hot water odor

[trz]

not sure wherer this post should go so I'll put it here.
Hot wwater stinks in my trailer did the bleach thing and left it for several days and it helped for a coup[le days but then it would start to stink again. when I drained the water heater this fall for winterization I drained out a BUNCH of globs of silicony looking 'gel' like stuff kind of cloudy looking gel gunk. What da heck is that????

[ccook129]

Fill with water turn it on till water gets hot,drain and do it again until cleaned maybe 3 times.

["007"]

What type WH do you have? ATWOOD no anode rod, SUBURBAN anode rod.
Some times with anode rod it will jell if you run into some bad water some where.
You just have bleach your heater and hot water line until it clears.
If your winterized do it in the spring.
Leave the rod out.

[trz]

suburban anode rod!
leave the rod out? for the winter or for good?

[Elkhartjim]

Do not leave the anode rod out. Anytime there is water in the tank there needs to be an anode rod, unless your water heater didn't come with one.

Sounds like you got a good dose of iron in your water some place. Drain the hot water heater, add about a cup of hydrogen peroxide, fill the water heater and use as usual. The peroxide will not effect the taste or hurt you to drink but it will kill the organism that is causing the smell.

If you can't add the peroxide directly to the water heater easily, just add a couple bottles to the fresh water tank, circulate it through the system.

Good maintenance indicates draining and flushing the tank at least annually. I drain mine a couple times a year.

[GPW]

Just an odd question ... For those of us who camp/evac with only "city water" connected , would there be a way to bypass the water tank entirely ??

Our TT was purchased for a very specific purpose ... Modifying it now to better suit that purpose ... just a thought ...

[Elkhartjim]

I do by pass my fresh water tank when hooked up to water. Does your water tank need to be full for you to get water from the park water supply?

[RustyJC]

A depleted anode rod in the water heater can cause a sulfurous "rotten egg" smell.

If you have a separate city water feed connection and fresh water tank fill port, there should be a check valve in the water inlet line to the RV to keep the city water from feeding back into and filling the fresh water tank. These check valves can go bad, causing city water to leak into the fresh water tank.

Rusty

[noeldale]

RustyJC is right. Had this happen on an old C i had. replaced the rod and the smell went away. I could over bleach the unit and the smell went away for a couple of weeks but came right back. Was only in the hot water lines.