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admin-Rich
Founder
USA
1804 Posts |
 Posted - 03/20/2006 : 06:01:07 AM
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There was an article published by a university (I think it was Cornell) that reported research that showed the bacterial killing power of bleach was greatly increased by adding a small amount of white vinegar.
It's not the vinegar per se that makes it more effective.
Its the water ph. Tipping the ph to the acid side makes bleach a much stronger bacterial killer.
http://fe.pennnet.com/news/display_news_story.cfm?Section=WIREN&Category=FREMS&NewsID=131771
(edit: posted material on other site is gone now)
Published by MicroChem Lab and presented to the Society of Microbiology 2006
Mix 1-cup bleach in 1-gallon water, then add 1-cup white vinegar. <--(on edit: use this mix. Mix up three gallons to treat a sixty gallon fresh water tank)
My Eagle Cap manual recommends sanitizing the water system with bleach, flushing the system, and refilling with water treated with white vinegar and letting it sit three days.
I think the more effective method now is to add a small amount of white vinegar to the bleach water, let sit for three hours, drain, flush and refill.
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tjonline
Contributing Member
USA
112 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2006 : 1:01:07 PM
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| any idea on amounts of bleach and vinegar? |
2003 EC800 serial #201
mfg 8/22/02 HondaEU2000
2006 Dodge 2500 Quad/SB Cummins, 7x14 cargo trailer
airbags, |
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admin-Rich
Founder
USA
1804 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2006 : 1:47:32 PM
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The EC manual calls for 1/4 cup bleach in 1-gallon water.
Use that one gallon mix for each 15-gallons of fresh water.
Ours is a 46-gallon fresh water tank - so it takes about 3 gallons of mix.
I don't know how much white vinegar it takes to tip the ph balance toward acid. As a guess, I added two ounces per each gallon of mix.
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2005 Eagle Cap 1150 - #1118 -|- Dry bath w/ all factory options except solar.
2005 F350 CC 6.0 diesel dually: GVWR 13000
Truck with 2 people and full tank of fuel: 8360 lbs.
Camper weight with full tanks: 4420 lbs
GVWR with camper, full tanks, gear and food: 12,780 lbs
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looney bin
Contributing Member
USA
96 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2006 : 9:47:32 PM
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Ya' know...I was wondering about when to sanitize and de-funk our tank. Thanks for the tip on the vinegar Rich, makes sense to me. I have yet to detect any bacterial or mold funk in the H20 but probably would be a good idea to give it a thorough cleaning.
Oh joy...something else to do to the camper!
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Looney Bin
05' 850 Slider #1222
01' Chevy 2500HD 4X4 8.1L/Allison
TorkLift Hellwig Bars LP25 Spring
RideRite Rickson 19.5's |
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admin-Rich
Founder
USA
1804 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2006 : 06:05:43 AM
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Okay. . .I went back and researched the topic.
http://fe.pennnet.com/news/display_news_story.cfm?Section=WIREN&Category=FREMS&NewsID=131771
Published by MicroChem Lab and presented to the Society of Microbiology 2006
Mix 1-cup bleach in 1-gallon water, then add 1-cup white vinegar as a disinfectant.
That is four times the amount recommend for our water holding tanks.
That's very strong. It might be better to stick to the 1/4-cup/1-gallon/1/4-cup solution to avoid a chlorine oder.
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2005 Eagle Cap 1150 - #1118 -|- Dry bath w/ all factory options except solar.
2005 F350 CC 6.0 diesel dually: GVWR 13000
Truck with 2 people and full tank of fuel: 8360 lbs.
Camper weight with full tanks: 4420 lbs
GVWR with camper, full tanks, gear and food: 12,780 lbs
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looney bin
Contributing Member
USA
96 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2006 : 08:54:44 AM
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I remember reading that a 1/4 to one gallon was the mixture as well.
Now is that for each gallon? or just mix it in and then fill the tank up and run it thru the lines and let stand for 24 hours?
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Looney Bin
05' 850 Slider #1222
01' Chevy 2500HD 4X4 8.1L/Allison
TorkLift Hellwig Bars LP25 Spring
RideRite Rickson 19.5's |
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admin-Rich
Founder
USA
1804 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2006 : 09:11:41 AM
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The EC manual says:
One "mixed" bleach/water gallon for each 15 gallons of fresh water.
