Stinky Bad Tasting Water

[KennyB-XRD]

We dewinterized our 5er before we left on our trip and every since we did our water tastes and smells funny. It seems like the cold water is starting to taste a little better but the hot water still smells really bad like chemicals.
We've been on the road for 23 days now and you'd think that if there were any antifreeze residue left in the lines that it's would be long gone.
So far I've dumped and flushed the hot water tank twice. I've dumped and flushed the fresh water tank and added Drinking WaterFreshenertwice. Even when we're hooked to campground water it has a smell and bad taste to it. It's worse in the morning when water has set in the lines all night.
Any suggestions on how best to clean things up?

 

[Lloyd S]

I'm a fanatic with our water system. When I get the antifreeze out, and a couple times during the summer, especially if our unit sits for an extended period.
(1) dump in about a pint of bleach and fill with water, run it thru all the lines , let it set for an hr. or so then drain-flush, dump in about a qt. of vinegar-fill with water,run thru all the lines and let it set for about an hr. drain and flush. This usually takes care of all nasty tastes and smells.Also sanitizes the system.
Al tho I do have a problem with the stuff they use for water lines. To me if water sets in there it has a funny bad taste. I will usually run the water until it has cleared out what has been sitting in the lines.

Just remember, you can't completely drain the water tank so be sure you get it flushed out enough after using the bleach. That stuff doesn't taste very good either.

Edited by: Old Farmer

 

[larrytbm]

Are you sure the smell isn't rotten egg smell? Have you drained the hot water tank using the drain plug and then flushed out any residue in the bottom of the HW tank? It is possible that the water going into the tank naturally contains sulfur or other elements. When the water is heated, these elements will then produce the smell. This can be especially bad if the water is well water and not city water. Well water remains pressurized and keeps the gasses trapped, that is until the water is in your fresh water tank and water lines and then outgasses. I had a huge problem with my well water until I added a 1500 gal. storage tank, so the well water had time to outgas. Just another idea.

 

[Hunter11]

I use one of these two to three times a year. You would be surprised how much sediment you pick up from some RV parks water systems in your water heater.



http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/water-heater-tank-rinser/49070

 

[coastn]

Ditto to the above. First time I used one of these my driveway under the water heater looked like a beach. Never would have believed there was that much "stuff" residual in the heater until I flushed it out.

 

[Lloyd S]

I also made it a policymany years ago to "never" hookup to a water spigot any place except home, without one of these inline.
http://www.amazon.com/Culligan-HF-360-Sediment-Filter-Housing/dp/B000BQUPZ8/ref=pd_sxp_grid_i_0_0/180-0870351-7519440

I always use the carbon filter. It cost more then the plain white paper filter, but it will take a lot more out. Even that nasty sulfur taste that some of the Rocky MT. states are known for.

 

[gossamar]

Do you filter the water going into the fresh water tank? I use a combination of two filters for our water. First, any water going into the tank goes through one of those blue cylinder filters you can find at wally-land for just under $20.00. Any water that we might drink then goes through a PUR carbon filter that attaches to the kitchen sink faucet. However, as others have said, depending on the area you are in you might have to take some more drastic steps on filtering to at least minimize some of the issues. Maybe it is time to follow Old Farmers sanitizing practices and see if things improve. I do the bleach sanitizing each spring and have not had any issues yet....knock on wood...

 

[geondebi]

The first of the season I drain the tank and flush with bleach and water (I think a cup or so for the tank) run through all the lines. Let sit for about an hour. Then I drain and flush the syster and change the filter. So far so good on the taste. We do take jug drinking water for coffee and drinking.

 

[fixit5561]

I have a system that I set up just because oif well water in the parks. I use two filter canisters, one has a sediment filter in it, and the second canister has a carbon block filter in it. I put this along with my water regulator inside a covered tote that also holds my hoses too. This way it is all in one place.



Anytime I hook up to a water supply it goes through the filter box, whether im filling the holding tank or just hooking to a faucet. I have never had bad water taste at all in my trailer doing it this way. Even with well water is very hard to tell it is even well water. It tastes as pure as can be.



This way we can use any water supply and not have to worry about contaminating the lines or holding tank. Plus we can use the water out of the faucet and dont have to bring any water to cook or make coffee with.



It cost me about $150.00 to put it all together, and was the best money I felt spent so far on my trailer.Edited by: fixit5561

 

[KennyB-XRD]

Thanks for all the suggestions. In response to some of your questions;
I did empty and flush the hot water tank really good.
It smells like chemicals not rotten eggs.
The water coming out of the hose tastes good but the water coming out of the faucet doesn't. If we let it run for a while it does taste and smell better but still there. The hot water is the worst but both hot and cold have the smell.
I think we'll get some bleach andvinegarand give that process a try. Would either of those have any negative affect on the hot water tank?

