Fresh Water Do’s & Don’ts

Cross-contamination between fresh water (drinking water) components and the hoses and fitting used for wastewater can be a health risk. Just being aware of these concerns is half the battle of maintaining an acceptable level of sanitation. Incorporating these steps into your setup process can help to ensure you keep your fresh water fresh and safe.

• When doing the RV setup do all “clean” activities first. Fresh water hose and filter, electrical connection, jack, slides.

• Leave the “dirty” setup for last. Connect and extend the sewer hose.

• Keep a spray bottle of 9 to 1 bleach water mix. Spray the water faucet and hose ends before connecting. 

• Do not use the fresh water hose to back flush the black water holding tank. Use a different hose preferable with a different color. I have a gray colored hose for this.

• Store the fresh water components in a plastic container with lid. This includes the drinking water hose, water filter, water pressure regulator and a special hose for filling the fresh water tank.

• Sewer hoses and fitting are stored in a separate container or location.

Some RV manufactures do a much better job than others when it comes to sewer hose storage solutions. If you do not have designated sewer hose storage in either a bumper, attached to the underbelly or in a wet storage area you will have to be creative in forming your own solution. A plastic container with a sealed lid approximately 20” by 24” and 6” deep may be sufficient for a 10’ sewer hose and attachments. 

I keep a similar size plastic container for all of my fresh water hoses, filters, and water pressure regulator. This is also where I keep a spray bottle with the bleach water solution. And with all of this segregation of “clean and dirty” components it is not a perfect system. Just think about how many times your water hose was lying on the ground next to or even on top of the sewer hose. 

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 What Scares People the Most? RV Holding Tanks

When talking with new RV owners you can never talk enough about holding tanks and especially the dreaded Black Tank. After all, who wants to smell that stuff let alone get sprayed with a good dose of poop? No one.

Learning about the plumbing on your RV is an educational opportunity you don't want to miss. Aside from the absolute nasty nature of waste water, you can actually get sick from that stuff. And this is a subject I covered in a different video RV Fresh Water Do's & Dont's.

In this video you will learn how to keep your Fresh Water Tank Clean and free from stale water and worse yet, mold. Additionally, you will learn that the Gray Tank pretty much takes care of itself. Just avoid rinsing any oil or food participles down the drain when washing dishes. 

The Black Tank can be subject to many problems all of which are human induced (no pun intended). Lets walk through them one by one:

• Toilet Paper: I have had good luck using any paper marked "Septic Safe." With this said I don't recommend getting the thicker multi-ply soft stuff. The key here is to flush with plenty of water making sure everything in the Black Tank is covered with water without an opportunity to dry out. When "things" dry in the tank it s get hard eventually creating a clog or stoppage.

• Black Tank Treatment: Use a proven quality treatment and avoid the home remedy solutions; one day you will thank me for this. I use  Happy Campers Black Tank Treatment and after 15 year never an odor or clog. 

• Back Flush: If your RV is equipped with a Black Tank Flush connection use it every time you dump the tank. This flushing removes any particles left in the tank and helps to ensure against poop buildup and the dreaded Poop Pyramid. 

• Never Flush Items: Paper towels, handi wipes, female hygiene products,  toilet paper not marked "Septic Safe." Just because something says "disposable" does not mean you can flush it.

A Final note on dumping your tanks. Keep the valves closed until you are ready to dump. Even if you have a sewer connection at you campsite, keep the valves closed else unwanted critters like rats, gnats, sewer flies and of course sewer gas can come up into your holding tank. Try to fill the black tank to 1/2 to 2/3 full before flushing.

Dump the Black Tank first, do the black tank flush, and lastly, flush the gray tank. Flushing the gray tank last will rinse out the sewer hose and reduce odor while in storage.

Never be afraid of the dump site, just respect it. I hope you can take this knowledge with confidence that you can be safe, clean and respectful of the environment. 

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