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06-06-2021, 04:28 PM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Hurricane
Posts: 40
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Hot water heater smells like rotten eggs how to fix it ?
Hi,
I have a 2012 High Country Cougar with a 6 gallon RV hot water heater when we turn on hot water it smells like rotten eggs How do you fix it I do have a hose for winterize camper can I run vinegar through that ?
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06-06-2021, 04:43 PM
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#2
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Site Team
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Modesto
Posts: 20,235
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I would drain the water heater, flush it out real good and check the water supply for contamination.
__________________
2012 Copper Canyon 273FWRET being towed by a 1994 Ford F350 CC,LB,Dually diesel.
Airlift 5000 bags, Prodigy brake control, 5 gauges on the pillar.Used to tow a '97 Jayco 323RKS.
Now an RVIA registered tech. Retired from Law enforcement in 2008 after 25+ yrs.
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06-06-2021, 04:46 PM
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#3
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,841
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There is a procedure in the water heater owner's manual explaining why that happens and how to eliminate the smell. Essentially, it's a buildup of organic material (bacteria) that process hydrogen into hydrogen sulfide. Kill the bacteria and you eliminate the problem.
Here's the "copy and paste" from the Suburban water heater owner's manual:
"ODOR FROM HOT WATER SYSTEM
Odor from the hot water system is not a service problem and many water
supplies contain sufficient amounts of sulphur to produce an odor. The odor is
similar to rotten eggs and is often referred to as "sulphur water". It is not
harmful - only unpleasant to smell. 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. Rem ove 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."
__________________
John
2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
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06-06-2021, 04:47 PM
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#4
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Joppa, MD
Posts: 11,714
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hylasw
Hi,
I have a 2012 High Country Cougar with a 6 gallon RV hot water heater when we turn on hot water it smells like rotten eggs How do you fix it I do have a hose for winterize camper can I run vinegar through that ?
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Turn it off, let it cool down, then remove the electrode or plug and drain it. Then replace the electrode or drain plug and add some bleach to the fresh water tank, about a 1/4 cup for every 5 gals of water. Run that through the all the fuacets then follow with freah water until the bleach smell dissipates.
__________________
Marshall
2012 Laredo 303 TG
2010 F250 LT Super Cab, long bed, 4X4, 6.4 Turbo Diesel
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12-14-2021, 11:18 AM
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#5
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Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2021
Location: Mesa
Posts: 5
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I have a sulfur smell that only occurs when I run the kitchen hot water faucet. Not any other faucet or shower in bathroom. I’ve drained and sanitized my water heater twice and put in new anode. Can the faucet be the cause?
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12-14-2021, 11:28 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Mico, TX
Posts: 7,392
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldgreymayor
I have a sulfur smell that only occurs when I run the kitchen hot water faucet. Not any other faucet or shower in bathroom. I’ve drained and sanitized my water heater twice and put in new anode. Can the faucet be the cause?
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Could be your water supply has quite a bit of sulpher and heating makes the water stink. This can happen to us country folks with sulpher wells. Find you a good water filter for the city water inlet and give that a shot.
__________________
wiredgeorge Mico TX
2006 F350 CC 4WD 6.0L
2002 Keystone Cougar 278
2006 GL1800 Roadsmith Trike
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12-14-2021, 12:21 PM
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#7
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Joppa, MD
Posts: 11,714
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldgreymayor
I have a sulfur smell that only occurs when I run the kitchen hot water faucet. Not any other faucet or shower in bathroom. I’ve drained and sanitized my water heater twice and put in new anode. Can the faucet be the cause?
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Have you sanitized the water lines from the WH to the faucet?
__________________
Marshall
2012 Laredo 303 TG
2010 F250 LT Super Cab, long bed, 4X4, 6.4 Turbo Diesel
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12-14-2021, 01:59 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Waco, Tx
Posts: 5,456
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldgreymayor
I have a sulfur smell that only occurs when I run the kitchen hot water faucet. Not any other faucet or shower in bathroom. I’ve drained and sanitized my water heater twice and put in new anode. Can the faucet be the cause?
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Under the sink..
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12-14-2021, 03:00 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Mesa
Posts: 176
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I "shock" my water supply via:
https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and...drinking-water
"Granular calcium hypochlorite. The first step is to make a chlorine solution that you will use to disinfect your water. For your safety, do it in a ventilated area and wear eye protection. Add one heaping teaspoon (approximately ¼ ounce) of high-test granular calcium hypochlorite (HTH) to two gallons of water and stir until the particles have dissolved. The mixture will produce a chlorine solution of approximately 500 milligrams per liter. To disinfect water, add one part of the chlorine solution to each 100 parts of water you are treating. This is about the same as adding 1 pint (16 ounces) of the chlorine solution to 12.5 gallons of water. If the chlorine taste is too strong, pour the water from one clean container to another and let it stand for a few hours before use. CAUTION: HTH is a very powerful oxidant. Follow the instructions on the label for safe handling and storage of this chemical."
If I did my math right, 1 heaping tablespoon (3tsp) is a bit more than they recommend and enough to treat our water tank (separate from 5th wheel). There is a very noticeable chlorine smell. I then fill the entire RV with fresh water from this tank and run it through all the lines/fixtures. I tend to do this about twice per year as that's about how often we have to sanitize the tanks.
This takes care of the water heater stink, and the chlorine dissipates fairly quickly. It's hardly noticeable after a few days, and we filter anything we drink.
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