 

[CruiserJoe]

Here is trhe process I use, never had bad tasting water.





Start with a nearly full fresh water tank.

Turn the water heater off and let the water cool.

Dilute 1/4 cup of household bleach for each 15 gallons of tank capacity in to a gallon of water.

Add the chlorine/water solution to the water tank. (Never pour straight bleach into the RV water tank. )

One faucet at a time, let the chlorinated water run through them for one or two minutes. You should be able to smell the chlorine. (Make sure you are using the water pump and not an external water supply.)

Top off the RV fresh water tank and let stand for at least three hours over night is better.

Completely drain the system by flushing the faucets for several minutes each. Open the fresh water tank drain valve to speed up emptying the tank.and Open the hot water tank drain plug and drain until it is empty.

Close all valves and faucets and drain plugs.

Fill water tank with fresh water.

Flush each faucet for several minutes each repeating until the tank is again empty. (Make sure you are using the water pump and not an external water supply.)

Fill the tank again. The water should now be safe to drink but if the chlorine odor is too strong you can repeat the fresh water flush.

Your fresh water system should now be safe for use.

 

[Lloyd S]

I think we'll get some bleach andvinegarand give that process a try. Would either of those have any negative affect on the hot water tank?

It shouldn't if you don't let either one stay in there to long.

 

[shoetravel-XRD]

Because we dry camp a lot, I do the bleach thing twice a year. Once at the beginning of the summer and then again midway thru. I never let it sit longer than over night. I have never used vinegar. I also use a the filter every time I fill the water tank and when I fill the 6 gallonjugs (3 of them)we bring along when we will beboondocking for more than 4 days.

Also flush the water heater 3-4 times a year. I also never drain the tank or water heater between trips, only when flushing or winterizing..Never had any foul smell. No problems with the water heater.

 

[KennyB-XRD]

I tried the bleach approach and the fresh water through the hose still tastes funny if you don't run the water for a while first. It seems like the taste must be penetrated in the lines. I haven't tasted the water from the tank yet.
The hot water still smells funny and like I said before it's not a rotten egg smell but more of a chemical smell. I've completely emptied and flushed the hot water tank twice now.
When we get home next week I'll do the full bleach andvinegar treatment and see what happens.

 

[Aimless1]

I have a system that I set up just because oif well water in the parks. I use two filter canisters, one has a sediment filter in it, and the second canister has a carbon block filter in it. I put this along with my water regulator inside a covered tote that also holds my hoses too. This way it is all in one place.



Anytime I hook up to a water supply it goes through the filter box, whether im filling the holding tank or just hooking to a faucet. I have never had bad water taste at all in my trailer doing it this way. Even with well water is very hard to tell it is even well water. It tastes as pure as can be.



This way we can use any water supply and not have to worry about contaminating the lines or holding tank. Plus we can use the water out of the faucet and dont have to bring any water to cook or make coffee with.



It cost me about $150.00 to put it all together, and was the best money I felt spent so far on my trailer.

This is the system I use. Works well for us as well.

 

[sford22]

Does you water heater have an anode, this too can cause the smell, if the anode is worn out. Also if your heating element is going bad.

 

[MaPaChoo]

Just a quick question. What kind of hose do you have?A garden hose will pick up flavor if left to set for a while where an RV hose will not.

 

[KennyB-XRD]

FFFord, we do not have an anode that I'm aware of and our unit is only one year old so doubt that the element is going bad.
mapachoo, we use the white hoses that are designed specifically for drinking water.
I really think that there was something with the antifreeze we used last winter that tainted the lines and tank. Nothing tasted or smelled funny last year but has since we flushed the system after winterizing.
Along with getting older so goes the mind, maybe I put in something other than RV antifreeze, I don't think so but...

 

[Chrisnan23]

FFFord, we do not have an anode that I'm aware of and our unit is only one year old so doubt that the element is going bad.
mapachoo, we use the white hoses that are designed specifically for drinking water.
I really think that there was something with the antifreeze we used last winter that tainted the lines and tank. Nothing tasted or smelled funny last year but has since we flushed the system after winterizing.
Along with getting older so goes the mind, maybe I put in something other than RV antifreeze, I don't think so but...

I sure hope the label did not have a skull and cross bones on it...

 

[drcook]

I stumbled upon an article about using "Chlorinating Concentrate (Sodium Dichloro-s-Triazinetricone or Sodium Dichlor for short)"[quoted from below article] to sanitize the water system. The stuff is pretty cheap and doesn't have theother chemicals that bleach has in it. I recommend that you all read the below. It has worked well for us.



http://rvbasics.com/techtips/sanitizing-your-rv-fresh-water-system.html