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08-21-2013, 09:52 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 26
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Fresh water smells lik sewage
With the big fire that we have here in Lolo. Some folks that are friends of a friend is staying in our TT since they were evacuated from their house. I set everything up for them and connected to city water. When I turned on the kitchen sink to make sure it was working. The water smelled like sewage.
What could be causing this? I let it run for about 2 minutes and it got better, but not good.
__________________
2013 Rockwood 2608WS
2003 Chevy 2500 HD Crew-cab D-max
2 Honda 2000 generator's
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08-21-2013, 10:23 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Illinois
Posts: 880
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Had that problem once after we stayed at a campground with not so great smelling water. I forgot to drain the hot water tank and the trailer sat for a couple weeks with that water in it. On our next trip we really noticed it. I had to drain the HW tank and run through several gallons of HW until it finally cleared through it and the smell went away.
Now, any time we camp at that campground I add some chlorine to the fresh water tank to keep the smell out (we also drink bottled water at that place.) Also keeps the smell away from the traps under the sinks.
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Jack of all trades - Master of none
2012 F350 CC DRW - 6.7L PSD
2014 Sabre 36QBOK
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08-21-2013, 11:52 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Coquitlam, BC
Posts: 165
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Is it kind of like rotten eggs smell, and is it worse with the hot water? Could be a buildup of gas in the water heater. Drain it, flush it out, and make sure to replace the anode rod.
Probably a good idea to sanitize the entire water system too.
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08-22-2013, 04:50 AM
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#4
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Phat Phrog Stunt Team
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Tipp City, OH
Posts: 7,154
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If the water was from a well, it's most likely from bacteria growing on your anode rod in your hot water heater, as QCCowboy suggested. You can pull the anode rod, sanitize it, and re-install if it's still in a usable state. Flush and sanitize the tank and lines, and you should be good to go.
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2016 Georgetown 364TS
2017 Jeep Rubicon Recon toad
Nights Camped 2019 - 17
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08-22-2013, 05:06 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: south Kansas City area
Posts: 1,298
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As stated above, if your TT has set for a bit between being used, the water in the hot water tank gets stale. We had it happen once and had to flush quite a bit of water through the system to get rid of it. There is an additive you can put in your fresh water tank to help with this too but I can't remember the name of it. We found it at an RV dealer and added it to our fresh water system when we discovered our situation.
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Randy and Patty
2015 Sabre 33 CKTS-6 Platinum Edition
Reese 16K Slider hitch
2015 GMC Sierra 3500HD diesel dually
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08-22-2013, 06:30 AM
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#6
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Phat Phrog Stunt Team
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 34,507
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This the reason I drain my hw tank after each use.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000BQLQYM
A little bit of this in your fw hose before hooking up to city water or in your fw tank when using fw tank and pump works wonders.
Use it all the time.
Turbs
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08-22-2013, 06:37 AM
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#7
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 10,505
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I agree the smell is bad water in the hot water tank but why do you think
it's "growing on the anode"??
What kind of bacteria grows on zink/aluminum??
FWIW, I had this once and simply drained the water heater tank and
refilled. Never happened again.
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Peace!
Dan & Rita D
2017 Nissan Titan 5.6L King cab 4wd
2016 Evergreen Everlite 242RBS
29' empty nest model. Blue Ox WD hitch
(1 queen bed, large main cabin and huge bathroom)
Camping days 2010-53, 2011-47, 2012-41, 2013-41, 2014-31, 2015-40, 2016-44, 2017-63, 2018-75, 2019-32, 2020-41, 2021-49, 2022-43, 2023-66
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08-22-2013, 06:39 AM
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#8
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Phat Phrog Stunt Team
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 34,507
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08-22-2013, 07:17 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Komoka Ontario
Posts: 2,680
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High Sulfur content in the water flush a lot and it will go away as long as the water you are flushing with does not contain Sulfur.
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"Well that didn't go as expected"
2015 Chev 2500HD Highcountry Duramax
Cedar Creek Silverback 33IK
Donald&Casey cairn terrier
Rest in Peace Mary my darling wife.
Scottish by birth Canadian by time.
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08-22-2013, 07:33 AM
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#10
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 10,505
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DDC
High Sulfur content in the water flush a lot and it will go away as long as the water you are flushing with does not contain Sulfur.
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Not necessarily. My instance of this bad rotten egg smell was with city
water that had no sulfur in it. The water had sat in my water heater tank
for a few weeks.
As others have mentioned it's a bacteria growth in the tank.
Many drain their tanks often to avoid this but it's only happened to me
1 time in 8 years. I almost never drain my water heater except for winterization in the fall.
So far so good!
__________________
Peace!
