Correction
“Niagara Falls, From The River Up” (May 2012, page 60) contains an error introduced during the editing process. It incorrectly states that the Niagara River flows south, from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie. Actually, the opposite is true: the river flows north, from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.
FMC regrets this error.
Water Sanitization
Dear Editor:
My wife and I are full-timers. We are currently work-camping at an FMCA commercial member campground, Angels Camp RV & Camping Resort, in Angels Camp, California. I have been reading your publication since arriving here last fall and have really enjoyed it. I am especially interested in the RV technical stuff. Being a retired facilities maintenance manager, I am always interested in that type of information.
I am writing with concern regarding two elements in your March 2012 article titled “Sanitizing The Potable Water Tank And System” (page 49).
Mr. Brett Wolfe states to pour a cup of regular (unscented) household bleach into your potable water hose. I would recommend that the one cup be mixed with five gallons of clean tap water and then poured into the hose and the rest of the system. And in the second paragraph Mr. Wolfe states, “The bleach will sanitize the hose, any filter, and the potable water system.” I would suggest any filters in the system be removed and cleaned separately; better yet, replace them. Most of the filters are “taste filters” and contain carbon to remove the bleach (chlorine) and the chlorine flavor.
Thank you for the great magazine and articles, and keep up the good work.
Paul A. Stewart
Angels Camp, California
Brett Wolfe replies: Regarding mixing the bleach prior to pouring it into the water tank, diluting it would be better, to protect the hose from full-strength bleach (by the way, most household bleach is only a 5 percent solution). So, his suggestion is a good one. However, it’s very difficult to pour five gallons of anything into a hose, and if the hose is connected and the water immediately turned on, the full-strength bleach remains only for a few seconds before being diluted.
Regarding the removal of filters, he is exactly correct IF he is talking about a charcoal filter. Chlorine in large amounts will ruin them. But between the hose and potable water tank, it is not a good idea to have a charcoal filter. Said another way, you do want to remove particulates (i.e., a sediment-only filter), but you don’t want to remove the chlorine (regular city concentration) before storing the water. The ideal is to have a sediment filter to the potable water tank, and a charcoal filter between the tank and faucet. Some coaches are plumbed this way from the factory.
Keeping A Pup Happy When You’re Away
Dear Editor:
In response to the article “A Dog-Gone Good Trip” (April 2012, page 72), I have two additional suggestions. After we decide on a destination to explore, we look for local doggie day-care providers. We check business hours, references, proximity to our RV park, etc., as well as their registration requirements. Some require an orientation or short stay before they will keep a pet for an entire day, for example. Others have a preregistration process or reservation system that we may access online. We use this kind of facility when we plan a long day of sight-seeing, so we don’t have to worry about our small dog.
During shorter periods away from the motorhome, we put a Thundershirt on our dog (www.thundershirt.com). It reduces her anxiety and she generally sleeps quietly while we are away, reducing her stress and saving our neighbors from hearing her bark.
Janet Miller, F401411
Henderson, Nevada
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