Stinky shower water....

MotocrossCamper · 02-10-2012, 06:48 PM

I don't consider this a repair, so hopefully it's ok to post it here.
2006 Sunseeker LE
Can anybody give me their thoughts and suggestions on why when we turn the shower on for the first time the water smells really really bad! It does not happen in the kitchen or bathroom sink, only the shower. Almost smells like sewage it's so bad some times. I have tried everything I can think of to make sure when we get back from a trip I get the lines completely drained and I leave the valves open with the shower head hanging so it drains. We use our motorhome almost every weekend so it's not like the water is even sitting in there for months on end.

Thanks in advance for your help

TURBS · 02-10-2012, 07:55 PM

do you drain your hw heater after ever trip ?
had the same problem a few years ago seemed to be coming from the shower .
we started draining our hw heater and it never came back.

MotocrossCamper · 02-10-2012, 07:59 PM

Sorry, I left that out. Yes I have always drained it after every trip.

Ovair · 02-10-2012, 08:25 PM

Are you certain it is the water falling from the shower head you are smelling and not the water laying down there inside the drain? Water in drains will sometimes smell bad when the surface of that water is disturbed. It may be bacteria in the drain. Is your rig one of those that has the shower draining into the black water tank?

MotocrossCamper · 02-10-2012, 08:43 PM

Ovair, thanks for the response. I originally thought it was from the tank so I took the drain apart cleaned it all and sanitized the holding tank and that did not resolve the issue. My shower holding tank is completely seperate from the other tanks, it does tie into the grey water tank right by the dump valve. So after i did all that and still had the problem i made sure to let the water run over my hand for a minute and it was for sure the water coming out. It only last for a couple of minutes and then its fine, but those first few minutes can clear out the camper sometimes.

I don't think it makes a difference, but I should add that we never use city water, were we go we always have to take our own water which is filtered.

I don't know if this spring I try to go to extreme lengths to sanatize the whole system and see what happens. I just don't understand why it's just the line going to the shower.

cheese53073 · 02-10-2012, 10:33 PM

you probably have a bacteria or mold growing in your water line or shower hose. I'd flush your water system with a strong chlorine mixture.

MotocrossCamper · 02-10-2012, 11:23 PM

Thanks cheese, I'm thinking there has to be something in there.

sherdep · 02-11-2012, 09:07 AM

If your shower drains into the black tank it could be pushing the smell out of the tank and into the bathroom area - may want to check your vent on the roof to see if any birds may have built a nest in it or not.

What kind of Black Tank chemical do you use?
do you open the vent when you shower?

I had something similar happen when I used a diffrent brand black tank chemical that had formaldahyde (thetford brand) in it and didnt realize it did - never had it when I used the TST Orange power but I got a free bottle of this other stuff and wanted to try - lets just say it made the bathroom stink real bad every time I turned the vent fan on.

Maybe try cleaning the black tank real good and then use a diffrent black tank chemical -
I use the TST Orange - get it from walmart pretty cheap and I havent had a smell issue.
My father uses Odorlos which I have not used - kinda pricey but he has a sensitive nose so he likes using that stuff.

Mountainmanbob · 02-11-2012, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheese53073

you probably have a bacteria or mold growing in your water line or shower hose. I'd flush your water system with a strong chlorine mixture.

I think that should do it
chlorine is what I use when I test water wells
if they need to be cleanned up so as to cert
then after a good flush
and we still get the same smell
it's coming from drains or holding tanks

Mountainman

note
just a little treatment of water
keeps it usually in fine condition
here at home we are on a well
the guy I bought the house from
never treated his water or pipes
when I did treat them
a large BLOB of someTHING
came out of pipes into filter
22 years later and using
just a little chlorine occasionally
pipes and water are crystal clear
no smell

when we are not going to use
our trailer for a while
I add one tablespoon bleach to unit

cfsoistman · 02-11-2012, 10:51 AM

1st make sure your grey tanks are empty. That way you can let the bleached water solution have a place to go when you rinse the lines. Also make sure the water heater is turned off.
I'd start with sanitizing the whole system. 1/4 cup of bleach to every 15 gallons of water. Fill the fresh water tank and pump the solution through every faucet, toilet, shower and let it set over night. Include the water heater so you'll need to run the hot water side for quite a while. You may want to increase the bleach some if it's real bad. We left our water heater full and ended up with sulphur smelling water once, just after two weeks. I usually dump it when we get home but figured two weeks wasn't that long. Let's just say it can be and move on!
The next day drain the fresh water tank, water heater and the lines. Refill water tank about 1/2 and start pumping fresh water through to rinse the lines. This should make the bleach solution come in contact with all of the plumbing including traps.

