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ChileRick · 07-13-2013, 02:00 PM

We are spending time this summer visiting our kids on their farm in Grass Valley, CA. This is the first time we have used well water and when we returned to the coach after closing it up for 2weeks with a fresh water tank full of well water we came back to a real moldy/musty smell in the bathroom that seemed to be coming from the water pump.

Does anyone have any experience with well water? How would we prevent it next time?

Scooter · 07-13-2013, 03:19 PM

My guess is bacteria in the well water.....or bacteria in your tank......or sometimes sulfur is in well water.

Does the odor come from faucets other than in the bathroom?

Dmorgan6375 · 07-13-2013, 04:10 PM

Due to the wifes health problems, no matter where we are at for a day or a month, we use at least one filter at the source. Most of the time there is two in line, just playing it safe.

Papa_Jim · 07-13-2013, 04:24 PM

We've had that happen. When it did, I drained the water tank. I put a couple of cups of bleach into the water hose before hooking the hose up to the spigot, and then filled the water tank. ( I removed my in line water filter first). I let it sit for a few hours, then drained the water tank. I found that I had to drain and fill the water tank a few times to get rid of the bleach smell.

tlkhorses · 07-13-2013, 08:51 PM

Often well water at private homes is not treated, like with chlorine. Normally it doesn't need to be since there is near constant use or in my case is treated with an ozone system. That works OK since it is ongoing. But take what water and let it set where air etc can get to it, your tank, and things can grow. So in the future if your not going to use it, drain it, put treated water in and make sure to run it through your pipes and pump.

ChileRick · 07-13-2013, 09:37 PM

Thanks for everyone's info. We treated the existing water with vinegar and let it stand for several hours and we are now draining and will refill, but the odor is throughout the coach now. This problem is a first for us, we are fanatical about cleaning out the holding tanks each time we dump and we dump several times when out. We sanitize the fresh water system before using it each season with bleach. I guess it's going to take some time. Hope one flush will do it.

Ramzfan · 07-14-2013, 09:08 PM

First of all, I wouldn't be too quick to blame the well water...I fill my tanks out of a well and I've never had any odors from the water. As a matter of fact, I've had my water checked several times as it comes out of the well and the technicians have told me "Wow...we've never seen water that has absolutely NO contaminants in it at all...! Your water is PERFECT!" I think I would begin by checking your sink traps and the black holding tank .

BA-in-Mich · 07-15-2013, 06:31 AM

Are you sure it's not the holding tank/tanks. Make sure there is water in the traps. Also check the vent to make sure it's not blocked. ( bee's nest etc. )

clyon51 · 07-15-2013, 07:20 AM

I wouldn't be too quick to blame the water either. If it didn't smell when using it, it wouldn't smell later. You said it sat 2 weeks. That's enough time for traps to evaporate and grey water to stink badly. Many times grey will stink more than black. That's why I treat my grey like my black.

You want to bleach treat your fresh system at least once a year anyway, so do that. It's also possible you have a small unseen leak in the bathroom and is now smelling moldy/musty.

Another possible, you should have a vacuum vent stack under the sink. This allows air into the tanks when dumping. When the vacuum ceases, the vent closes. It this sticks open, it allows tank smells into the coach.