Hot water sulfur smell and anode rod?

LLMRPh · 10-23-2018, 06:10 AM

Hi all! This year we noticed a significant sulfur smell from our kitchen hot water tap. I’ve read the smell can be caused by a reaction with the magnesium anode rod and that it might be fixed by using a magnesium rod. Can anyone verify that so I can decide what to do next spring? The smell isn’t a bacteria smell, as I’ve been careful to chlorinate the water in the fresh water tank all the time and the cold water tap has no smell. Thanks for any suggestions.

**wmtire** · 10-23-2018, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LLMRPh

Hi all! This year we noticed a significant sulfur smell from our kitchen hot water tap. I’ve read the smell can be caused by a reaction with the magnesium anode rod and that it might be fixed by using a magnesium rod. Can anyone verify that so I can decide what to do next spring? The smell isn’t a bacteria smell, as I’ve been careful to chlorinate the water in the fresh water tank all the time and the cold water tap has no smell. Thanks for any suggestions.

Check out video #5 at this link below provided by Suburban. It explains what you are describing and how to fix such:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...es-135977.html

**KyDan** · 10-23-2018, 07:05 AM

Fairly common if you are leaving the water in the hot water heater when not using it.
We typically leave the water in ours if we expect to go back out in less than a month. Sometimes that is too long and it smells. I usually simply pull the anode/drain when I get home while I'm unpacking. Once it's drained I put the anode/drain plug back in. I usually place a piece of painters tape over the electric switch so I don't accidentally turn it on until it's re-filled.

That's important-- shut off the gas and electric to the water heater when you drain it. If you forget and leave the electric on and plug in at your next camp site you will most likely immediately burn out the heater element.

Happy Camping!

LLMRPh · 10-23-2018, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KyDan

Fairly common if you are leaving the water in the hot water heater when not using it.
We typically leave the water in ours if we expect to go back out in less than a month. Sometimes that is too long and it smells. I usually simply pull the anode/drain when I get home while I'm unpacking. Once it's drained I put the anode/drain plug back in. I usually place a piece of painters tape over the electric switch so I don't accidentally turn it on until it's re-filled.

That's important-- shut off the gas and electric to the water heater when you drain it. If you forget and leave the electric on and plug in at your next camp site you will most likely immediately burn out the heater element.

Happy Camping!

Thanks, KyDan. Do you think the smell is due to the water reacting with the anode or actually due to bacteria? I debate about that. I’m no mechanic and have never actually pulled the anode out myself. The dealer winterizes for us and replaces the anode when they dewinterize. So I’d love to avoid having to drain the tank between camps. We go out almost every weekend in season so it doesn’t sit long. But I hear you. It might be the only solution.

**KyDan** · 10-23-2018, 07:21 AM

I'm surprised it smells in just a week but once it happens it's easier to happen again. I wish I could give you an answer but other than removing and replacing each time I have no other solution.
Good luck!

WFD · 10-23-2018, 07:44 AM

Next spring when you take it out of storage...it's time to do a water sanitation to your system. do a search in the forum here and there are all kinds of posts about it. Also Youtube tutorials on how to do it Basically you need to sanitize all your water lines as well as the hot water tank...1/4 cup bleach for every 15 gallons of fresh water capacity. Many of us in the forum do that at least annually, usually part of the de-winterizing process.

jimmoore13 · 10-23-2018, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wmtire

Check out video #5 at this link below provided by Suburban. It explains what you are describing and how to fix such:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...es-135977.html

Thanks. Good resource.

jimmoore13 · 10-23-2018, 12:36 PM

One other potential issue is the water supply itself. As a lifelong user of well-water, if the household supply is used to fill the fresh tank, or if an RV park's water has a high sulfur content, you will notice the sulfur odor from the hot side more than the cold. And if water is left to sit in the tank, the sulfur may be more noticeable.

This does not discount the other possible causes...it's just another option.

dnicoll · 10-23-2018, 07:59 PM

Every weekend when we leave our trailer for the week, we turn off the electric / gas to the hot water tank before our round of golf. By the time we get back the water has cooled somewhat but is still warm enough to wash hands etc. We then drain all of the hot water out of the hot water tank by turning on taps and draining the lines into the holding tank. We have found that when the hot water sits in the tank for a week, it is very stinky after sitting for the 4 or 5 days .

Enjoy!

dnicoll

jimmoore13 · 10-23-2018, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dnicoll

Every weekend when we leave our trailer for the week, we turn off the electric / gas to the hot water tank before our round of golf. By the time we get back the water has cooled somewhat but is still warm enough to wash hands etc. We then drain all of the hot water out of the hot water tank by turning on taps and draining the lines into the holding tank. We have found that when the hot water sits in the tank for a week, it is very stinky after sitting for the 4 or 5 days .

Enjoy!

dnicoll

I'm not arguing against your practice. If you detect any odor, definitely do what you are doing.

