Hi All,
I'm planning to sanitize my fresh water system via the generally recommended method of putting a bleach solution into the fresh tank and running hot/cold faucets until chlorine hits the taps, then waiting, then flushing.
The
SMB manual specifies such a procedure including an optional vinegar-based step for getting rid of the chlorine taste/smell.
Note that the vinegar step (at link above) leaves vinegar to swish around the fresh tank for a while, but does not send the vinegar solution through the water heater and pipes to soak.
My questions:
- Would a vinegar solution be liable to set loose mineral deposits (inside the H2O heater) that would travel downstream and weasel into valves causing problems down the line? If so, would the vinegar have to sit in the H2O heater for a while to loosen deposits?
- Would it be safer to drain a vinegar solution directly from the freshie tank without sending it through the rest of the system?
-
H2O Heater Maintenance: Does anybody here actually clean (w/vinegar) their H2O heater themselves (like I saw on a youtube video ;-)? and/or replace the anode routinely? It's the type of thing that likely hasn't been done for years and years (if at all) on this rig. (Haven't dug thru really old receipts yet.)
I know ... if it ain't broke, don't fix it ... but I want to be sure not to send a bunch of hard particles down the line into the kitchen faucet valve, while in the process of cleaning out the water system. And I would like to observe any maintenance (beyond drain yearly, which is the only SMB recommended step).
Thanks for any thoughts!