Rotten eggs smell in Hot water

[Preetsky]

Hello fellow RVers and thanks for help. We are new to RV life. We parked our Pinnacle 36 FBTS at a seasonal site 3 week ago. Got to the RV last night with very strong Sulphur gas, rotten egg smell . Isolated to hot water. Will never leave without draining again. I need help in sanitizing with Bleach? Hydrogen Peroxide? Vinegar? Which one works best?
Second, how do i put the bleach etc. the hot water heater and all the lines to kill the bacteria?
I have never filled the fresh water tank since got the RV new.
Any help from someone with similar experience or an expert will be greatly appreciated.

Preetsky

[Grumpy]

Is your seasonal site on a well? You need to pump water & bleach from a jug, using the sanitize settings.

[Preetsky]

Yes. It is. Sorry I forgot to mention.

[Jagiven]

Well water often does cause a rotten egg smell.

Not familiar with a Pinnacle water management system, maybe someone will chime in, or you can review your manuals. I recommend filling your FW tank with bleach solution, then pump that solution through all your water lines and water heater. It is recommended to let it sit for at least 4 hours. I let it sit overnight. Then flush, flush, flush.

I use 1/4 cup of bleach per 15 gallons of FW in the FW tank. From experience do not go heavy on the bleach or you will be flushing for an extremely long time to get that taste/odor out of the lines.

You will need to flip the valves to pump water out of jug and into your FW tank. You also need to flip over the hose washer filter/screen. The screen needs to be pushing on the inlet check valve so the pump can draw up the water. Do not forget to flip the washer screen back when done.

Then flip the valves again, so you can use the hose to finish filling the tank. Once the tank is full.

Flip the valves again to pump water throughout all the water lines and water heater. I then top off the tank to ensure it is fully full to sanitize it also.

Let it soak for at least 4 hours. I first flush out the lines with some of the FW tank water. Then I flip over to the city water source and flush, flush, flush. I also usually pull the drain plug on the water heater, so I can fully drain it, verses diluting the water for a long time. While flushing, you can drain the FW tank, onto the ground, via the low point drain.

It is strongly recommended to sanitize the FW system annually, as they sit all winter unused.

[Preetsky]

Thanks Grumpy and Jagiven for your help.on my way to get bleach. Wish had my manuals with me. Keep them in truck that is at home. Downside to seasonal site.

[Jagiven]

Originally Posted by Preetsky

Thanks Grumpy and Jagiven for your help.on my way to get bleach. Wish had my manuals with me. Keep them in truck that is at home. Downside to seasonal site.

I put my manuals in a plastic divided folder. It is stashed behind the water heater compartment in my TT. They are all there if I ever need them, and protected from an accidental water leak.

Youtube how to winterize your Pinnacle. The process is almost identical.

[RogerR]

Water in the hot water heater will go sour in some situations. Mine did when I camped for two weeks and visited relatives for a week without draining it. Rinsed it a lot with some help. I would rinse it by running water through it with heat turned off. Then fill fresh tank with water and bleach. Doesn't take a lot, I use 1/4 cup to 20 gallons. Let set a few hours then pump the drained hot water heater full and let set overnight (fill all other lines with bleach water as well.) then drain everything and flush it out with fresh including your fresh water tank and all lines.

[RAurand]

All my manuals and any paperwork for my Jayco are in a Jayco zippered bag and stored in a closet in the trailer!

[damammel]

The smell is caused by sediment left in the hot water tank. If it’s not an on demand system, Atwood has a procedure for removing the smell easily using vinegar in their manual. If you never rinse out the hot water tank It will occur again. I start the season rinsing the tank and don’t drain it till the end of the season. April - October. We may go a month between trips sometimes.

It is a good idea to use bleach to sanitize the lines. I do that at the beginning Of the season but I don’t run it through the heater.

[Preetsky]

Thanks all for sharing your experiences and tips.
I am hopeful this stinky problem will go away by tomorrow ��

[norty1]

Taste the water right out of the tap and before it goes in to your rv. My guess is you may taste/ smell it. Hydrogen sulfide is common in many wells.

When it sits in your water heater, the bacteria that cause the taste and odor will make things worse when it sits in your pipes and water heater. Draining and sanitizing it should get the smell out and draining it when you leave may be the only way to reduce it without some type of water treatment or filtration system.

There are loads of articles online.

We were on a deep well at our home until a hurricane in 1989 caused the well to get stinky. It was tested good to drink before and after the incident but we had to convert over to city water or spend large $$$ to treat it. Now we onluy use it for washing cars and watering lawns.

[Radar57]

We had the same issue with our Pinnacle. It was quite a shock when I went to brush my teeth and got the very pungent aroma. Over time it finally went away. It brought back memories of our college days in Florida.

[Preetsky]

Thanks Radar57 and norty1. I have a well in Minneapolis area at home also. The well here near the iron range has more iron in it. I plan to completely drain the RV, hot water heater and all after each use. I am down to slight chlorine smell from last night stink city.
Thanks and you all take care.