Water smells like rotten eggs...

[Raptor Dave]

I know this has been discussed previously and I have done the bleach clean on the trailer water system. I poured the bleach directly into the hose when I disconnected from the house spigot. (our water here has never smelled like rotten eggs at the house so it's not the source here)
When I did the bleach clean I filled the tank on the trailer as full as I could with the bleach/water combo. I run the mixture thru every exit on the trailer until I could smell the bleach coming thru each spot. I let it sit over night and emptied the tank the next day and run fresh water thru the system at all points of exit till the bleach smell was gone. A week later I came out and turned on the kitchen sink and rotten egg smell again.
Any insight as to what may be happening or what I may or may not have done correct?
I was going to try again with the same procedure and leave it sit for at least 24 to 48 hours and see my results from that.
Any additional help and insight is appreciated.

[Martian]

Was the hot side of the faucet the one you opened first? If so you probably need to flush the water heater which you probably did not do on the first go around. Pump off, street water disconnected, open both hot and cold until there is no pressure left and remove the plug or plug/anode and flush the water heater.

[Raptor Dave]

Thanks for the reply
I forgot to mention that we have a tankless heater. I turned it off and run the bleach/water thru it also on the last go around.
I feel I left no stone unturned running the bleach/water combo thru everywhere I could think of.

[Gkri]

It would still be helpful to know if both hot and cold or hot only. Sulfate-reducing bacteria can still be in a tankless heater and require in excess of 140-degrees for up to 8-hours to be eliminated. Also, you can try peroxide in lieu of Clorox. Clorox is a rather weak oxidant and even less effective if the pH of the water is above 7. The bacteria might have come from a campsite and remained in your system, or if you have a well, perhaps your water heater is set high enough to eliminate the smell in your home.

[Raptor Dave]

It's the cold water at the kitchen I have been checking. It starts to smell almost immediately after the water is turned on. I really haven't checked the other facets as I figured if it's at one it's probably at the others also as it was before I did the initial sanitize.
It's in the lines on the trailer because I'm hooked up the house water and not drawing out of the trailer tank.
So what's what with the peroxide? Use a whole bottle? gallon?
I have 104 gal fresh tank so how much should I use if I try that?
No well here. We're on piped in water from the local municipality. Water is a little hard but it has never had a smell here at the house other than a faint chlorine smell on occasion.
Definitely picked this crap up at a camp ground last summer. Don't remember where we were but I do remember thinking that the water stinks at this place.
And it's had this smell ever since.

[Gkri]

Suggested doses and time for chlorine treatment vary wildly. Some sources suggest as high as 250 ppm for 12 hours. I feel that is a bit high for the trailer plumbing. A more reasonable level was given as 50 ppm for 24 hours which amounts to 1-3/4 cup Clorox for your 104 gallon tank. Use fresh, non-scented, non-detergent Clorox. Unfortunately a recommended CT value (concentration x time) for shock treatment with peroxide is not readily available in the municipal water treatment sources I have at hand.

There is likely sulfate reducing bacteria attached to your tank walls and/or pipes and shocking is definitely needed. Try the Clorox first. Flush thoroughly, and if the smell returns, try Peroxide. You may need to test some sample pieces of Pex tubing to see what, if any, reaction a high dose (50 ppm) of Peroxide will or will not cause.

[Raptor Dave]

Thanks for the info.
Last time I believe I put 2 cups of bleach in the 104 gal tank so I wasn't far off from your 1.75 cup suggestion.
I'm going to try again and seen if the doesn't get the job done.

[bobbecky]

The source of the sulfur smell wouldn't by chance be coming from the hose? Just a thought.

[NH_Bulldog]

The odor is typically a result of bacteria. Chlorine is usually effective, but in stubborn cases you have might have to resort to peroxide which can be more effective and work longer. Mix 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide for every 10 gallons of water. Add to tank, run through water lines, let it sit for a day, then flush it all out.

[Raptor Dave]

Originally Posted by bobbecky

The source of the sulfur smell wouldn't by chance be coming from the hose? Just a thought.

That thought has crossed my mind also. If this cleansing doesn't get it done I'll trash the hoses and start with new.

The odor is typically a result of bacteria. Chlorine is usually effective, but in stubborn cases you have might have to resort to peroxide which can be more effective and work longer. Mix 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide for every 10 gallons of water. Add to tank, run through water lines, let it sit for a day, then flush it all out.

Thanks for the heads up. I may end up going that route if the chlorine doesn't get it this time.

[jxnbbl]

https://corralsales.com/banishing-th...-water-system/


Recommendations on getting rid of this. We have this problem at a house due to iron bacteria. Since it is used only in the summer, it gets worse during the winter. We have to go through a shocking of the well, rinse of the water system and then have a conditioner and whole house filter to take care of that problem. Since it is sourced at the well there is little we can do about it. I suspect that some water you "picked up" had some characteristics to fester in your RV system. The above link deals with the water heater but like our family cottage, I would start with the tank and clean the entire system, flush, etc. I do this prior to any big trip anyways for sanitary reasons.

