Sanitation and Vacation / Part Time Homes

Proper care is key to customer satisfaction and safety.

By Paul Imhoff CWS-IV

Most water treatment dealers service areas where the customers live full time, however the small percentage that do business in resort areas or have clients who travel seasonally to and from two or more homes need to pay attention to the special needs of these transient clients.

Daily use in full time residences reduces bacterial growth from stagnation in most water treatment and household plumbing systems. When installed in vacation or part time homes these systems may be unused for months. The longer a plumbing system is left unused the greater possibility for bacterial growth. To give customers the best quality water special steps should be taken.

Because vacation / part time homes are such a small segment of the market, the industry has done little research and offers little advice other than "regular sanitation is necessary". The few studies that have been done typically tested equipment after only 2 or 3 weeks of disuse. Though these studies did find a small increase in heterotropic bacteria, they concluded that when installed on a potable water source, POE / POU Water Treatment Equipment has not been shown to add, concentrate, or propagate enteric pathogens or harmful organisms in drinking water.

The duration that a system can be safely left unused before sanitation becomes necessary is therefore subjective. The dealer will have to use their best judgment in determining what service schedule is needed for a particular system.

Many factors need consideration to determine what sanitation steps are required for the proper care of a water system:

1. Source quality. If the water is supplied by a municipal system and has a constant chlorine residual, it will help prevent bacterial growth. Unchlorinated water from municipal sources and private wells has no "built in" protection against bacteria. Private wells should be tested annually for coliform bacteria by a State Approved Lab (include this in your maintenance service). Waters, which contain Iron, Manganese, Hydrogen Sulfide and other problematic impurities, have to be considered.

2. Frequency and duration of use the system will be subject to. Will the home will be used every week or two for a few days year round, or is it seasonal and only used for part of the year.

3. Type of equipment in use. There are so many different types of residential water treatment equipment in use that each must be considered based on its materials and intended function.

A primary example: A disposable carbon cartridge filter would be easy and inexpensive to maintain, simply throw away the old cartridge, sanitize the housing and install a new cartridge. Installing an automatic dechlorinating filter containing activated carbon may not be a good idea due to the difficulty of sanitizing. The granular activated carbon media is extremely difficult to sanitize due to its ability to adsorb the sanitizing agent. Sanitizing procedures that are effective are not easily performed on a job site and the other alternative is to completely rebed the unit every time the home is opened for the season.

4. Difficulty or Cost of service to maintain the system. If a system is too difficult for people to maintain themselves or the cost of professional care is to high, many customers will choose not to buy a system or simply ignore the need for service. Keep the schedule for maintenance at a level the consumer can perform themselves or accept the additional cost of maintenance. If you schedule annual water testing, filter changes and system sanitation for the same appointment the customer will get a better value.

5. System shutdown. If the system was shutdown properly at the end of the season the sanitation steps required would be fewer and less extreme.

Once you have determined what types of service you customers system will require it will be necessary to educate you customer. Most people believe if their water comes out of the tap clear and free of odors it will be good to drink. Inform your clients that some simple steps can be taken to ensure their water is fresh. If they have been away for more than a few days tell them to run the faucet for a few minutes before drinking or cooking with it. If they have been gone for a week or more they may want to empty RO tanks so they will refill. They should also manually cycle softeners and filters.

You can help your customers maintain a healthy system by selling them systems designed to maintain themselves. Install a water softener with a regeneration override, if the unit has not cycled in a preset number of days it will regenerate automatically. There are also softeners available now that will sanitize themselves automatically during regeneration. Add an auto flush timer to RO installations to drain water from the storage tank so it will make fresh water daily. Installing an Ultraviolet, Ozonator or Chlorinator system at the POE can reduce bacteria growth in the home, though only chlorine has a residual affect downstream from the equipment.

