fresh water tank odor

you did good with the tank flush etc but if it was a rotten egg (hydrogen sulfate) that is from you water heater. YOu need to drain it as well and fill with bleach water and let sit for an hour and then drain and refill and drain again and refill to get rid of the smell. been there done that. tom

Executive wrote:
Simply use two bottles of hydrogen peroxide from WalMart @ 69 cents each. Two bottles will sanitize the tank and it won't hurt your insides.....Dennis

Dennis

You need to put the volume of the hydrogen peroxide and the volume of your fresh tank in your EXCELLENT suggestion.

Usually that type of smell is from the water heater because the anode has rotted, which it will do on a regular basis. This tank should be sanitized if not in regular use and after being winterized.

If the fresh tank and lines have not been sanitized for a while...you can add bleach, pour right into your white water hose before you fill with water.(this will sanitize the hose too) You don't need a whole bottle! For a 1/2 tank 1-2 cup of bleach will be enough. You should fill the whole tank or at least 1/2 then drive it to stir it up, then turn on your faucets one at a time to clean all the lines, then drain the tank either into the gray tank or through the drain valve. Then you will need to add fresh water and run through the whole system until it does not smell of bleach. It helps to add white distilled vinegar to do the last flush as it will remove any residual bleach smell.

Mr.Mark wrote:
In six years I only put a conditioner in our fresh water tank once and that was probably 5 yrs ago. I just empty and re-fill every 2-3 weeks. I have definitely gone 6 weeks before with no odor or problem (I think it was in the winter....no freezing in Southern California). I like your idea of 1/2 gal of bleach (maybe less)... a little bleach goes a long way! Good Luck!

MM.

X-2, I would do the bleach thing one time that will get rid of the smell and sanitize your tank. Use your freshwater tank more in the future if possible!

Got'er done! Drilled a 1 3/4 in. hole, looked inside of tank, and it was NASTY. Sand and suspended nasties and gunk floating on the top of water...and the smell... Wet/dry shop vac with attachements, and sucked it up. Also was able to get the plastic pieces that was clogging the drain tube. An adjustable high pressure sprayer on end of garden hose to rinse inside of tank. Rinse and vac 6 times till I was satisfied. Added some water, then the half gal of bleach, added more water till tank was just over half full. Drove MH around town taking corners and stops to slosh the mixture around. Ran water thru all the lines of MH {I by-passed water heater}. Opened drain valve on the drive home. My drive way slopes just right for draining tank and having drilled hole in tank where I did, maximized vacumming water out of tank. Rinsed inside tank one more time, flushing water lines, and plugged the hole I drilled with...a hub oil cap that fits on the axle of a semi trailer! THANKS to the guys at the truck shop! Rubber cap fits snugg , flush and looks damned near professional!

I put over a half gallon of bleach in my tank one time. Never did get the bleach smell out that trailer.

Don't use more than a cup at the most. Put it in and fill the tank. Let it sit for about an hour and run all your faucets and toilet.

Then drain and fill with fresh water and see where you stand. Might have to repeat.

Simply use two bottles of hydrogen peroxide from WalMart @ 69 cents each. Two bottles will sanitize the tank and it won't hurt your insides.....Dennis

marine stores (West Marine) sell threaded access ports, round with an O-Ring seal, that you could use to repair the top of the tank...buy one before you drill......

Thanks folks for the replies. Got an added problem to the stink. Bottom line is that I have to drill a two to 3 inch hole into top of tank..right above the drain/fill tube. Something is obstructing the drain/fill tube. Took all the valve assembly off, used air hose to blow back into tank to dislodge where the water drains at bottom of tank. It drains good for a bit, until it clogs up again. Access to top of tank, wet\dry shop vac with attachements, suck up whatever is clogging the line, and should be able to suck out sediments and various other ickies! Plug hole with a rubber thingamagigger..sanitize garden hose, tank, fill..drain and repeat. I'll let ya know how it went! Thanks again!

If you have an Attwood Hot Water Tank drain it and flush it out well. The water in the Attwood starts to smell fairly quickly when it is left to sit without regular use!