[JRTJH]

I think Jay may have posted the solution to the smell issue.

Let's look at the Keystone Owner's Manual for a second. It contains a procedure to "sanitize the fresh water system" (page 65 in the 2023 edition). It states:
Prepare a chlorine bleach solution of ¼ cup to one gallon of water for every 15 gallons of tank capacity. Example: Use 2 ¾ gallons of the solution for a 40-gallon tank. If using Ultra bleach concentrations, reduce bleach to 1/8 cup to one gallon of water

The Suburban tank type water heater has this procedure in the 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 com m on 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 m ay 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.

Now, there are two different procedures with two different "solution strengths" being recommended.....

The "SANITATION" process uses 1/4 cup per 15 gallons. The "BACTERIA REMOVAL" process uses 6 oz (3/4 cup) per 10 gallons.

Why? It's the same as when you wash your car. If there's only "light dust" on the car, a quick wash with a small amount of soap will work. BUT: If your car has lots of "road grime or grease or bugs" then you'll need more soap (degreaser) and more time for the solution to work as well as more physical effort to get the car clean.

Sanitizing the "otherwise clean water system" works with 1/4 cup per 15 gallons of tank size for 4 hours time. Cleaning the system that is "contaminated with known bacteria in enough quantity to produce a smell" requires significantly more powerful solution for significantly longer time, and MAY require multiple procedures to completely eliminate the contamination.

I believe that what you've been doing is simply "too little for too short a time".....

Try "hitting the bacteria infestation hard" with the stronger solution for a longer time...

Also consider that the Suburban water heater process does include using the stronger solution "in the plumbing to the faucets" and that procedure has been used in thousands if not millions of "odor reducing procedures" in RV's for at least 2 or 3 decades with no reports of damage to the RV plumbing system from the chlorine.

If you're concerned with the potential affect that chlorine might have on the water heater or on the PEX plumbing, I'd recommend you contact the water heater manufacturer and/or Keystone to get their recommendation.

I'd further "guess" that the manufacturers of the tankless water heaters have not considered the "rotten egg smell" as a potential for their products because "the smell comes from the tank and we don't have a tank", but in reality, every tube that holds water in the plumbing system is essentially a "tank that can harbor bacteria"....

[Raptor Dave]

Thanks Guys....good info to try. Just need to find time to get after it.
I'll report back after I do.

[LHaven]

Just to address a really common brain bubble: don't forget to run the sanitizer water through your outside shower fixture, too, or the bacteria will just re-colonize from there.

[jxnbbl]

Originally Posted by LHaven

Just to address a really common brain bubble: don't forget to run the sanitizer water through your outside shower fixture, too, or the bacteria will just re-colonize from there.

Haha - reminds me of the second year using our trailer but first of the year. My wife washing sand off her feet - "why is the water pink?" OOOPS.

(I forgot to flush the outdoor shower from the winterization state)

[Raptor Dave]

Thanks for the heads up.
No outdoor shower, however, I do have an outdoor aux sprayer connection that I did not run the chlorine thru.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Raptor Dave

Thanks for the heads up.
No outdoor shower, however, I do have an outdoor aux sprayer connection that I did not run the chlorine thru.

Also, don't forget to flush your low point drains. There's 4 or 5 ounces of water in those "PEX downspouts" that are still contaminated with the "rotten egg smell bacteria"...

Clean, purge and flush ALL the water in the plumbing fresh water system or you're risking recontamination. It only takes a drop or two to recolonize if the bacteria survives by being "hidden where the chlorine doesn't go".....

[Kraut]

Originally Posted by Gkri

It would still be helpful to know if both hot and cold or hot only. Sulfate-reducing bacteria can still be in a tankless heater and require in excess of 140-degrees for up to 8-hours to be eliminated. Also, you can try peroxide in lieu of Clorox. Clorox is a rather weak oxidant and even less effective if the pH of the water is above 7. The bacteria might have come from a campsite and remained in your system, or if you have a well, perhaps your water heater is set high enough to eliminate the smell in your home.

Peroxide works the best for me. Also, I drain my water heater when not in use. Refill and add peroxide each time. I do the same with my hot water heater at home. We have well water and if we go away and I turn off the hot water heater I will get the smell. Well, water requires an aluminum anode rod as well.

[Raptor Dave]

The bleach cleaning is under way. We'll see where this one takes me.
We've only had this trailer since July so I'm still learning bits and pieces about it.
I spoke too soon thinking we didn't have an outdoor shower.
I'm kind of tall and just didn't see it in the water closet outdoors where everything else hooks up. It's at the very top of the closet and just didn't see it until I bent over and looked at the top.
So I believe with the water exits everyone has mentioned, I've run them all until I could smell the bleach at each exit.
I'll give it a couple days and see where it all takes us.

[Gamma]

I had this happen before and it turned out to be the inline filter I was using. Removed the filter and smell went away. Bought a big whole home filter and rigged it with hose connectors and all good now. If you are using an inline, worth a try removing it if all else fails.