TURBS · 02-11-2012, 10:52 AM

The sanitizing process is roughly as follows:

1. Drain the tanks: main, pressure accumulator, and heater.
2. Prepare a solution chlorine bleach: using 8oz of plain chlorine bleach for a 40 gallon water tank, dilute the bleach in a gallon of water.
3. Pour the diluted bleach solution into the water tank and fill the tank with water.
4. Turn on the water pump and allow the pressure accumulator to fill. The pump will run until it fills the accumulator and then will stop.
5. After the pump stops operating, open a hot water faucet and let it run until water starts running free indicating that the heater tank is full.
6. Let the hot continue to run until you smell the chorine. Shut off.
7. In sequence, run every hot and cold faucet valve in the RV until you smell the chlorine. As soon as you do, shut it off and go on to the next one.
8. Back fill the main tank and allow to sit for a few hours, or even overnight.
9. Drain the tanks again, refill with plain water and repeat steps 4 thru 7.

jim44646 · 02-11-2012, 10:57 AM

It's a good idea to sanitize your wresh water tank evey so often. I use about 1/4 cup to 15 gallons of water. When doing so pump it through whole system and let set a 1/2 hr. or so. Dump fresh water tank fill with plain water and flush system

Rod Johnson · 02-11-2012, 10:33 PM

Are you guys finding the chlorine attacks or oxidizes the metals at all? I filled my fresh water tank with a sanitizing solution that was supposed to be drinkable, too. I let it sit over a week, but became concerned about the metal parts in the water heater and pump.

cheese53073 · 02-11-2012, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rod Johnson

Are you guys finding the chlorine attacks or oxidizes the metals at all? I filled my fresh water tank with a sanitizing solution that was supposed to be drinkable, too. I let it sit over a week, but became concerned about the metal parts in the water heater and pump.

Rod It's too weak of a solution and too shot of a duration to attack the metal parts.

sherdep · 02-11-2012, 11:03 PM

I noticed no one mentions the removal of the In House Water filter before sanitizing with Bleach - Dont forget to remove the Water Filter before sanitizing.

cheese53073 · 02-11-2012, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sherdep

I noticed no one mentions the removal of the In House Water filter before sanitizing with Bleach - Dont forget to remove the Water Filter before sanitizing.

Good point!

Fire Instructor · 02-12-2012, 12:45 AM

Had the same thing, figured out a solution, but I STILL don't understand what was causing it!

For me, it had to do with water that had been heated in the water heater, and then allowed to cool down. Even if I drained the HW tank, the water smelled like rotten-egg the next time that I used it. so now what I do, when I get home, is drain the water heater, flip the WH bypass valve, and run some fresh, cold water through the hot water faucets, including the shower head. The shower head is the most distant water discharge in my entire water system. I catch the water in a pail, so that I don't fill the gray tank with water.

Not sure if this is the same thing that you are experiencing, but the solution works for me!

Mountainmanbob · 02-12-2012, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rod Johnson

Are you guys finding the chlorine attacks or oxidizes the metals at all?

became concerned about the metal parts in the water heater and pump.

it would take a whole lot of chlorine
over a period of time
to do any harm

wash machines use bleach
jacuzzi's use chlorine
with not much effect seen

Mountainman

MotocrossCamper · 02-20-2012, 12:27 AM

Thanks everybody! Thats exactly what it smells like, a sulfur or rotten egg smell! I will get some bleach run through it to sanitize and then I will try your idea Fire!

kevinC · 02-23-2012, 11:54 PM

If your hot water tank has a sacrificial anode then your problem is likely the water is becoming contaminated by the corroded anode and sediment created by the anode. Most sacrificial anodes are made of aluminum which expels a rotting egg odor as it erodes. Removing the anode, draining the tank, use a hose to flush out the tank, clean the anode, and, then leave it empty will most definitely solve the problem.

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