Why Does My RV water stink?

The most common cause of why your RV water smells like rotten eggs is that anaerobic bacteria in your RV water heater tank reacts with the sulfur and magnesium of the anode rod. This interaction produces hydrogen sulfide gas, which smells like rotten eggs.

How do I stop my RV water from smelling?

We recommend having at least one 16 ounce bottle of hydrogen peroxide for this task, preferably two. If you don't want to use hydrogen peroxide (which is toxic if swallowed) you can also use household vinegar. To further prevent the rotten egg smell, use an aluminum-zinc anode.

Why Does My RV water smell like sewage?

Bacteria that come from your gut are the cause of sewage smells in your RV black tank. The best way to fight the stinky bacteria is to add bacteria that breaks down waste but doesn't cause odors.

How do I get the smell out of my camper water pipes?

How do I get rid of the smell in my water tank?

If the cold water does not contain odors, but the hot water smells bad, then a thorough sanitizing of the water heater tank with 1 to 2 pints of store-bought hydrogen peroxide will eliminate the odor and smell from the water heater.

QUICK FIX! Rotten Egg Smell in your RV | Improvement | 2021 Grand Design Solitude 380 FL R | RV Life

Why does the water in my RV smell like rotten eggs?

A common cause of why your RV smells like rotten eggs is that anaerobic bacteria in your RV water heater tank reacts with the sulfur and magnesium of the anode rod. This interaction produces hydrogen sulfide gas – your rotten egg odor.

What causes foul smelling water?

The usual odors are sulfur (aka “the rotten egg smell”), sewage, and chlorine bleach, which are caused by naturally occurring anaerobic bacteria and chemicals that accumulate in wells, water heaters, pipes, and sinks. Decaying organic matter (i.e. your hair, soaps, or food waste) can also cause your water to smell bad.

How do I clean my RV water system?

How do you flush an RV water line?

How do you clean RV drain pipes?

Drain Cleaner

The drains on our RVs can get gross and nasty quickly. The best way to relieve that is to pour half of a box of baking soda down the drain and then follow it with vinegar, allowing it to foam up. After it's settled, pour more vinegar in the drain and repeat until all of the baking soda is gone.

Why does my water smell like poop?

Drain Obstruction

One of the common reasons is drain obstacle or drain clogs. An block in the drain will often prevent water from flowing freely through the pipes. Oftentimes, the water become stuck along with other solid materials. And once these materials start to rot or decompose, it produces a poop-like smell.

Can you put bleach in a camper toilet?

Cleaning your black water holding tank is best done when you're fully hooked up and have both a water and sewer connection. Avoid using bleach or antifreeze for your deep clean, as both of these can dry out rubber seals and ultimately ruin your sewage system.

How much bleach do I put in my RV water tank?

You'll need about a 1/4 cup of bleach for every 16 gallons of water your fresh water tank holds. Another helpful ratio for your calculator is to use one ounce of bleach for every eight gallons of freshwater.

Do I need to sanitize my RV water system?

At a minimum you should sanitize the system every spring when you take the RV out of storage and any time you notice stale water or an odor. It's really quite simple to do. You can start by draining the water heater.

Should I put RV antifreeze in freshwater tank?

Do not pour antifreeze into your fresh water tank to run it through the pump into your water system. This will take a lot of antifreeze and is not very efficient. Even when the tank is drained there remains some water in the bottom of the tank which mixes with the antifreeze and lessens its protection level.

Can you drink water from an RV?

Yes, it's safe to drink water from your RV fresh water tank as long as you regularly maintain and sanitize the tank and water system. Your RV fresh water tank holds fresh water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and more.

How often should you sanitize your RV water system?

We suggest that sanitizing your RV fresh water tank every six months is a good rule of thumb. This is especially important if you're unsure of the quality of a water source you've connected to. If you're on the road constantly and use your tanks often, you might want to do it more frequently.

How long can you leave bleach water in RV tank?

Leave bleach in your RV water tank for at least eight (8) hours. You can leave it longer if you want, but least eight hours. It also depends on how much bleach you are using. If you are using the amounts we recommended above, then eight hours is plenty.

How do I clean my water tank without removing water?

Using a mixture of 1 part bleach to 4 parts hot water wash the sides of the tank with the mop (or pressure washer) in order to remove the slime and dirt build up on the sides and corners of the tank. Scrub the build-up on the bottom and use the wet/dry vacuum to remove the rinse water from the tank.

How do you get rid of sulfur smell in water?

Chlorine bleach can effectively remove medium to high levels (over 6 mg/l) of hydrogen sulfide. The chlorine in the bleach chemically reacts with (oxi- dizes) the hydrogen sulfide eliminating the "rotten egg" odor. Chlorine bleach also reacts with iron or manganese, and disinfects water supplies.

What do you do when your water smells like rotten eggs?

Increase the water heater temperature to 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius) for several hours. This will destroy the sulfur bacteria. Flushing to remove the dead bacteria after treatment should control the odor problem.

Why does my water smell like rotten eggs?

If your water smells like rotten eggs, that likely indicates the presence of hydrogen sulfide gas. This could be due to a problem with your water heater or naturally occurring sulfur bacteria, especially in well water. These issues can produce hydrogen sulfide, which leaves an unpleasant scent wherever it goes.

Can I put vinegar in my RV black tank?

Yes, you can put vinegar in an RV toilet. Vinegar in combination with baking soda is great for cleaning and whitening the toilet bowl.

Can you use Pine Sol in RV toilet?

When you need to clean your toilet, use Pine Sol (or a similar across the counter pine based product), to disinfect and clean both the inside and outside of the entire unit. Clorox.