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Old 06-12-2017, 03:07 PM   #1
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Foul Smell

Hooked up city water supply to 5th wheel today and turned on faucets. All I could smell was rotten eggs. Was the second time I had run water through it since dewinterizing. After continuously running water it seemed to dissipate. Any suggestions what this could be from. Thanks.

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Old 06-12-2017, 03:12 PM   #2
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Is the city water connection one of a known quality? i.e. like at your house, or is it at a campground somewhere?

When naturally occurring 'things', usually plant matter, decay in a water supply, or in storage, hydrogen sulfide gas is released. Are you on well water?

If you're sure it isn't the source water, I'd totally sanitize the entire water system with diluted bleach / water and would anyway if you haven't already.
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Old 06-12-2017, 03:37 PM   #3
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Hooked up city water supply to 5th wheel today and turned on faucets. All I could smell was rotten eggs. Was the second time I had run water through it since dewinterizing. After continuously running water it seemed to dissipate. Any suggestions what this could be from. Thanks.

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Try 1 cup of bleach into empty garden house then fill holding tank. Then run through all lines and faucets
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Old 06-12-2017, 03:54 PM   #4
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Was the last place you camped on well water? If it's not chlorinated it will sour in your water lines.
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Old 06-12-2017, 03:59 PM   #5
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Is the city water connection one of a known quality? i.e. like at your house, or is it at a campground somewhere?

When naturally occurring 'things', usually plant matter, decay in a water supply, or in storage, hydrogen sulfide gas is released. Are you on well water?

If you're sure it isn't the source water, I'd totally sanitize the entire water system with diluted bleach / water and would anyway if you haven't already.
The water is from my home and it's good water.

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Old 06-12-2017, 04:02 PM   #6
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The water is from my home and it's good water.

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In that case you got some grub in your lines...

Flush...sanitize...flush...sanitize...a few times.
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Old 06-12-2017, 04:10 PM   #7
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Is it coming from both cold and hot water faucets? I never have odor coming from my cold water faucets but if I leave the hot water heater full but turn the heater off the water will have the sulfur smell the next time I use the camper. Now I usually dump the water heater after every trip.
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Old 06-12-2017, 04:35 PM   #8
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Had a similar problem in a Montana I had. Found the problem to be stale water in the lines going to the washer hookup (had no washer). Flushed the lines periodically and the problem went away. Hope it helps.
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Old 06-12-2017, 04:53 PM   #9
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Is it absolutely necessary to drain the hot water tank?

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Old 06-12-2017, 05:14 PM   #10
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If I am going to use it again in a few days I will leave it, but if it is going to be a week or more it gets dumped. Seems to work well for me.
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Old 06-12-2017, 05:19 PM   #11
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It is very easy to drain your hot water tank and you should do it periodically to keep your water fresh. I use the bleach method to disinfect the whole system. Drain this and then I add a box of baking soda with the next fill. Run this through your lines and then drain and flush again and you should be good to go. I like fresh tasting water!
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Old 06-12-2017, 05:24 PM   #12
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I've had decent luck draining my hot water tank just by opening up the low point drains and opening faucets and/or the safety valve on top of the tank. I only mess around with the plastic drain plug in the hot water tank at the end of the season.
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Old 06-12-2017, 07:22 PM   #13
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Was the last place you camped on well water? If it's not chlorinated it will sour in your water lines.
That's interesting. We have a well at our house that doesn't have any chlorination. That's the water we fill the camper with, and refill it with. We only drain the tank or lines when we winterize. Never had the water "sour" or give off a smell.

If non-chlorinated water is "souring", I would suspect bacterial contamination.

And to the OP, I would drain everything and do a sanitize and flush on the entire system.
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Old 06-12-2017, 07:39 PM   #14
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I added a 1/4 turn valve to my water heater drain instead of dealing with the plastic plug. I always drain my water heater after i return from a trip. Had that rotten smell happen to my hot water once when i had not drained it. Much easier for me to drain it at home than trying to do it at a campground. Just something i do when i get home along with draining the fresh water tank.


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Old 06-12-2017, 07:48 PM   #15
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Is it absolutely necessary to drain the hot water tank?
Is it necessary no, I drain my tank if we won't be out for more than 2 weeks.

Not all well water gives a foul smell, when sitting, Chlorinated city water tends not to. I just rather drain as a precaution than have to deal with it later.
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Old 06-12-2017, 07:54 PM   #16
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That's interesting. We have a well at our house that doesn't have any chlorination.

If non-chlorinated water is "souring", I would suspect bacterial contamination.
That may have been it, but the two times I experienced souring was after camping at a park that had a non-chlorinated well.

I have never drained the water heater or lines during camping season except after those two instances.
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Old 06-12-2017, 07:59 PM   #17
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funky smell

We have an electric water heater in our guest house and we get a stink if we go too long without using the faucets/shower. If your water heater is a combo with electric, the attached might answer the question:
Routine RV Water Heater Maintenance
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Old 06-13-2017, 06:53 AM   #18
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I'm betting it's bacteria from the hot water tank.
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Old 06-13-2017, 07:53 AM   #19
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If I am going to use it again in a few days I will leave it, but if it is going to be a week or more it gets dumped. Seems to work well for me.
+1

I will drain all the water from the system short of running compressed air for normal storage. During the winter, I drain and run compressed air to get as much water out of the system as I possibly can. We don't get much freeze down here, but water sitting in hot plastic hoses for a few weeks tends to smell a little "funky".

I still don't understand why people have such a hard time with the nylon plug in water heaters. I sometimes wonder if I'm doing something wrong because it's really not even remotely difficult to remove.
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Old 06-13-2017, 08:05 AM   #20
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I'm betting it's bacteria from the hot water tank.
That's what it is.
I had to do this to my hot water tank this spring. Drain it, pour a bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide in it and refill the tank. Let it sit for a few hours then flush it out by leaving the tap on for 30 or so. No smell anymore.
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