A 46 gallon tank should take 3 gallons of mixed bleach/water/vinegar solution.
Manual says to let it sit for three hours before draining and flushing.
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2005 Eagle Cap 1150 - #1118 -|- Dry bath w/ all factory options except solar.
2005 F350 CC 6.0 diesel dually: GVWR 13000
Truck with 2 people and full tank of fuel: 8360 lbs.
Camper weight with full tanks: 4420 lbs
GVWR with camper, full tanks, gear and food: 12,780 lbs
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joec
Founding Member
487 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2006 : 09:22:08 AM
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If you hate the smell and after taste of chlorine bleach as much as I do, you can substitute granular chlorine for pools and spas (Sodium DiChlor) for the household chlorine. The household chlorine has lots of fillers and thickeners, not wild about putting those in the fresh water tank and household chlorine has very little free chlorine.
1 teaspoon of Sodium DiChlor will clean and disinfect a 100 gallon fresh water tank, for my tank I just dissolve 1/2 teaspoon in a gallon jug of warm water then pour that into the tank and fill it up with fresh water. Run the water thru the taps and let it set overnight. Then drain and refill and flush the taps with fresh water, then drain that and refill with water for the trip.
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2004 EC 950 Slide # 1058
2006 Ford F-350 DRW :)
Co-pilot, Suezie
Side-gunner, Andee, the best dog ever!
New Tail-gunner, Cali |
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admin-Rich
Founder
USA
1804 Posts |
Posted - 05/29/2007 : 4:04:03 PM
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The owner of the company (MicroChem Laboratory, Inc.) that did the orginal research was nice enough to respond to my email inquiry about finding a good link source regarding the ph of a sanitizing solution.
However, the link he provided is not currently working!
None the less, here is the content of his email regarding the ph of sanitizing bleach:
Edit: Found the link and corrected it as needed 7/27/08
Rich:
Thank you for your e-mail. It is widely known among scientists specialized in disinfectants that bleach (sodium hypochlorite) is more antimicrobial at a pH of about 6.5 or 7.0, where most of the chemistry is HOCl, than at pH 10, 11, or 12, where most of the bleach is OCl-. A small amount of vinegar will reduce the pH of bleach to about 7.0. Are you having some sanitation problems with RV water? If not, then leave the situation alone. For more information, check the web site www.epa.gov./pesticides/factsheets/chemicals/bleachfactsheet.htm
Good luck.
Norman Miner, Ph.D.
Owner/President
MicroChem Laboratory, Inc.
www.microchemlab.net
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clinthia
Contributing Member
165 Posts |
Posted - 03/03/2010 : 05:08:31 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by joec
If you hate the smell and after taste of chlorine bleach as much as I do, you can substitute granular chlorine for pools and spas (Sodium DiChlor) for the household chlorine. The household chlorine has lots of fillers and thickeners, not wild about putting those in the fresh water tank and household chlorine has very little free chlorine.
1 teaspoon of Sodium DiChlor will clean and disinfect a 100 gallon fresh water tank, for my tank I just dissolve 1/2 teaspoon in a gallon jug of warm water then pour that into the tank and fill it up with fresh water. Run the water thru the taps and let it set overnight. Then drain and refill and flush the taps with fresh water, then drain that and refill with water for the trip.
I was wondering if I could use Bromine instead of Sodium DiChlor.
Thanks, Clint |
2007 Dodge 3500 SRW 4X4 6.7 Cummins
2004 EC950-839 w/ slideout
Yamaha EF1000ISC
Torkjac/Happilift tie-downs w/ Derringers, Timbrens
and a minature schnauzer
named Madeline aka LBD |
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SuperDave
Advanced Member
695 Posts |
Posted - 03/03/2010 : 05:25:33 AM
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| When I was a back packer I used to buy the bromine tablets to add to my drinking water so I don't see why you couldn't use it. I hated the taste of that stuff too so you'd probably have to flush tank a couple times with this too. |
2006 Dodge Dually
2007 Eagle Cap 850 Camper
2003 - 21' Jetcraft, 150 HP Yamaha, 8 HP Yamaha Kicker & 4 Cannon Downriggers |
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Topic |
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Sanitizing the Water System
