Hot water odor only, cold is ok

Mine starts to stink too after a lot of use.
There is a buildup of a jelly like schmoo inside the tank. This is normal and does happen.
The tanks do require periodic cleaning.
I fabricated a long nozzle from a piece of about 3/8" copper pipe, soldered an end onto it to thread onto a garden hose and I bent the end of the pipe on about a 60 degree curve and flattened the end to form a narrow nozzle.
I take the anode rod out once in a while and stick this homemade device in the hole and turn the water on. The curve on the end shoots out a high pressure stream and cleans the goo off the inside of the tank. It flows out the hole onto the ground. I run it until no more stuff comes out.
Then the smell goes away.

Stepheng1 wrote:
Son borrowed class c motor home, called and said odor coming from hot water only, cold is OK. Any ideas?

Stepheng1

Being borrowed, it may have sat for a long time..with water from some sources leading to the smell. With use, and water from different source the smell may go away on it's own.

ronfisherman wrote:
Need new anode rod in Water Heater if it is a Suburban.

And flush out the tank after removing the old rod before installing the new anode rode.

Need new anode rod in Water Heater if it is a Suburban.

I keep my hot water tank empty and bypassed all the time. If I don't open the hot water taps occasionally and run fresh water through the pipes, it gets that wrotten egg scent. Could you have some old water in your hot water tank?

Water chemicals can be amplified by hot water. As can not having a good anode rod in the HW tank if you have a Suburban water heater.