# Bad Smelling Hot Water



## smithfries (Apr 27, 2007)

I tried to search the forum for this question, but could not find anything on the subject. After being unable to use the TT due to family illness and injury since May, I took the 25RSS to a show this past weekend. Before heading out I emptied the fresh water tank and refilled. Everything was fine with the water running when cold, but once I turned on the hot water for a shower the water smelled very foul, like rotten eggs. Put some bleach into the fresh water tank and ran the hot water to get the bleach water inside those pipes and left it overnight. Next day it still smelled very bad. The cold water is still fine, just the hot water. Tried to run it for a while, but it stunk up the whole camper so bad that I gave up and was a very ripe agility competitor for the weekend.

What can be done to rid the hot water heater of this smell? If I am going to have it winterized soon will it kill whatever is in there causing the odor? What should I do next time I need to leave the TT for a few months of non-use?

Elizabeth


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## Lady Di (Oct 28, 2005)

Elizabeth, you have to sanitize the water system. The rotten egg smell is due to bacteria in the water system.

[topic="0"]Sanitizing[/topic]

If that worked, you should have instructions.

It didn't. Help!


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## smithfries (Apr 27, 2007)

Unfortunately, the link you provided is broken. But I found some posts by searching for the word sanitize.

I did sanitize it in May using bleach. And this is what I tried to do by adding bleach this weekend and letting it sit for 8 hours.

Are you suggesting it needs to be more fully sanitized before every trip? What interval of non-usage requires this process? There must be something else I need to empty that I am overlooking.

Thanks!
Elizabeth


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## HTQM (May 31, 2006)

Elizabeth,

We had the same problem a while back but were lucky that it was being discussed on here at the time. The exact topic wasn't about foul smelling hot water but it did end up talking about it for a short thread input or two. Basically, the water left in the water heater goes bad due to the "stuff" floating around in the water. The tips that fixed it for us; Hook the fresh water hose up to the "city water" connection on the camper, pour some bleach in the other end and hook up to the spicit (sp), turn on the hot water at the sink and let run for a while, (we were at full hook-ups when we did this). After a bit the smell will be gone.

Since then we drain the hot water heater and open the low point drains everytime we tear down camp. Our camping schedule is crazy, we may go every weekend or not for two months. Most RV stores sell a drain valve that replaces the plastic plug, this makes draining a lot quicker (I was our local store this morning and forgot to grab one even though I looked at it).

Hopes this helps
Dave


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## Lady Di (Oct 28, 2005)

Elizabeth, If you sanitized in May, and it is now October, you definitely need to sanitize again. Those bacteria didn't have anything to do all summer except multiply.

And they definitely know how to do that.

Don't use the water till the system has bee n sanitized.


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## smithfries (Apr 27, 2007)

HTQM said:


> Since then we drain the hot water heater and open the low point drains everytime we tear down camp. Our camping schedule is crazy, we may go every weekend or not for two months. Most RV stores sell a drain valve that replaces the plastic plug, this makes draining a lot quicker (I was our local store this morning and forgot to grab one even though I looked at it).


Dave,

This is helpful. That was my thought that I missed things in my draining process. On the hot water heater, I see two things that look like drains, one is plastic, so I am assuming that is the one I need to be concerned with. Also need to determine locate the "low point drains". I have been draining one drain on the bottom. How many more should I be able to find?

Elizabeth


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## smithfries (Apr 27, 2007)

Lady Di said:


> Elizabeth, If you sanitized in May, and it is now October, you definitely need to sanitize again. Those bacteria didn't have anything to do all summer except multiply.


Yep. Exactly why I added bleach, which is the sanitizing process. Still smells. I'll empty the hot water heater as Dave recommended so I can evict the colony completely. Thanks!

Elizabeth


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## HTQM (May 31, 2006)

Not sure where your low point drains are, I have the 28KRS but I would think they are about in the same place, towards the back of the camper. If not, they're easy to spot. Under the camper there two plastic lines hanging down together, they hang our about four inches or so. On the end is a thumb screw type cap, remove that cap then go into the camper and open every faucet. Takes a few minutes for all of the water to empty and you'll hear air going into the faucets when you first open them.

The single drain you are opening is for your fresh water tank, that needs drained as well.

I probably went a little overboard when this happened to us, I used most of a small bottle of bleach on the whole system (including the toilet). Used so much bleach that I ruined a fresh water hose, I didn't know that pouring that much bleach straight into the hose would weaken the hose to the point of rupturing (sp).

Others with your model will chime in and let you know exactly where to look for those drains.

Dave


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## BullwinkleMoose (May 22, 2006)

Elizabeth, you should have three drains under the trailer, one for the fresh water tank and two, 1 each for hot and cold water from city water connection. You also need to drain the hot water heater expecially if it is going to sit up several months. I sanitize my tank once a year but here in Texas I use it all year. Hope this helps. Oh yes, check your water heater if you have an annode rod in it it could add a smell after it gets corroded.

Happy Trails


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## Lady Di (Oct 28, 2005)

Elizabeth, When you sanitize, drain the hot water tand, and then use the pump to run the bleach through everything, including the hot water heater. Keep a hot water spigot open until you get the water with bleach smell.


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