On Tue, 15 Jul 2003, Don Spence wrote:

> Any recommendations/procedures re cleaning/sterilizing the water system?
> TIA

There's some good advice in the archives.  Here's what I do:

- If there's any film or other build-up inside the tank, scrub it down
through the hand-hole on top.  Be careful of your water level sensor if
you have the float type, as it's very fragile.  Scrubbing is important
because chlorine can't kill organisms that are protected by a layer of
film.

- Mix 1/4 cup of chlorine bleach into a bucket of water and pour it into
the tank.  Add clear water until the tank is full, and run the sink pump
to get the bleach water into the lines.  Let it sit for an hour or so.  A
short drive to slosh the water around in there is a good idea.

- Drain the tank and refill with fresh water.  Run the sink pump to flush
the lines.  Drain the tank.  If there's still an objectionable bleach odor
or taste you can repeat this step.

Leaving the large cap off between trips helps keep the inside of the tank
dry and reduces the need for sterilizing it.  With the cap on the inside
of the tank tends to stay wet, because of condensation and because the
flat bottom makes it hard to drain completely.