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03-12-2009, 09:46 AM
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#11
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Scotts Valley, California
Posts: 31
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Re: Disinfecting the water system?
Dave,
The vent is the overflow line that discharges under the van. Same place where you drain and drive when the tank is too full!
/~fred
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03-12-2009, 10:06 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Forest Falls CA
Posts: 876
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Re: Disinfecting the water system?
Quote:
Originally Posted by fmiles
Dave,
The vent is the overflow line that discharges under the van. Same place where you drain and drive when the tank is too full!
/~fred
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Yeah it goes right off the top of the tank (usually passenger side) and then straight down through the floor. I almost had heart failure when i overfilled my tank one time and i saw rushing water coming out of the van under the floor near the rear axle. I shut the water off in a hurry and peaked inside the rig... figuring i flooded the rig.. and nothing. I was baffled. Then i realized, they would have to make some type of overflow vent.. and thats where it was coming out of. Whew that was a scary one for a few minutes.
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03-12-2009, 08:18 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Washington - Ridgefield
Posts: 4,728
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Re: Disinfecting the water system?
I don't like the taste and smell of bleach, so I disinfect with alcohol. You only need about 1% alcohol to kill the bugs that grow in water. So, a bottle of cheap Vodka (4/5 of a quart) will take care of 20 gallons - bigger than my tank. Pour in the vodka, fill the tank more than half full, run the sink until the lines are full. Drive awhile. Let it sit for a few days, or until I'm getting ready to go, drain and refill, run the sink and I'm ready.
And if I don't get all the vodka out of the tank and lines, so what?
Mike
__________________
Alaska to Key West, Labrador and more
Prostate cancer survivor. See Thread Prostate cancer and Sportsmobiles
2015 VW GTI 2020 Fiat 124 Spider
2012 E250 Hitop camper
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03-12-2009, 10:38 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Port Townsend, WA
Posts: 206
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Re: Disinfecting the water system?
Mike, I liked your disinfection approach but wondered why it isn't featured in commonly available lists of how to sanitize water when camping, after a flood, etc. Some intensive Googling failed to turn up any site that gave details on making water potable by using alcohol. Then I found this site:
http://www.globaled.us/peacecorps/food.html
After explaining that boiling is best and that using a proper filter followed by chlorine is next best, the site specifically states that alcohol will not disinfect water or other liquids. Where did you find your info about alcohol being able to kill all the stuff we don't want to drink? Thanks!
__________________
1993 E350 SMB, 15M, 84k miles - a cheap date
2006 Toyota Prius because we like clean air
2002 Honda Odyssey - can haul lots of stuff
1972 Mercedes 350SL with 4.5l V-8, just because
Wag more, Bark less, Play well with others.
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03-13-2009, 05:51 AM
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#15
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Site Team
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Southern New Mexico
Posts: 10,178
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Re: Disinfecting the water system?
I think Mike is talking about disinfecting the water tank and water system, not the actual water itself.
Herb
__________________
SMB-less as of 02/04/2012. Our savings account is richer, but our adventures are poorer.
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03-13-2009, 09:37 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Port Townsend, WA
Posts: 206
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Re: Disinfecting the water system?
Herb, I agree. My thought is as follows - if it's growing in the tank and you fill with water plus a disinfectant, then whatever's in the tank gets into that mix too. Then you circulate the water-disinfectant-pollutant mix through the system (opening faucets etc.) and wait for the disinfectant to kill everything, on the tank walls, in the pipes, and in the water. According to what I read, alcohol cannot kill all the nasty stuff that can thrive in water. To me this appears to say that bad stuff can survive in the alcohol/water mix and thus can survive in the tank and pipes as well. But I could easily be wrong; that's why I'm asking. I do know that when we lived in rural central Virginia and maintained a well, the local health guy told us that the only thing approved for disinfecting that well and our tank and pipes was chlorine, used pretty much as is is used in a SMB, only in larger quantities. I am getting ready to refill our Sporty system and like the idea of using vodka if that'll really do the job!
__________________
1993 E350 SMB, 15M, 84k miles - a cheap date
2006 Toyota Prius because we like clean air
2002 Honda Odyssey - can haul lots of stuff
1972 Mercedes 350SL with 4.5l V-8, just because
Wag more, Bark less, Play well with others.
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03-13-2009, 09:46 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Parker, CO
Posts: 7,644
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Re: Disinfecting the water system?
I think the important thing is that you flush the vodka and fill with clean water. If you're filling from a well, ditch or other suspect source the vodka won't do it, the vodka (or bleach) is just to kill what might be growing in the system, you still have to put clean water in after.
I'm down for vodka over bleach. For one thing if I splash or spill some of it I'm not going to have a big bleached spot in the middle of the rug.
__________________
it was good to be back
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03-13-2009, 10:41 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Washington - Ridgefield
Posts: 4,728
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Re: Disinfecting the water system?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Psomaki
Mike, I liked your disinfection approach but wondered why it isn't featured in commonly available lists of how to sanitize water when camping, after a flood, etc. Some intensive Googling failed to turn up any site that gave details on making water potable by using alcohol. Then I found this site:
http://www.globaled.us/peacecorps/food.html
After explaining that boiling is best and that using a proper filter followed by chlorine is next best, the site specifically states that alcohol will not disinfect water or other liquids. Where did you find your info about alcohol being able to kill all the stuff we don't want to drink? Thanks!
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I worked for years as an engineer making liquid chromatography equipment (chemical analysis equipment). Growth in water based systems was/is a big issue when you are looking for things below 1 part per million. A little alcohol was a standard to prevent growth of bacteria or algea in the lines of these systems.
I was only talking about preventing buildup in the water system, not treating suspect water.
Mike
__________________
Alaska to Key West, Labrador and more
Prostate cancer survivor. See Thread Prostate cancer and Sportsmobiles
2015 VW GTI 2020 Fiat 124 Spider
2012 E250 Hitop camper
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03-13-2009, 10:53 AM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Port Townsend, WA
Posts: 206
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Re: Disinfecting the water system?
Mike, thank you! That makes good sense. Jage, so does your comment - one of the things I don't like about bleach in the SMB tank is the damage it can do. Don't want big white spots in our "classic" blue upholstery or carpet! And if I buy American potato vodka I'm avoiding worsening the shrinking trade deficit. Hey! Maybe we can get environmental improvement stimulus dollars for a group buy of American vodka to treat all our tanks this spring. Now let's see, how many jobs could that create ....
__________________
1993 E350 SMB, 15M, 84k miles - a cheap date
2006 Toyota Prius because we like clean air
2002 Honda Odyssey - can haul lots of stuff
1972 Mercedes 350SL with 4.5l V-8, just because
Wag more, Bark less, Play well with others.
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03-13-2009, 10:58 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Parker, CO
Posts: 7,644
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Re: Disinfecting the water system?
Speaking of which what is a good cheap American Potato Vodka?
__________________
it was good to be back
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