BAC Forum

General Boards => Technical Support => Topic started by: Willard Goldsmith on May 12, 2017, 08:02:23 PM

Title: Waterworks compartment mystery.
Post by: Willard Goldsmith on May 12, 2017, 08:02:23 PM
Just replaced the fresh water pump. Trying to "sanitize" the water system using a bleach mixture but there's no place to insert it into the system. All the literature I have says the system can only be used or the tank filled by a pressure water system. Where/how do I "sanitize" my system? The coach sat unused for more than a year before I bought it. I'm trying to get it ready for it's maiden voyage at the end of the month. I don't have an exact diagram of the valve layout or their positions. Just what's in my owners manual, which leaves a lot to be desired. A detailed picture of the water control panel would be priceless. And where/how to insert the bleach solution.

Thanks,
Bill the "buellfooll@msn.com"
Title: Re: Waterworks compartment mystery.
Post by: Dick Simonis on May 12, 2017, 08:10:20 PM
I just did mine by pouring one cup of bleach into the hose before connecting to the inlet than filled it with 100 gal of water.  Ran all faucets for about 25 gallons.  That should shock chlorinate at 50 ppm or so.  Let it sit for 2 hours, drain and refill.
Title: Re: Waterworks compartment mystery.
Post by: LaMonte Monnell on May 12, 2017, 08:59:11 PM
Thats the same as above how I did mine. Poured some bleach in the hose before attaching to coach. Ran the water to fill the tank and ran each faucet to flush the bleach through. Let it sit in the tank for a short while then drained. Refilled the tank, flushed the lines with the clean water till the bleach smell dissipated. Then redrained the tank again.
Title: Re: Waterworks compartment mystery.
Post by: Joel Ashley on May 13, 2017, 11:52:21 AM
Indeed that's the "easy" and most common method, Bill.  But when I first tried it years back I found it just clumsy enough to be annoying. 

Even with a funnel, it was hard to get bleach safely into the hose without getting the stuff on my clothes or skin, and then I had to figure a way to keep it in there while I tried hooking to the spigot.  Putting a separate inline shutoff on the end was an option relative to that issue. 

But then I found the bleach didn't chemically agree with the hose, leaving a vague taste in our tank that was hard to get rid of.  I swore not to do it like that again, and invented an alternative method as related in this older thread:
http://beaveramb.org/forum/index.php/topic,5053.msg37841.html#msg37841

Yeah, it takes some putting together and a little developed technique, but then you have the device and some experience ready for following seasons.

Joel
Title: Re: Waterworks compartment mystery.
Post by: Gerald Farris on May 13, 2017, 04:12:10 PM
Bill,
There is a third method by adding a winterization port at the pump inlet. You just add a ball valve in the pump inlet pipe between the pump and the fill valve tee. Then install a tee between that ball valve and the pump with a length of flexible pipe or hose that has a ball valve in it that is long enough to reach the bottom of a gallon of RV antifreeze. Then you can use the onboard water pump to add RV antifreeze to winterize the coach or add bleach just by inserting the hose into a container and closing the valve to the tank and opening the one in the pick-up hose. The solution you are adding will only go into the RV piping until you open the tank fill valve, then it will go into the tank.

Gerald 
Title: Re: Waterworks compartment mystery.
Post by: Willard Goldsmith on May 13, 2017, 08:14:52 PM
Thanks everybody. All this RV'ing stuff is a steep learning curve. But I'm getting there with help from my friends on the BAC Forum. System is soaking as I type, after running half a tank through the system. As soon as this thunder storm pulls out I'll drain what's left, refill the tank, rinse and refill and I should be good to go.We NEED the rain here in FL so the delay is welcomed.

Thanks again. I might make that maiden voyage in June after all.

Bill the "buellfooll@msn.com"
Title: Re: Waterworks compartment mystery.
Post by: Bob Bulot on May 14, 2017, 08:01:13 PM
I probably missed something here, but don't most of these coaches have a gravity filler?  Mine is in the utility compartment at the very top center.  Not the easiest place to add bleach, so I attached a piece of hose to a funnel and it worked fine.
Title: Re: Waterworks compartment mystery.
Post by: Gerald Farris on May 18, 2017, 03:19:38 PM
Bob,
There are very few Beaver coaches that have a gravity filler. Monaco started adding a gravity filler to some of the coaches when they moved the water tank to the bottom of an exposed bay in their last few years of production, but I now own my third Beaver and none have ever had a gravity filler, pressurized fill only. 

Gerald
Title: Re: Waterworks compartment mystery.
Post by: David T. Richelderfer on May 18, 2017, 03:28:50 PM
Just wondering... what is the "utility compartment?"
Title: Re: Waterworks compartment mystery.
Post by: Bob Bulot on May 19, 2017, 03:34:00 PM
Just wondering... what is the "utility compartment?"

What you call the bay where all the hoses and cords go.  Read it somewhere and thought I'd sound smart....

