If this has been asked before I couldn't find it. We bought a new TT from a dealer a little over a year ago. Unfortunately due to the deaths of my son and wife, we never got to use it until about a month ago. Unfortunately, it appears that the dealer DID NOT drain the water system including the water heater or fresh water tank after pre-delivery testing and demo. So water sat over last summer, winter and this spring UGH ! Clearly we need to sanitize! But I've read where bleach can be bad for the water pump and other seals, as well as the W.H. I also read somewhere that you could use Hydrogen Peroxide in place of bleach. So I poured 2 16 oz bottles into the tank and ran it through all the pipes and water heater. a day or two later when I went to drain it all out, there was a foul sour smell coming from the water. I completely drained everything including the WH, refilled the 35 gal water tank adding a 1/2 cup bleach, and changed the bypass valves so bleach water would not go to WH. Then ran all fixtures H&C lines. at first the foul smell was still coming out but quickly went away. However I could not detect a bleach smell. Nevertheless I let it all sit overnight and in the morning, added another 1/2 cup bleach and ran all faucets again. If this does not take care of the problem, What else can I try??Thanks in advance, and I apologize for the long question.

When I sanitize I include the hot water tank - usually let the bleachy water sit overnight.

We were on a trip and our hot water smelled like sulfur. The water heater tank was drained, the anode replaced, and all was well. I now empty the water heater in between trips.

Given the mess that it was, I would open all the low point drains, and also drain the water heater. Get the system empty. Close the drains. Refill the water tank about halfway.You want 1/4 cup of regular bleach for every 15 gallons of water. Mix this amount of bleach into about a quart of water. Pour this into the water tank. Finish filling the water tank. Remove the bypass from the water heater so it will fill. Turn on the pump and run every outlet, hot and cold, until bleach water comes out. (This will take a couple of minutes.) Then let it all sit for 12 hours or so. Don't double up on the bleach.Then drain the system, fill with fresh water, and run all the outlets until water comes out. Then run them until the tank is almost empty. Repeat. You should be OK after the second rinse. The extra rinse will get all the bleach smell out. You should also sanitize your hose. Not a bad idea to do this first. Put a couple of tablespoons of bleach in a cup of water and pour that in the hose. Fill the remaining hose volume with water, screw the hose ends together and let that sit too. Rinse thoroughly.My condolences on the loss of your wife and son.

Does it have a whole house filter ? If so, change it.

"But I've read where bleach can be bad for the water pump and other seals, as well as the W.H."Bleach in the proper concentration is best choice. Never used anything else. I'd sanitize three times because of your issue and drive the TT as well as let each dose sit for 24 hours. Run each dose through the lines extensively.

Bad Water Smell | Good Sam Community

JimK-NY
Explorer II
Sep 01, 2020
Bleach is readily available, very inexpensive and works well. Again the amount to use is 1/4 cup household bleach for every 15 gallons of water. Most of us overdue the soak time. The minimum soak should be at least an hour.

More is not necessarily better and eventual high bleach concentrations for long periods of time might kill pump seals. The RV should handle the recommended protocol with no issues. My pump lasted 10 years including 2 years with full time use. I replaced it for about 15 minutes of effort and less than $100.

Be sure to treat the hot water system including the HW tank. That means you must drain it, fill with treated water and then drain again after an hour or so.
down_home
Explorer II
Sep 01, 2020
CW had a kit to clean the water system. a bit more involved than just bacteria killing bleach. If you have algae etc now in the tank once the chlorine is gone it can come back.
I would buy the kit. ..but i don't remember the steps to clean or what is in it.
Super saturation with bleach will kill everything though but...it is tough as heck to get its traces out but still a great idea. Half a tank of super saturated water on a rough road and lots of braking should get all the corners. While at it clean your gray and black tanks good with bleach. For sure you got some nasties there.
dedmiston
Moderator
Sep 01, 2020
naturist wrote:
May I suggest using hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach?

Peroxide isn't hard on seals and hoses, doesn't leave behind any horrible and hard to flush out tastes and odors. A quart bottle in my 35 gallon fresh water tank pumped through the water system, including filling the water heater, and left for a couple days does as good as bleach.

Hi Naturist. He actually used the peroxide before he tried bleach.
naturist
Nomad
Sep 01, 2020
May I suggest using hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach?

Peroxide isn't hard on seals and hoses, doesn't leave behind any horrible and hard to flush out tastes and odors. A quart bottle in my 35 gallon fresh water tank pumped through the water system, including filling the water heater, and left for a couple days does as good as bleach.
Lwiddis
Explorer II
Sep 01, 2020
"But I've read where bleach can be bad for the water pump and other seals, as well as the W.H."

Bleach in the proper concentration is best choice. Never used anything else. I'd sanitize three times because of your issue and drive the TT as well as let each dose sit for 24 hours. Run each dose through the lines extensively.
bukhrn
Explorer III
Sep 01, 2020
Does it have a whole house filter ? If so, change it.
coolmom42
Explorer II
Sep 01, 2020
Given the mess that it was, I would open all the low point drains, and also drain the water heater. Get the system empty. Close the drains. Refill the water tank about halfway.

You want 1/4 cup of regular bleach for every 15 gallons of water. Mix this amount of bleach into about a quart of water. Pour this into the water tank. Finish filling the water tank. Remove the bypass from the water heater so it will fill. Turn on the pump and run every outlet, hot and cold, until bleach water comes out. (This will take a couple of minutes.) Then let it all sit for 12 hours or so. Don't double up on the bleach.

Then drain the system, fill with fresh water, and run all the outlets until water comes out. Then run them until the tank is almost empty. Repeat. You should be OK after the second rinse. The extra rinse will get all the bleach smell out.

You should also sanitize your hose. Not a bad idea to do this first. Put a couple of tablespoons of bleach in a cup of water and pour that in the hose. Fill the remaining hose volume with water, screw the hose ends together and let that sit too. Rinse thoroughly.

My condolences on the loss of your wife and son.
azdryheat
Explorer
Sep 01, 2020
We were on a trip and our hot water smelled like sulfur. The water heater tank was drained, the anode replaced, and all was well. I now empty the water heater in between trips.
ksg5000
Explorer
Sep 01, 2020
When I sanitize I include the hot water tank - usually let the bleachy water sit overnight.

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