When opening a home after disuse it is a good idea to disinfect the entire plumbing system including all water treatment devices before using the water. If the home has been winterized with RV antifreeze it is not necessary to sanitize the plumbing, but be sure to flush all the lines completely before starting and sanitizing any water treatment equipment. Before disinfecting a plumbing system remove filter cartridges, bypass softeners and filters and shut off supplies to RO systems.

If water is supplied from a private well you can begin taking a water sample for bacteria testing by a certified lab. Run the water for 10 to 15 minutes before taking the sample to flush the pipe and get fresh water from the well. Use the pressure tank drain valve and sterilize the faucet with a torch before taking the sample. After taking the water sample it is a good idea to shock chlorinate the well. This will sanitize the well and feed the chlorine needed to sanitize the rest of the water system. You will need to add a chlorine solution or pellets to the well to get a 50-PPM or higher concentration. Cycle the pump several times to disperse the solution to the bottom of the well or if possible circulate the chlorine solution for 15 minutes or until a strong chlorine smell is detected by running a garden hose into the top of the well. Allow the chlorine solution to remain in the well for at least two hours.

To disinfect the plumbing system, run chlorinated water from the well or use a filter sump to add chlorine to system at the point of entry. Turn the hot water faucet in a bathtub furthest from the POE and let run until a strong chlorine smell is detected. One at a time run every hot water faucet until chlorine is smell detected. Next run the cold water faucet furthest from the POE until a strong chlorine smell is detected. Repeat with all cold water faucets then flush all toilets. Finally cycle the dishwasher, icemaker and any other water-using appliance to get chlorine into piping. Leave the chlorine in the plumbing system for a minimum of two hours (overnight if possible). After the contact time has elapsed flush the chlorine out of the system. Discharge as much chlorinated water as possible through an outside hose. Avoid discharging large quantities of chlorinated water into septic systems or onto gardens and lawns. Once the chlorine levels are low enough (below 1 PPM) flush the inside faucets and appliances. Next return filters, water softeners to service and disinfect them. Finally service and disinfect any RO systems before returning to service.

Water treatment equipment can be sanitized using a variety of different solutions. Chlorine is the most common but Hydrogen Peroxide, Peracetic Acid, Iodine and Quaternary Ammonium can also be used. Chlorine (sodium hypochlorite) in the form of (unscented) household bleach used to come in 5.25% solution but has recently been changed to 6% solution. All current sanitation instructions base their dosages on the 5.25% solution (including these) so you may want to use 15% less than the recommended dose. Always follow the manufacturer instructions for cleaning and sanitizing water treatment equipment.

Tip: a syringe (without a needle) is a handy tool for measuring sanitizing solutions in small doses without spilling. They can be purchased from medical, farm and pet supply stores.

To sanitize a water softener use 1 to 2 fluid ounces (1 tablespoon = 1/2oz) of household bleach per cubic foot of resin to get 50 to 100 PPM chlorine. Add the solution to the brine tank and run the softener through a normal regeneration. For better disinfection interrupt the regeneration at the end of the brine cycle before the final rinse and let the softener soak for 1 to 8 hours then finish the cycle making sure the chlorine is rinsed out.

Automatic filters can be sanitized by running chlorinated water (50 ppm or higher) through them during the whole house sanitizing procedure, then put the system in bypass for 2 to 8 hours. After letting the filter soak run it through a normal backwash cycle to flush the chlorine out. For iron filters and carbon filters follow the manufacturer instructions.

Reverse osmosis systems should be cleaned, sanitized and have the filters serviced at the beginning of the use season to get the best results. Following the manufacturer instructions shut off the water supply and drain the storage tank. Check the air pressure and adjust if necessary. Connect a sanitizer solution feeder between the feed water and the storage tank. Add 5 ml. (1 tsp.) 5.25% chlorine solution to the feeder for the typical 4-gallon tank (increase for larger storage tanks), turn on feed water and let the tank fill. Allow solution to stand in storage tank for 10 to 20 minutes. Flush the storage tank with fresh water by filling and draining 2 or 3 times until no chlorine smell is detected. Reconnect the feed water and storage tank to the system.

