Water smells like eggs

[kark0202]

Why does my hot water smell like eggs but cold smells just fine? Using fresh water tank, not city.


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[JRTJH]

The smell is caused by a buildup of hydrogen sulfide in your water heater. It's a chemical reaction caused by bacteria in the water system and the tank lining. There is a procedure in the Suburban water heater manual (page 7) and in the Atwood water heater manual (page 5) that explain the situation and give information on how to clean the water heater tank and/or trailer water supply system to resolve the smell.

[Ram189]

I forgot to drain mine a couple of times and had this happen. If you drain it and flush it out real well it will go away.
I literally took the spray nozzle on my hose and sprayed it into the drain hole a couple of times and mine was fine on the next trip.

[Desert185]

Like John said:

Unpleasant sulphur or rotten-egg odor For Suburban Water Heaters, the following is a quote from the Suburban Manual.

“Sulphur water can be caused by a chemical action or by bacteria. The solution to eliminate is chlorination of the water system. Add about six (6) ounces of chlorinated common household liquid bleach to each 10 gallons in the water tank. Then run the chlorinated water throughout the system, opening each faucet one at a time until you smell the chlorine. Let the RV sit for a few days and the chlorine should take care of the problem. Then you will need to take care of the chlorine. Remove the chlorine by flushing the system with fresh water. This may take several attempts. You may consider adding a filtering system that removes chlorine and prevents sulphur water. If the sulphur or rotten egg smell continues, flush the system once again as described above and replace anode rod as necessary.”

For Atwood Water Heaters, the following is a quote from the Atwood Manual.

1. “Turn off main water supply. Drain the water heater tank and reinstall drain plug. Remove the pressure-temperature relief valve. Mix solution of 4 parts white vinegar to two parts water. With a funnel, carefully pour solution into tank. 2. Cycle water heater with the above solution, letting it run under normal operation 4-5 times. 3. Remove the drain plug and thoroughly drain all water from the tank. 4. Flush the water heater to remove any sediment. You may flush the tank with air pressure or fresh water. Pressure may be applied through either the inlet or outlet valves on the rear of the tank or through the pressure temperature relief valve coupling located on the front of the unit.”

[Outback 325BH]

A friend of mine has a camper that has the rotten egg smell. I haven't investigated it but wondered where it came from. Not sure hot or cold, but assume it is water heater based. They have an Atwood and never drain it, but I assume it was drained during winterization. It gets very cold during winter so it wouldn't have survived if it wasn't drained.

The smell was present (very strong and obvious) on our first outing of the year. I guess an empty tank over winter wouldn't clean it up?

I'll take these suggestions to him for a remedy.

Why different procedures for different tanks? Wouldn't a bleach soak and flush work for both?


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[JRTJH]

Suburban water heater tanks are steel with a porcelain coating. An anode rod made of magnesium or aluminum is used to "prevent corrosion". The Atwood water heater tank is aluminum and does not have an anode rod.

I'd suppose the difference in procedures to remove sulphur nitrate and hydrogen sulfide differs because the "smell" though similar, is caused by a different action/reaction based on two entirely different tank construction materials.

Either procedure (Clorox or vinegar) would likely work, but what would it do to the interior surface of the tank and/or the anode rod in the Suburban heater?

Notice also the tremendous amount of vinegar used in the Atwood procedure. For a 6 gallon heater, it's 4 gallons of vinegar and 2 gallons of water, for the 10 gallon heater, it's 6 gallons of vinegar and 3 gallons of water. That is quite a bit of vinegar (acetic acid) in a very strong solution. I don't know how it would react on a porcelain coated steel tank with a magnesium rod put into the mix. I also can't give you any "sure reaction" that would be caused by a "strong chlorine solution" would do to damage a "raw aluminum" tank in the Atwood heater. I will say that most people do use a "MUCH WEAKER" chlorine solution to sanitize the water system each spring, but that is 1/4 cup per 10 gallons of fresh water vs the 6oz (3/4 cup) used in the hydrogen sulfide removal process.

And, yes, his "rotten egg smell" is caused by stale water sitting in his water heater (unless he has a "sour well" that he uses to fill his RV) and it will happen with stagnate water that sits in the tank, sometime as quickly as a couple of weeks, so the tank sitting empty during the winter probably doesn't have much impact on the water that's in it a month or two later, but how long that water sits in the tank will "sour" quickly depending on the level of chlorination and/or any chemicals, minerals or organic material that might be suspended in the water.

[Outback 325BH]

Suburban water heater tanks are steel with a porcelain coating. An anode rod made of magnesium or aluminum is used to "prevent corrosion". The Atwood water heater tank is aluminum and does not have an anode rod.



I'd suppose the difference in procedures to remove sulphur nitrate and hydrogen sulfide differs because the "smell" though similar, is caused by a different action/reaction based on two entirely different tank construction materials.



Either procedure (Clorox or vinegar) would likely work, but what would it do to the interior surface of the tank and/or the anode rod in the Suburban heater?



Notice also the tremendous amount of vinegar used in the Atwood procedure. For a 6 gallon heater, it's 4 gallons of vinegar and 2 gallons of water, for the 10 gallon heater, it's 6 gallons of vinegar and 3 gallons of water. That is quite a bit of vinegar (acetic acid) in a very strong solution. I don't know how it would react on a porcelain coated steel tank with a magnesium rod put into the mix. I also can't give you any "sure reaction" that would be caused by a "strong chlorine solution" would do to damage a "raw aluminum" tank in the Atwood heater. I will say that most people do use a "MUCH WEAKER" chlorine solution to sanitize the water system each spring, but that is 1/4 cup per 10 gallons of fresh water vs the 6oz (3/4 cup) used in the hydrogen sulfide removal process.



And, yes, his "rotten egg smell" is caused by stale water sitting in his water heater (unless he has a "sour well" that he uses to fill his RV) and it will happen with stagnate water that sits in the tank, sometime as quickly as a couple of weeks, so the tank sitting empty during the winter probably doesn't have much impact on the water that's in it a month or two later, but how long that water sits in the tank will "sour" quickly depending on the level of chlorination and/or any chemicals, minerals or organic material that might be suspended in the water.



Thanks!


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