# Chlorinating water lines in a home



## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

I've never done more than chlorinate a water heater, and sanitize a softener with bleach, but have heard about chlorinating a whole house. Even with a sulfer smell in the lines I tell them after a treatment that to give it time and it will clear up. 

Recently I was called out to my favorite mobile home park in the boonies, and during a conversation with the property manager, she told me that the HVAC guy who got me the gig has been doing some of the plumbing there, per the owner. 

She said to clean up a bad smell in the water at a home he chlorinated the water lines and made the home renter leave it undisturbed for several days, she actually said a month, but that is just ridiculous. 

For those who know better what would be a reasonable process to clean out a plumbing system? 

Will ask my others when I get some responses.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

*clorinate the well*

you throw about 3 bottles of bleach down the well head..

you let it set for a 1/2 hour to dillute

you hit the bypass on the water softener or the
 bleach will ruin the resin in the filter...

you run the water at the furtherst hot fixture untill
 you smell bleach , then open all the other fixtures till 
you smell bleach...


let it set for as long as possible . 
eventually you have to turn the bypass back on once it dillutes enough


this will pretty much kill everything dead... 
and give the home a fresh bleach smell.... 

I personally like to use the lemon scented bleach....:yes:


repeat the process if results are not to their likeing


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## bartnc37 (Feb 24, 2009)

If the chlorine didn't kill it in 24 hours it probably isn't gonna kill it.


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## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

bartnc37 said:


> If the chlorine didn't kill it in 24 hours it probably isn't gonna kill it.


Chlorine is volatile, so it evaporates very fast in open air....
If you pour it in a bucket and leave overnight, it loses it's "bleach" properties.

It works fast....almost on contact anyway.


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

Master Mark said:


> you throw about 3 bottles of bleach down the well head..
> 
> you let it set for a 1/2 hour to dillute
> 
> ...





bartnc37 said:


> If the chlorine didn't kill it in 24 hours it probably isn't gonna kill it.





PinkPlumber said:


> Chlorine is volatile, so it evaporates very fast in open air....
> If you pour it in a bucket and leave overnight, it loses it's "bleach" properties.
> 
> It works fast....almost on contact anyway.



All your responses support what I thought was the right way to do things. What was weird was that he let it set for so long. But, he shouldn't be working on plumbing anyway, even if its a mobile home park.


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

Master Mark said:


> you throw about 3 bottles of bleach down the well head..
> 
> you let it set for a 1/2 hour to dillute
> 
> ...


I will say that you need to look into this a bit more. Depending on well size the amount of chlorine will change. Check with your local county to CYA. They will/should be able to tell you or give you the amount of chlorine needed to disinfect. They will tell you how to collect and send in water samples. You are messing with lives at this point. The EPA should also have paperwork on this since they are charging, what, $10,000 for a fine if you are not licensed. Liquid is used more often now a days to disinfect the pipe, wires, and casing. CYA


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

bartnc37 said:


> If the chlorine didn't kill it in 24 hours it probably isn't gonna kill it.


Not entirely true. If done correctly you may have to do it more times but it will clean it up. The only way to know for sure is to get a sample and get it tested.


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

Here is a sample from one of the counties near me. Start at the bottom of page 32, its a short read.


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

You do not just dump a few bottles. 

Our code addresses it. It's 200 ppm for 15 minutes, or 50 ppm for 15 minutes.

To disenfect the potable water supply piping.


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

This is old but has everything you need to disinfect your system.:thumbup:


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## bartnc37 (Feb 24, 2009)

Our code says 300ppm for 3 hours or 50ppm for 24 hours. Most guys around here go a little on the heavy side so they tend to do the 500 for 24 hours. That's why I said earlier if 24 hours doesn't do it it probably isn't gonna die.


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

50 ppg or 50 mg/l of chlorine for 24 hours, system valved off. Or, 200 mg/l for 3 hours, system valved off. Drain and flush


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## ToUtahNow (Jul 19, 2008)

Keep in mind when using the pounds formula, household bleach is only around a 5% solution.

Mark


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