Fresh water smelling

[Jasonc]

Every time we head out camping and hook up to water it has a smell for awhile. We usually go 2-4 weeks between trips. I’m draining my fresh water tank if we use it. Although we seldom do. Usually just hooked up to city water. Any ideas on what’s causing this and/or how to fix it. Thanks

[Witt74]

Might want to flush out your drinking water hoses.

[Bookemdanno]

Have you ever sanitized your fresh water lines with a solution of bleach/water? Smell might be coming from water leftover in your lines from previous trips. I blow out my lines after each trip.

[GHen]

Originally Posted by Bookemdanno

Have you ever sanitized your fresh water lines with a solution of bleach/water? Smell might be coming from water leftover in your lines from previous trips. I blow out my lines after each trip.

Great idea on blowing the water lines out. I do that in the fall, but should do it anytime we don’t use the rv for 30 days.

Smell could be water in hot water tank also. Using a bleach solution should solve the issue, follow same instructions for antifreeze.

[Cosmik Debris]

We sanitize at beginning of season, which includes a second soak/flush with a vinegar solution. If the trailer sits a long while between trips during the heat of summer I'll fill tank with the vinegar solution to freshen it, like you would with any plastic water bottle or canteen. The camelback instructions ask that you do that, so why not with a huge plastic tank.

[Chrisb-24]

I've gone through the same thing. You've got a bacteria bug growing in your fresh water system. You need to bleach your tank. Put 1 cup of beach to every 38 gallons. I put 1 cup in my 42 gallon tank, let set over night. Make sure you drain your hot water tank, while filling your fresh water tank turn your pump on to refill your hot water tank. Open all your faucets to make sure your getting the bleach smell in the water. I do this once every summer and it'll kill your smell problem. If you have any other questions just private message me and I'll give you my number.
Good luck in your water bleaching.
Chris

[Marine71-76]

We are having the same issue & have never used our fresh water tank. We didn't have the issue in 2016 when we purchased the unit. We noticed it last year and after research, we emptied the hot water tank once we got back to storage from a camping trip. That helped but this year it is in the cold water line. Guess we are going to have to use the fresh water tank to clean the lines out.

And we never had this issue with any of our previous units - we contributed it to the Atwood hot water - but that should not impact the cold water line. A bit frustrating.

[Grumpy]

If the campgrounds you go to are on a well then the water will sour since it's probably not chlorinated. That was the only time we had that problem.

[Marine71-76]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

If the campgrounds you go to are on a well then the water will sour since it's probably not chlorinated. That was the only time we had that problem.

As far as we know, they were not well. The one we thought was on well we found out it was on city water. The only place we have used well water is at DSIS ranch last November & the unit was winterized after that trip. Would that still impact the lines now?

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by Marine71-76

As far as we know, they were not well. The one we thought was on well we found out it was on city water. The only place we have used well water is at DSIS ranch last November & the unit was winterized after that trip. Would that still impact the lines now?

It shouldn't.

[Jagiven]

Lots of good suggestions above. If I do not expect to use our TT for more than two weeks, I make sure to drain the water heater tank. I also drain the FW hose, when I disconnect it.

I would start by sanitizing the entire system, I too use the let it sit overnight method, then rinse, rinse and rinse some more to get the taste out of the water.

Some CG have nasty water. We have one we go to, that I fill my tank at home, as the water is so bad!

[mmwhit]

In addition to the excellent advice given here, I would also drain the hot water tank after each use. I’ve had problems with stinky water when I’ve allowed water to sit in the hot water tank for a few weeks, when I’m not using the unit.