How to Fill Your RV's Fresh Water Tank

Whether you're use your RV once a year or every week, you'll need ad adequate supply of fresh water to truly enjoy the experience.

The good news is that most RV's have a dedicated tank designed specifically for fresh water. As long as you keep it full, you can access water from the kitchen and bathroom faucets. So, how exactly do you fill an RV's fresh water tank?

Find the Connections

When you're ready, locate the connections for your RV's fresh water tank. You should notice a connection on the actual tank, along with a separate connection for hooking the tank up to the city water.

The hose will also have a screw on the connection running to the city water. The valve allows you to choose between filling up the tank or using city water directly. For this purpose, we're going to choose the fill-up option.

Use the Fresh Water Hose

The golden rule of filling you an RV fresh water tank is to use the fresh water hose. These hoses are designed specifically for potable (fresh) water, and as such should not be used for draining the gray or black water tanks. Doing so could result in cross-contamination, increasing the risk of bacteria and other harmful germs entering your RV's fresh water tank. Only fill your RV's fresh water tank using the fresh water hose.

Use a High-Quality Water Filter

In addition to using a fresh water hose, you should also use a high-quality water filter when filling your RV's fresh water tank. The purpose of a water filter is to remove toxins, chemicals, minerals and other impurities from the water sources. But like most filters, it must be replaced on a regular basis to function as intended. As it accumulates these impurities, the water filter will become less effective at filtering; thus, resulting in contaminated water. So, try to get into the habit of replacing your RV's water filter once every 6 months.

Check the Other Filters

Depending on your RV, it may also have water filters for the kitchen and bathroom sinks. Assuming it does, you should change these once every 6 months as well.

Turn on the Water Pump When Partially Filled

Some RV enthusiasts recommend turning on the water pump and kitchen sink (hot water) when the tank is partially full. This allows for more water to fill the tank, allowing you to squeeze up to 10 more gallons in your RV's system.

How to Clean a Gray Water Holding Tank

• Make sure full hookups are attached.
• Empty and close the tank.
• Mix a double dose of Happy Camper Extreme Cleaner into a gallon of water. Drain mix into tank.
• Finish filling the tank with fresh water until you see it coming up over the shower drain.
• Let it sit overnight, then empty in the morning.
• This will also clean any debris from the top of the tanks.