Funky tasting hot water

Tbanks for the update on drinking the hot water lol. Yes flushing the tank and the system should help out big time. Good luck.

I hope you sanitized the entire system before use. I sanitize ours every spring and again about mid season.

Just as a point of explanation I do not drink hot water unless it has chocolate or coffee in it, :W usually brewed from cold water.

I did however wash dishes and later get a drink of water. The hot water was still in the sink facet. “Uck.” :E

I could not believe how bad it tasted so I let the hot water run then tasted it again and Double Uck. :E :E

I have the manual so when we get home a thorough cleaning it will get.

Thanks for the advice, I always find this forum helpful.

We don't drink the hot water, but have never, ever heard that it's not safe to drink. I would think if that were the case, there would be warning labels all over the place. The anode is to take care of the electrolysis, so if you have an electric WH at home, you're using water that's been in contact with an anode. Not sure that's accurate information.

My guess is that the whole water system needs to be sanitized with bleach....if you don't already know how to do that, do a search here but it's a quick, easy job. A bit of bleach and a little time running through, sitting for a bit, flushing again and you're done. The other thing that comes to mind, and we've never done this but understand it gets you some excellent results, is to use a WH rinse wand. About $8 on Amazon or check Camping World. A recent thread on this said you'd be surprised how much crud comes out of the inside of the tank. Would think that might help and also make the tank last longer. On our list.

We're not bottled water folks simply because we don't like the disposal/landfill issues with the bottles. We have a faucet mount PUR water filter on our kitchen faucet and it makes all the difference in the world. The filter + 3 additional cartridges at Sam's was about $40. A box of 4 replacement cartridges is about the same. We get a full season - usually - out of 1 box of refills. We try to live green as much as we can and this eliminates a lot of bottles in the landfill that will be there almost forever.

First off, what brand of water heater do you have? I believe the Atwood heaters don't have anode rods and don't need them. Second try flushing the inside of the heater tank, a flushing tool is available from Western Leisure Products and retails for about $12.00(part # TSF 100). By removing the P/T valve and the drain plug you can flush out sediment which as a side effect makes the heater last longer and heat better.

I am neither a plumber or scientist but I have never heard about not drinking water from a water heater tank, in fact, quite the opposite is recommended in emergency situations. We live in earthquake country and it is recommended that folks use the water in the tank if water service is disrupted.

The advice on the thermocouple is very good. I would add that universal replacement kits are manufactured by CAMCO (part #'s vary by length, 12' - 09253) and they run about $9.00 and are easily replaced while cleaning the contact points

Good luck.

I guess I'm one of those that don't understand why anyone would drink hot water from the faucet, unless you're using the water to make instant coffee or hot tea and just don't want to heat from cold water.

I've never heard of NOT drinking from a water heater with an anode rod, I guess I just learned something today. I guess once we get the camper fired up (if it ever quits snowing in Indiana), I'll have to taste the hot water in the camper! (I will admit, I've never done that before though).

As far as you water heater goes though, you need to rinse out your water heater tank real good. Get a small hose that can attach to a garden hose or get a water heater tank want that attaches to your garden hose and flush out the tank through the anode rod-drain plug hole, and get as much of the calcium build up on the bottom of the tank out.

Also, rinse off the anode rode to get any immediate flaky stuff off of it. The anode is designed to deteriorate, and those particles have to go somewhere. Usually settle on the bottom of the tank or they get stirred up and come out your faucets. Most likely, settle on the bottom.

ScottG wrote:
You should not drink water from any WH that has an anode in it - ever. If you have a Suburban WH then it has an anode and the stuff that comes off it is very bad for us.
This is true of your home WH too.

Often the bad taste or smell of rotten eggs is a result of a fungus growing inside that's made worse by the anode. You'll have to sanitize and clean the heater to get rid of it.
Don't drink the water though ;)

This is not true.. Why would hot water be unsafe in either home or rv? If that were the case, don't you think we would have warnings on them? "Do not drink any water that comes from this tank, hazardous to your health" Every water source has different chemicals treating the water. I am in the home building business, even in brand new homes that are complete, the water smells like rotten eggs (sulfer) because that specific source smells when siting in pipes for a few weeks. Has nothing to do with the WH or fungus

We always bring our cooking and drinking bottled water with us. Being avid fresh ground bean coffee lovers we have to have the same brand water to get the just right same coffee taste for us anyway.

We just use our camp ground water, hot water, and fresh water in the tank for washing dishes and taking showers etc...

Just us - have always done it this way...

Roy Ken

Vinegar is an acid that cleans out the hot water tank. It is also used to clean HVAC drip pans and lines out of buildings. The problem with getting it just into the RV hot water tank is the small opening in the vent at the top. Once in it does not back up in to the rest of the water in the RV because of there is a non reversing valve on the intake. That is how the pressure builds up in the tank when it is heating the water, and does not go backwards. The top tank pressure valve,(on the outside), is there to release the pressure if it exceeds the design pressure of the tank. It also spews out the hot water when you open it so BE VERY CAREFUL not to get burnt if the water is heated when servicing the tank. I put the vinegar in through a small flexable tube into the bigger garden hose sized nipple tube I place at the end of the pressure valve. With the hot water faucet open in the kitchen sink and the water pump and or water service connector to land water off, pump in about a quart of white vinegar threw said pipes going into pressure valve at top of tank. Don't have the bottom drain and or hot rod out as they hold the vinegar in. After the quart of vinegar is in fill it the rest of the way with water. Let it sit for a day, and then empty it out the bottom of the tank, and watch the crud come out. Flush with water from the top and or with a hose in the bottom until it runs clear. Stand back when opening or flushing the tank as it will come out in gushes from all the crud. Repeat if necessary until it's clean. This can be done to the entire water system, but Clorox does the job better to the cold water lines, which will clean with the hot water bypassed, and the ice maker line off by the arm being up at the ice water tray. This is a once a year cleaning that takes away the smell caused by metals and mold. The Cloroxed cold water cleaning is usually two cups into the tank vent at top, (watch for splash back as it's also the vent so drip it in),which after a day or two in tank and pumped into the supply lines, ( but not ice maker or hot water tank), draining it out into the black and grey water tanks cleans them, as it does the sewer line to the dump point. Remember Clorox and water becomes salt water, and does bleach and kills vegetation, so dump into an area with care. If smell or taste of vinegar or Clorox is present after any of these procedures you haven't flushed system enough.

I agree that you need to flush out the tank and things will be better. My question is why are you drinking hot water, never heard of people drinking hot water, maybe it is just not done around where I am.

We generally bring a case of bottled water for drinking and a gallon or two of water for coffee etc.