The only thing you need to pay attention to when you use your water pump is to turn it off fast when there is no more water. Otherwise, you could harm your RV water system.
If you also have an additional tank that holds your hot water, keep in mind to empty that too. You will use the same system, but you will drain it separately from your fresh water tank. Wait for the hot water to get cold before you start draining it for safety reasons.
B. Sanitize your water tank
Once your tank is empty, you can start sanitizing it, which is something you can do yourself with no hassle. You will need clean water and bleach for this step, so make sure you have these two ingredients before you start the process.
For the sanitizing solution, you need to add a quarter cup of bleach for 15 gallons of the capacity of your water tank. If you have a water tank that can hold 30 gallons, you will need to use two-quarters of bleach and so on. This quantity of bleach will have to be mixed with a gallon of tap water into a bucket. That’s it for the sanitizing solution!
To use this mixture, you will have to add it to the tank that you want to clean. Complete the difference of water with tap water until your tank is full. You will have to turn on your pump and make sure that your bleach water is reaching all your taps, including the shower in your RV. Also, the water should run through all the pipes of your RV water system to clean everything properly.
When you are sure that the bleach water got to all the parts of your water system, turn everything off and give it 12 hours to take action. You can also drive your RV as you are waiting for the 12 hours to pass. Are 12 hours enough for this stage? If you are not in a hurry to use your RV again, you can let even more than 12 hours pass. This is just a minimum time that you have to allow, but the more time passes, the better your bleach mixture takes action.
C. Drain the bleach water.
After the water sat in your RV water system, it is time to eliminate it. You will have to drain it with the method that you usually use to drain your fresh water tank after a trip. Use the water pump again and make sure all the bleach water is out of your system. Remember not to let the pump run as soon as the water id all drained for safety reasons. You should be able to stay on top of this if you keep an eye on your water pump while it is running.
D. Refill the tanks with fresh water.
You might think that you are done cleaning your tank, but this is not the case just yet. Also, You don’t afford to have any bleach water remaining in your system, which is why you will have to refill your tank with clean, fresh water until it is full again. You can use tap water, and you will obtain perfect results so don’t stress too much about the type of water that you use for this step. This water will clean the last layer of bleach that might be left in your tank, and it will completely rinse it.
E. Drain the 2nd batch of water — and now the tanks are fresh and ready to go!
After you allow the last batch of water to sit for a couple of hours as well, you can drain it completely from your tank. You will not have to leave this water sit for another 12 hours, but a minimum of two hours will do the trick. You will drain this water just like you did it before, but you should pay attention to the smell of it. Also, You shouldn’t be able to smell any bleach in your system to make sure that it is completely clean and ready to be used again.
What if you still smell the bleach in the water? If you can still smell bleach, you will have to repeat this step until you can’t smell any bleach in your drained water. This is very important for your safety because you will eventually fill this tank with water that you will drink.
Wrap Up
If you want to have a comfortable trip with your RV, you need to invest in a product that comes with a good RV water system or use TOW-MAX brand good quality trailer axles and other parts. TOW-MAX can offer you the opportunity to rent different RVs to decide which one works best for your needs and preferences. Should you rent an RV to begin with before investing in one? By renting an RV first you will get familiar with its system and be prepared for maintenance aspects a lot better.
But only TOW-MAX can save you from a lot of maintenance along the way, and your RV water system will remain like new for many years as long as you clean it properly.