(Been watching too many Sean Spicer press briefings)
Title: Re: Waterworks compartment mystery.
Post by: David T. Richelderfer on May 19, 2017, 04:09:59 PM
That explains it.  I don't have one of those.  My coach has 14 basement doors.  Several are not for our miscellaneous storage items, meaning that behind those doors are found the Aquahot, waste tanks, battery trays, electrical bay, propane tank, water bay and side radiator.  The other 7 doors just have enclosed storage areas.  In one door, two doors back of the street-side steering axle, I keep my sewer stuff in a portable, plastic storage container.  We'll refer to that spot as our utility compartment.   ;)
Title: Re: Waterworks compartment mystery.
Post by: Bob Bulot on May 20, 2017, 08:32:03 PM
We'll refer to that spot as our utility compartment.   ;)

You sound smarter already! :D
Title: Re: Waterworks compartment mystery.
Post by: Bill Randle on June 04, 2017, 02:46:40 PM
I'd like to give a shout out to Joel for his suggestion in reply #9. I just bought a fertilizer injector and some other plumbing parts to make a similar "tool" for adding bleach to the freshwater tank. For others that might want to try this, I ordered the injector and a backflow preventer from "Dripdepot" (couldn't find it locally from the big box stores or irrigation supply outfits).

The model AFI 5016-H Fertilizer Injector (SKU 1386) was $25.95. It holds just under 16 oz of liquid which is perfect for adding the recommended 2 cups of bleach to a 100 gal tank. The backflow device (SKU 1023, $2.99) prevents any of the bleach mixture from going the wrong way (i.e., into the water supply line). The injector is completely emptied of product with 15 gal of water.

https://www.dripdepot.com/item/add-it-proportioning-fertilizer-injector-size-16-oz-one-pint (https://www.dripdepot.com/item/add-it-proportioning-fertilizer-injector-size-16-oz-one-pint)
https://www.dripdepot.com/product/hose-thread-backflow-preventer (https://www.dripdepot.com/product/hose-thread-backflow-preventer)
Title: Re: Waterworks compartment mystery.
Post by: Joel Ashley on June 04, 2017, 08:49:39 PM
I believe I did get mine at Lowe's, and they offer both an Orbit and RainDrip brands.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Orbit-Polypropylene-NPT-Drip-Irrigation-Filter/3426528  .  Your dripdepot also has a similar one
https://www.dripdepot.com/product/three-quarter-inch-hose-thread-filter  .  Not that your injector won't work fine, but these are a lot less money (I think mine was $7.98 several years back?) and I don't recall any problem with mine holding enough bleach.  My particular one may have a bit more capacity than the latest versions, though, so more research into that might be helpful to others here.

The only issue I've had is getting follow-up soda to siphon all out of it, so one needs to predissolve soda to the degree possible, perhaps injecting in multiple feeds.  Not everyone uses soda afterward, but my wife picks up on the bleach smell/taste if I don't, and I hear about it.  Let us know if soda doesn't adhere to the inside of yours, Bill.

One good thing about the setup is you can swivel it upside down to help empty soda if need be.

Joel
Title: Re: Waterworks compartment mystery.
Post by: Bill Randle on June 10, 2017, 05:30:10 AM
I saw that one online at Dripdepot. They didn't have one in stock in our local Lowes and I didn't think to look online. It also wasn't clear to me the difference between the filter type mechanism and the fertilizer injector. I think one difference is the fertilizer injector has a specified, metered flow rate. For this unit, it delivers the 16 oz of liquid with 15 gal of water. For this application, it's probably not a big deal.

I haven't tried the baking soda yet. How much do you typically use?
Title: Re: Waterworks compartment mystery.
Post by: Joel Ashley on June 10, 2017, 11:21:31 PM
Some just refill and empty the tank several times, but with 100 g. per shot at my local water rate, one is plenty, and in the past even multiple flushes left enough chlorine for the Mrs. to pick up on.  Dissolving one or more cups of soda in warm water to the extent possible, then adding via a hose or the already-in-place injector with a tank, or even less, of water, running all the faucets, letting it set a few hours to let the soda absorb the chlorine, and emptying works for me.

I've read where some use a cup or two of vinegar instead, but haven't tried it.  I might, because getting the soda to dissolve, and not clump inside the injector, can be a pain.  Maybe vinegar plus soda because the vinegar, an acid, would help dissolve and keep in solution the soda, a base.  Of course together they'd foam in the injector, so I might try a cup of soda first through it with say 25 gallons, then a cup of vinegar - white, not Apple cider vinegar - with another 25;  that way the vinegar might help remove stubborn soda from the injector bowl.  An experiment I may try next time.

Joel
Title: Re: Waterworks compartment mystery.
Post by: Bob Siress on November 01, 2017, 06:14:52 AM
1996 Monterey

I used a heavy duty sprayer which I pumped the solution in at about 30 lbs  pressure.
I don't believe there was any sanitation done for years before I purchased it.
The hot water tank had allot of calcium which I used vinegar to clean out.
Since the fresh water drain was very slow i pumped in vinegar to clean it also.