Sulfur smell from hot water heater

[Lefty-JAY]

I have a 2020 317RLOK
Sulfur smell coming from hot water heater
Any suggestions on how to rectify this
Would like recommendations on how to rectify this
Did some research online and would like best solution to fix from someone who has or had same issue.
*

 

[Jayhawk 29]

If your camper has been sitting and you first reheat the water and begin to use it, the smell is typical. Just run it and let fresh water refill the tank. Of course you can empty the tank using the bypass valves the next time your camper sits and start over. This issue is normally a regular thing.

 

[norty1]

It will usually take care of itself with normal use. You can drain the hw tank when it is going to be left sitting for longer period's, especially if the water in it came from a well. Usually a city water supply will not Sulphur up as fast.

 

[Topperace]

Use a cleaning/flush wand, then fill tank and add little amount of Purogene, let sit for a bit and then use. It works for our AquaHot tank and the Fresh water tank…good stuff.

 

[CAG-JAY]

https://www.doityourselfrv.com/rv-hot-water-smells/

 

[spoon059]

Happened to us a couple years back. Wife got pregnant and sick right in the middle of camping season, we left the water heater full of water because we had multiple trips planned. Something in the water ultimately left it smelling bad.

Drained the stinky water and made a bleach solution in the holding tank. Filled the water heater and all the water lines with the bleach solution, flushed everything really well and never had another issue.

 

[harryjr]

Had this happen on a trip once at our first stop. We drained the water supply hose, poured in a pint of Hydrogen Peroxide. Available at any drug store. Reconnected the hose and used the campground water supply to force the H2O2 into the system. Let it sit for an hour or so and then flushed. It didn't fix it completely, but enough to live with until we got home for a complete system flush.

Edit: We now drain the hot water tank and blow out the system with compressed air (30 psi max) after every trip.

 

[Russc25]

If your water heater uses an anode, it may be time for a new one.

Stinky water is not uncommon, especially if you let it sit in the system. Had to drain and sterilize mine after the last trip. If it smells bad don't risk it, sterilize the system.

Along the lines of: drain the water heater and bypass. drain everything, fill the fresh tank with bleach-water, run it through the lines till they smell like bleach (shower, bath sink, shower, kitchen sink, low drains, outside faucet, all of them). Let it sit a day. Drain it all & fill with fresh to flush it out (run everything again till it doesn't smell like bleach).

 

[kirkelli]

My wife would always blame me for that awful smell and I would just laugh and tell her it would go away, and it always did…

 

[craigav]

Just a thought and perhaps I am missing something, regardless of how stinky the water is inside the water heater, should you even be able to smell it from outside of the water heater? I am thinking perhaps the issue is with the nearby battery or ??? ~CA

 

[Herewego247]

RV Water Heater Magnesium Anode Rod

Did not see any suggestions on this ???
RV Water Heater Magnesium Anode Rod

 

[Russc25]

Just a thought and perhaps I am missing something, regardless of how stinky the water is inside the water heater, should you even be able to smell it from outside of the water heater? I am thinking perhaps the issue is with the nearby battery or ??? ~CA

It's of limited inside the water heater. At some point you have to run the faucet.

 

[TowPro]

drain the RV water system (including hot water heater) than do the water system sterilization processes shown in the manual. its bacteria in the water that is gassing when heated.

 

[craigav]

It's of limited inside the water heater. At some point you have to run the faucet.

When you run the faucet and then you smell a sulfur stink then that smell would be at or near the faucet, not as the OP stated that the smell is "coming from hot water heater". However, perhaps the hot water is what is stinky and that was what was intended to be stated, but if the OP smells a stink at the water heater, then I believe it is not the water inside inside the sealed tank that he smells (unless the water heater is leaking). Perhaps when the OP returns he can share more details. ~CA

 

[CAG-JAY]

Did not see any suggestions on this ???
RV Water Heater Magnesium Anode Rod

See my post. The section about draining the tank and most searches you do on the Internet about this will also suggest the rod.


This problem is not just an RV problem. Water heaters that sit for a time will have the problem. Again, it is a chemical reaction of water, and the elements in the metals in the tank. The gas is hydrogen sulfide produced by bacteria and/or chemical reaction.

 

[Dave A]

Time for a change

If you're sure it's only your hot water that smells and not your cold water, you might try switching to an aluminum anode (if your water heater uses an anode rod). If the water contains certain minerals, they can react to the magnesium anode.