FW Tank Gray Slime Problem

[zam41@comcast.net]

Gray slim in water tank. Cleaned screen , I’m emptying tank and more coming out ?

[Beau388]

Originally Posted by zam41@comcast.net

Gray slim in water tank. Cleaned screen , I’m emptying tank and more coming out ?

Commonly known as soap scum. Change detergents and get some gray tank cleaner.


What works for us - We used only Dawn dish-washing liquid, paper plates and never put any thing greasy in the sinks (our coach has three). Wipe greasy utensils clean with a paper towel, first, before washing with detergent. Camco TST Gray Water Tank Cleaner every couple weeks. (Pour in through the shower or outside sink's drain.) Stay away from solid bar soaps. IMHO!

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by zam41@comcast.net

Gray slim in water tank. Cleaned screen , I’m emptying tank and more coming out ?

In grey tank or fresh water tank? Not clear as written

[Trophy1200]

Originally Posted by EA37TS

In grey tank or fresh water tank? Not clear as written

I’d guess fresh tank as they mention cleaning a screen.

[zam41@comcast.net]

What r you talking about.? Nothing to do with gray water tank!!
Dry camp tank has slim in it. The filter screen clean out was full of slim. Cleared screen a few times and trying to fill water tank and flush out.

[zam41@comcast.net]

Dry camp water tank.

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by zam41@comcast.net

Dry camp water tank.

Sanitize the tank and fresh water system as recommended in your manual. If it continues change your water source.

[zam41@comcast.net]

Jhc! It’s not the gray tank. Dry camp tank had slim in it. Dry camp screen was clogged with slim. How can you get tank out to clean???????

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by zam41@comcast.net

Jhc! It’s not the gray tank. Dry camp tank had slim in it. Dry camp screen was clogged with slim. How can you get tank out to clean???????

Have you sanitized the fresh water system? Try that first.

[Trophy1200]

Originally Posted by zam41@comcast.net

Jhc! It’s not the gray tank. Dry camp tank had slim in it. Dry camp screen was clogged with slim. How can you get tank out to clean???????

You’re better off constantly flushing the tank and then sanitizing as suggested to clear the slime and clean up the tank.

Removing the tank to clean it is not an easy task so not suggested, try the easier method first.

BTW, don’t get irate with others trying to help when you could have so easily stated in your first post that it was the fresh water tank.

[16ACE27]

Changed the thread title to more accurately reflect the OP's issue.

[Beau388]

In my defense - I have been RVing for 40 years and never heard of or had of anything other than a hydrogen-sulfide smell in the fresh water system. I used KY well water in all of my coaches when I lived there. I now use Edwards Aquifer water straight out of a private well. What type of potable water would cause a gray slime to form?

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by Beau388

In my defense - I have been RVing for 40 years and never heard of or had of anything other than a hydrogen-sulfide smell in the fresh water system. I used KY well water in all of my coaches when I lived there. I now use Edwards Aquifer water straight out of a private well. What type of potable water would cause a gray slime to form?

You'd be surprised what can grow in FW systems. In Navy ships running steam plants there are condensate drains that drain through funnels and pipes to bilge collection tanks. The funnels have screens which occasionally get clogged with slimy growth we called "snot", which looked like.......snot; long and slimy.

[lwmcguire]

SRB or sulfate reducing bacteria will form as sessile bacteria with snot appearance and attachch to wet surfaces

Disinfectant will kill it layer by layer, and a surfactant is typically required to effectively remove the growth

Untreated or poorly treated plus water high in TOC are required to have issues with it. Organic contamination such as a dead mouse getting in the water tank could be suspect.

Over the years, i have seen several campers missing their gravity fill water cap

Better find a better water supply, preferably with Disinfectant

[dkoldman]

My what a grumpy attitude. I wonder what all has NOT been said about the history of that water tank? I think I can imagine why he wants to take it out. He needs to sanitize that tank overnight maybe two or three times. When done, let it sit for a few days and take a water sample to the city to get it analyzed.

Now my question because I googled and got no hits... What is a Dry camp screen? If I got one, I have never seen. I do have a water filter, but I don't clean it, just trash and replace.

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

My what a grumpy attitude. I wonder what all has NOT been said about the history of that water tank? I think I can imagine why he wants to take it out. He needs to sanitize that tank overnight maybe two or three times. When done, let it sit for a few days and take a water sample to the city to get it analyzed.

Now my question because I googled and got no hits... What is a Dry camp screen? If I got one, I have never seen. I do have a water filter, but I don't clean it, just trash and replace.

I think "dry camp screen" is the pump suction strainer.

[JimOIB]

Regardless of the poor attitude and making us guess what a dry camp tank is…the OP has slime bacteria. It comes in many forms - some harmless and some not. I have seen it in wells, condenser tubes and heat exchangers. In the Navy we called it “bio-foul”. The remedy is to clean the tank then super chlorinate as would be done with a well. Follow that with disinfectant bleach as a sanitizer and run through the complete system. Sprinkle in the recommendations from others and you should be good to go.

If this is a result of using well water…have your well checked.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by 16ACE27

I think "dry camp screen" is the pump suction strainer.

Thanks, I hope that is it; so I can try to follow along. I clean both pump strainers when winterizing. Never seen anything in them though. If I saw slime, I am pretty sure my wife would want to sell the RV, or she would NEVER use the water again to do anything.

Originally Posted by JimOIB

Regardless of the poor attitude and making us guess what a dry camp tank is…the OP has slime bacteria. It comes in many forms - some harmless and some not. I have seen it in wells, condenser tubes and heat exchangers. In the Navy we called it “bio-foul”. The remedy is to clean the tank then super chlorinate as would be done with a well. Follow that with disinfectant bleach as a sanitizer and run through the complete system. Sprinkle in the recommendations from others and you should be good to go.

If this is a result of using well water…have your well checked.

Bio Foul (good stuff), this post makes me want to Sanitize my water tank this weekend 3 months ahead of my normal schedule. Heck, I wax my RV twice a year, maybe I should be Sanitizing twice a year? Not to raise a ruckus, but this is a good reason why I like to leave home with my Fresh Water tank full. I know the water and it is not hard or anything like that. Even at campsites, other than doing it once or twice to see it work, we never use City Pressurized water. We just use our home supplied water and generally on the return trip we have about 1/3rd tank or less. I do use the camp water to Sani Flush my black tank before leaving. It is my way of fighting back for being excessively charged and hassled to get a nice RV campsite these days.

[Scubawise]

For OP. My 30 year tech Kurt had a fresh water tank removed and showed me where it came from and hook ups.
What a pain in the ASX!

[Scubawise]

Anyone use this?