Reverse osmosis systems will vary from different manufacturers always follow the directions for the unit being serviced. Basic instructions for cartridge filter style RO systems begin by removing filter sumps and discarding the water and filters, set aside the membrane in a clean container if it will be reused. Clean the filter sumps and o-rings with a mild soap and water solution and rinse. Grease any o-rings with approved silicone grease and reinstall into sumps. Add 3 ml. chlorine to the bottom of the prefilter sump (if a combination carbon sediment prefilter is used put the chlorine into the small cup in the bottom or add to center of the filter cartridge) install the filter and housing back onto the system. Repeat with any remaining filter sumps. Place the membrane back into its housing and add 2 or 3 ml. chlorine to the permeate tube outlet. Immediately turn on feed water and open the faucet, when water begins to dribble from faucet close the faucet. Instruct the customer to allow the storage tank to fill for 4 to 6 hours and then drain, then repeat 1 or more times until chlorine smell is gone.

The need to shock the entire plumbing system can be eliminated by properly shutting down the home. Even if the heat is going to be left it is a good idea to fill the plumbing system with RV antifreeze. The antifreeze will prevent bacterial growth and keep the pipes fresh until flushed out at startup. The first time a home is winterized it will probably take longer and require the addition of some valves and fittings. This will make the job easier the next time so it will be faster and cost less.

When closing a vacation home for the season, first sanitize and regenerate the water softener and backwash any automatic filters, then put them in bypass. Disconnect the media tanks and blow them down. Shut off and disconnect the RO remove the sumps drain and discard the filters. Remove the membrane and refrigerate (Do Not let Freeze) to reduce bacterial growth. Drain the storage tank and close the valve. Disconnect and drain any contact, pressure and solution tanks, also drain any UV system.

To fill the system with antifreeze, first shut off the water and water heater (gas or electric) then drain the system by opening all the faucets also drain the water heater with a hose. Use a pump type garden sprayer or electric pump to fill the system. Connect the pump to the hot water system (use any supply valve or faucet with proper adapters) as close to the POE as possible. Close the inlet and outlet valves on the water heater (both are needed unless the outlet pipe is disconnected and the antifreeze is pumped from there). Fill the hot water plumbing by opening 1 faucet at a time starting with the nearest hot faucet. Run each faucet until it flows pink and start the dishwasher to fill the bottom. Follow the same steps to fill the cold water system making sure all the piping and fixtures have antifreeze in them. You can also let some antifreeze into the water softener, filter and water heater.

If the house will go below freezing you should remove and store the water softener in a heated area. If heated storage is not possible then fill with RV antifreeze to cover the media. All the drains should be filled with antifreeze and run the dishwasher through the drain cycle to protect the pump and drain line.

When opening a home that has been winterized with antifreeze be sure to flush all the lines completely before starting and sanitizing any water treatment equipment.

More detailed instructions for sanitizing water systems can be found in the WQA publication: Guidelines for Disinfection and Sanitation of Water Treatment Equipment or by contacting your Department of Natural Resources or local Health Department.

Part-time residents have many special needs. One of the most important is fresh safe water. Dealers who operate in areas with a large percentage of vacation or part time homes can profit from the needs of these special clients and enhance customer satisfaction. Take the time to find out from your clients what kind of use their home and water will subject to, and then design your services to suit. Service any system bought from a retail store or closed dealership and those neglected by your competition. Consumers can now get water treatment products from many sources while getting good help to maintain them isn't so easy. In the future dealerships are going to be more and more dependent on quality services provided by qualified professionals not just the products they sell. Showing your customers you care about their water and how it affects their health will pay off well in trust for future business.

Water Quality Associations "Guidelines for Disinfection and sanitation of Water Treatment Equipment" 1999