I believe, however, this is more related to the quality of water entering your system. We are fortunate to have a "good" well. We do not need to soften our water, and there is no odor straight out of the well.

I de-winterize (winterized with air compressor...no RV antifreeze) and fill 'er up, and I do not drain my hot water heater all summer. It gets drained once a year for winterizing (or again if we resurrect the rig for balmy winter weekend then winterize it again - Colorado presents several such opportunities each winter).

Because we winterize with a large air compressor, I have sanitized the system with bleach only once...when we bought it. Since I don't introduce anything into the water system other than our own well water and compressed air, I've never had to sanitize it again. RV antifreeze only goes into the sink traps and toilet.

I do drain the fresh tank, largely because, unlike the hot water heater, it's a giant plastic tub, so I am concerned that water that stays in there for long periods might pickup a taste from the tank...and I like to give the tank a rest from holding the weight of leftover water. It also exercises the drain petcock, and I've noticed that it can be a bit stiff to operate if it isn't used regularly.

Admittedly, the quality of our well is just dumb luck. But we don't go to RV parks where we'd take "pot luck" on park water - ever. We always boondock and bring all the water we need from our home well. The fresh tank and 4 x 7-gallon jugs will last us beyond 5 days - we've never used the 4th jug. And our home well is not "treated municipal water" - complete with chlorine, fluoride, and god knows what else to turn river water (grey and treated black water and runoff) into drinking water.

Your experience is not "wrong." I just think it has more to do with the quality of water entering the RV than with issues of storage/time. And, by all means, when in doubt, dump the hot water tank, fresh tank, open the low-point drains and faucets and empty the system.

We are indeed blessed to have such a great well. Let's hope it stays that way.

Oaklevel · 10-23-2018, 09:36 PM

I would have to agree it probably is more to do with the water itself. We leave the water in our tank all season and do not drain the hot water tank other that when winterizing in the Fall and have never had a foul smell. Been doing this for 35 years.

burks · 10-24-2018, 07:57 AM

wmtire- Thanks for the videos. Interesting and helpful.

Maxwell D Pratt · 10-24-2018, 10:21 AM

If you are getting your water from a well. You can’t leave the anode in the hot water tank. The minerals in the well water will cause a reaction to the anode. We have to remove them fro hot water tanks in our homes here if we are on well water. Don’t worry about it shortening the life of the tank. The last TT I had . Had the anode removed after I got the TT .when I sold it it was 30 years old and still had the original tank.

texaspete1 · 07-27-2019, 10:13 AM

Our water also stinks on the hot water side. I would take out the anode but don't know where it is. Our water heater plug has no rod attached to it and never has since new. Any suggestions where the anode might be?

**Flybob** · 07-27-2019, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texaspete1

Our water also stinks on the hot water side. I would take out the anode but don't know where it is. Our water heater plug has no rod attached to it and never has since new. Any suggestions where the anode might be?

The suburban WH has an anode rod to protect the steel tank. The Atwood WH has an aluminum tank and does not use an anode rod. Sounds like you have an Atwood WH.

texaspete1 · 07-27-2019, 09:42 PM

Yes It is an Atwood. We're headed out again on Monday for a week. I will try to flush the system with bleech when we get back. Thanks for the reply.

**Flybob** · 07-27-2019, 09:49 PM

Many times the sulfur smell is the result of contaminates in the water that react with bacteria to generate the sulfur dioxide smell. Many campgrounds have well water that may be high in nitrates which react with the bacteria in the oxygen starved environment to generate the smell. One of the best ways to eliminate or reduce this is to drain the WH if it will be sitting for a while between trips. I replaced the nylon plug with a nipple and a hose with a 1/4 turn valve to make draining my Atwood very easy.

texaspete1 · 07-28-2019, 08:51 AM

We take out the plug after every trip. I even open the low water lines on the hot and cold lines. Evidently there must be water somewhere in some line that just sits there and forms bacteria while the unit sits in the barn. When we go out again whether we fill the fresh water tank or hook up to the park water we have to let the water run for awhile every time we take a shower to git rid of the smell. I do like your idea of installing a valve in the plug though.

pgandw · 07-28-2019, 04:29 PM

At my previous house, we were on well water, and would get the smell between trips. While the smell was much more concentrated in the hot water tank, the fresh water also had the issue. I started draining the tank after each trip, which solved the problem.

On one trip, I started draining the tank as we left the campground - but forgot to turn the water pump off. Lesson learned.

Now that we are on city water, we no longer have the issue of smelly water.

Fred W
2019 Flagstaff T21TBHW A-frame
2008 Hyundai Entourage minivan
camping Colorado and adjacent states one weekend at a time

Roaminaround · 07-29-2019, 04:31 PM

We snowbird in AZ and one area in particular has notoriously bad mineral laden water. The local rv supply store sells the special anodes(I think magnesium) that mitigates this to a degree. But we still have to drain and flush the bottom of the tank once a month. I agree that it has to do with the quality of the water going in and also letting it sit too long. Period flushing will solve your problem.

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