Maintenance Questions


onthecoach

Senior Member
Hi All,

We've been fulltiming in our motorhome for 3 years now...I am wondering...does anyone know how to change the filters (are there any filters?) in the furnaces?? We used to do it monthly in the house...but I can't find how to do it in the coach!

Also, what about the plumbing...after so long...don't we need to run some kind of cleaner through the pipes from the sinks and shower?

I can't seem to find any substances that would be good and SAFE to use in the pipes.

Any suggestions??

Thanks!!
 

elkhartjim

Senior Member
Re: Maintenance Questions

Lynn, I have heat pumps and they use the same filter as the A/c. I try to clean them at least once a month during a/c season . I've never thought about a furnace filter per say...someone will enlighten us though
Do a forum search, there's plenty of info on sanitizing your fresh water system.
 

Kirk

Senior Member
Re: Maintenance Questions

Lynn,

An RV furnace does not have filters. A few that I have seen have had one added in some location by the manufacturer of the RV or by an owner. The most common location for such a filter if it exists, is in the cold air return, just as it would be in a house. Look for a grill that allows air to enter into the space where the furnace is located as that will be your cold air return. If you have a filter, most likely that is where it would be, but don't be surprised if there is none.

As for the water system, most "experts" will tell you that you should sanitize it annually. I try to do that but have been known to go longer, with the memory lapse that seems to be so prevalent! For specific instructions on this operation, just follow this link. http://www.adventure.1tree.net/full-time/water_system_sanitation.htm
 

onthecoach

Senior Member
Re: Maintenance Questions

Thanks Elkhart jim and Kirk! I know about the AC return grill and clean that monthly, or as needed.....I actually have 2 of these in the coach...so that's a done deal. Glad to hear we do not have typical 'home-type' filters.

About sanitizing the plumbing...I do as you do, Kirk, and thanks for the website as reinforcement. What I was really asking about are the actual pipes and/or hoses that go from the sinks and shower into the gray tank. I worry that even though I am so careful about keep 'stuff' out of those places (with very fine wire traps), that those pipes and hoses could use a good cleaning and/or snaking.

Your thoughts???
 

ARCHER

Senior Member
Re: Maintenance Questions

If. for example, I do not or have not used the fresh water tank/pump but only used the city water side of my water system and I drained the hot water tank, black and grey (treated them also) is there anything special I need to do after I return from summering up North other than just flushing the system out with new city water and also flushing out the grey/black tanks?? The TT has or will have set for approximately 6 months in the Florida sunshine/heat/humidity. We do not use the water to drink (use bottled water for coffee, etc.) but do use it for showering, sink dish washing, hand washing and brushing teeth and of course, toilet. Do I need to do the bleach thingy when I return to Florida or just flush the system with city water????? This will be the first time I have left a trailer in the South for the summertime so want to make sure I do it correctly.
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
Re: Maintenance Questions



Mike, here's the link for the forum thread where we discussed the sanitizing of the water.

You basically use at least 1/4 cup of "Clorox" for 100 gallons of water. (1/8 cup for 50 gallons, etc.) However, others have different views on the concentration to use based on experience so look through the thread and adjust as you see fit.

This is what I would do. Fill your tank completely full after adding the "Clorox" and run this water through all parts of your system making sure you use the pump to do it. Let it sit for a while, then completely drain your tank and refill with fresh water and flush the "Clorox" water out. (As many times as it takes, and that is the reason not to use too high a concentration of the sanitizer.)

Forum Link: Sanitizer Concentration Thread
 

C Nash

Senior Member
Re: Maintenance Questions

Thought this was not a selling forum Robin :disapprove: Will you be a sponser on RVUSA or answer questions here :angry:
 

H2H1

Senior Member
Re: Maintenance Questions

I prefer she sponsor this forum by buying adverting space.
 

C Nash

Senior Member
Re: Maintenance Questions

4 post and no advice or just funning only selling :disapprove: Never a order from this poster or would not even visit their store. Got to be crooked because they are wanting free ads :angry: :disapprove:
 

C Nash

Senior Member
Re: Maintenance Questions

Well I will have to back off a little. I did see where Robin gave some advice and I see she has removed the free blue lines. maybe she was innocent and will be a regular contributor without trying to sell her products until she sponsers RVUSA..
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
Re: Maintenance Questions

Duh, where did Robin go?

Lynn, I dump bleach in my sinks/shower/toilet every once in a while to clean the gray/black tank pipes. I leave the bleach in the sink/shower traps and pipes for a couple of hours before rinsing them and then leave it in the gray/black tanks for a couple more hours and then dump. :eek:
 

Shadow

Senior Member
Re: Maintenance Questions

My question is kind of like Mike's. We mostly leave our trailer on our lot which has city water and all. Should we still sanitize the system a couple times a year?
Like mike we don't use the fresh water tank or the pump. It's used at least every other weekend.
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
Re: Maintenance Questions

Hey Archer, I just dump about a cup in the sinks/shower drains and let it sit in the traps for a couple of hours and then rinse so it goes into the gray tank. I let it sit in the gray holding tank a couple of more hrs and then dump. I do this when the gray tanks are full. As for the black tank, I just dump a couple of cups of bleach into the toilet and then flush it into the black tank immediately. I let it sit in the black tank for about 4 hrs and then dump it before I dump the gray tanks. I have 2 gray holding tanks. I don't expect the bleach does much in the black tank, but it makes me feel better.

I just did the calgon trick to the black tank 2 days ago and boy did I get a lot more yuk out of it when I dumped. I put it in before I moved locations and let it slosh around. I was so excited by the results, I dumped some more calgon in the black/gray tanks today before I changed/moved to a new RV Park. I haven't used the calgon for a couple or more months. I must be getting bored to get all excited about the calgon trick again. What I do for fun. :eek: :eek: :bleh:
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
Re: Maintenance Questions

Hey Chelse, the calgon might make ol red perform too well. I'd be embarrassed if I started getting 30/mpg. 24/mpg is almost embarrassing when I tell the Ford/GM diesel owners. They think I'm pulling their leg. :approve:
 

C Nash

Senior Member
Re: Maintenance Questions

Well you do get pretty good milage when drafting behind them Durmaxs :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: ;) :evil:
 
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