Dan & Rita D
2017 Nissan Titan 5.6L King cab 4wd
2016 Evergreen Everlite 242RBS
29' empty nest model. Blue Ox WD hitch
(1 queen bed, large main cabin and huge bathroom)
Camping days 2010-53, 2011-47, 2012-41, 2013-41, 2014-31, 2015-40, 2016-44, 2017-63, 2018-75, 2019-32, 2020-41, 2021-49, 2022-43, 2023-66
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08-22-2013, 07:38 AM
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#11
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Phat Phrog Stunt Team
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: SC Lowcountry
Posts: 1,449
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Quote:
Originally Posted by f1100turbo
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Do you have a preferred measurement amount you put in the hose? Or just wing it? I have the product in your link, just haven't used it yet. I might this weekend.
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John & April & "Scout"
2013 Sabre 32RCTS-6
Nights Camped 2013-(44) 2014-(59) 2015-(47)
2016-(32) 2017-(13) 2018-(20) 2019-0
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08-22-2013, 07:51 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: BoCoMo
Posts: 2,784
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I work sometimes with a manager of a apartment building. If we go into an apartment that have been 'vacated' for several weeks and turn a water tap on.... we Always get a rotten egg smell. Get the old water out of the 'lines' and the smell will decrease.
Solving rotten-egg odor in water heaters
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Brother Les
2013 Forest River Salem Hemisphere SBT312QBUD
2001 CrewCab F-250 7.3 PowerStroke Diesel
SuperChip, BTS transmission, 6.0 Trans Cooler
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08-22-2013, 08:33 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Illinois
Posts: 880
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Here is a tip for what I do, but only when using my FW tank. I keep some granular pool chlorine in my camper along with a plastic squirting bottle with a removable lid (I bought a clear ketchup bottle from WM for about $2). When filling up the FW tank I simply add a little granular chlorine to the bottle, add some water, and dispense into the tank. Then fill the rest of the tank with water. Never had a problem since doing this and it really helps at some campgrounds.
__________________
Jack of all trades - Master of none
2012 F350 CC DRW - 6.7L PSD
2014 Sabre 36QBOK
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08-22-2013, 08:41 AM
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#14
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Phat Phrog Stunt Team
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 34,507
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BombDoc
Do you have a preferred measurement amount you put in the hose? Or just wing it? I have the product in your link, just haven't used it yet. I might this weekend.
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I think one or two oz. Is what the bottle says.
I pinch off the hose and pour a couple of oz. In then either fill fw tank or hook up to city water.
I do it each time if I know we'll be using well water.
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08-22-2013, 08:41 AM
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#15
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Phat Phrog Stunt Team
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 34,507
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Quote:
Originally Posted by QCCowboy
Here is a tip for what I do, but only when using my FW tank. I keep some granular pool chlorine in my camper along with a plastic squirting bottle with a removable lid (I bought a clear ketchup bottle from WM for about $2). When filling up the FW tank I simply add a little granular chlorine to the bottle, add some water, and dispense into the tank. Then fill the rest of the tank with water. Never had a problem since doing this and it really helps at some campgrounds.
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Good method to.
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08-22-2013, 09:01 AM
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#16
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Mod free 5er
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Concord, NC
Posts: 24,702
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SCOC
...Could be a buildup of gas in the water heater. Drain it, flush it out, and make sure to replace the anode rod...
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Gas? Don't know how gas can get inside the tank. Why replace the anode rod? You can just clean it off and re-install if it is not used up.
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08-22-2013, 09:33 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ohio
Posts: 649
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Drain or flush the hot water tank, then the hot water lines in the camper. Should resolve the problem. The city water should have enough residual chlorine in it to take care of any bacteria that has grown although I don't think bacteria is the problem. Anode rods stink (rotten egg) when left sitting in the hot water tank over time. This is a common problem in homes as well.
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Ohio
2016 Cedar Creek 36ckts
2015 Ford F-350
4WD SRW Diesel
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08-22-2013, 11:34 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Coquitlam, BC
Posts: 165
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OldCoot
Gas? Don't know how gas can get inside the tank. Why replace the anode rod? You can just clean it off and re-install if it is not used up.
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Yes, gas. It's exactly what is being discussed. Bacteria reacts with the magnesium and aluminum anode rod creating HYDROGEN SULFIDE GAS. that's what smells like rotten eggs. Bacteria is the reason, but the gas is what you smell.
Edit - I agree that for rust protection you could clean off the anode rod and re-insert it. But if it's at the point is smells due to lots of bacteria growth, then it's best to replace it. They're cheap.
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08-22-2013, 01:30 PM
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#19
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 26
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Thanks all. I had not drained the HW tank since I last used it. I will do this from now on. Again, thanks.
__________________
2013 Rockwood 2608WS
2003 Chevy 2500 HD Crew-cab D-max
2 Honda 2000 generator's
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08-22-2013, 01:35 PM
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#20
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Phat Phrog Stunt Team
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 34,507
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Wolf
Thanks all. I had not drained the HW tank since I last used it. I will do this from now on. Again, thanks.
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Drain regularly but u also need to sanitize.
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