Water heater odor

I have used vinegar to soak our pipes because of the water in Az. Now where the water heater drains the concrete is dead and crumbing. I knew that could happen but felt I was flushing enough. wrong guess. Having grown up in the concrete business and seeing how milk in a dairy ruined concrete from dripping milk. Chevman

Late update. Since we're living in our tt for the next couple of months, I disconnected the supply hose from the home's washing machine cold water faucet, (softened water) poured in some Clorox. Reattached hose and ran water into camper with hot and cold faucets open briefly. Allowed water to fill the drained wh.

After draining and filling three times the odor was gone.

I'm going to do the vinegar treatment when we move into the house.

ppine wrote:
There is a type of hot water bacteria that shows up in water heaters in RVs and in residential applications. It usually smells like hydrogen sulfide. H2S. It can occur in a home even when the hot water is being used all the time. The standard remedy just like charging a well is to use household bleach in the tank.

That's my take. Atwood Vinegar procedure is oriented to remove minerals more than kill bacteria. I sanitize my rig/hot water heater with bleach each year .. and every 5 years I will soak my hot water tank with vinegar to remove minerals (my area of country has very soft water).

Hot water bacteria and algae can live at many different high temperatures well above 140 degrees F. A trip to Yellowstone will show you that.

You really don't need to remove the T&P Relief Valve. All you need to do is empty the water heater through the drain plug. Reinsert the drain plug and then use the winterizing connection and pump the required amount of vinegar into the water heater after opening the nearest hot water faucet. Then top off the water heater with water through the winterizing connection to rinse the vinegar out of the line.

Residential water heaters are often shipped with the temperature set to 120 degrees. It is recommended to set temperatures to 140 degrees to destroy the worst kinds of bacteria. I believe that RV water heaters are set high enough, but it would be best to check.

There is a type of hot water bacteria that shows up in water heaters in RVs and in residential applications. It usually smells like hydrogen sulfide. H2S. It can occur in a home even when the hot water is being used all the time. The standard remedy just like charging a well is to use household bleach in the tank.

If you talk to the local health dept this is the advice they will give you.

if you're buying a lot of vinegar, check the big box stores in the canning isle. I saw 5 gallon totes pretty cheap compared to the single quart / gallon sized offerings.

I'll do an easy one this weekend, then the Mexico wanderers treatment next month when we're not living in the trailer. Great posts!

There are life-forms that thrive in scalding water. All it takes is enough minerals. Visit Yellowstone Park and you're going to smell a lot more than sulfur.

It takes something more than a clean water flush to eradicate the life forms.

If you can find a way to introduce 10% concentrated vinegar, set the hot water heater on high and let the vinegar set for a couple of days. Drain but not flush the heater..,

Then pre-mix a full pound of baking soda and put that into the heater for another couple of heated days...

It will not only sanitize the heater but when you flush the heater expect to see a pound or two of minerals come with it.

Useless mineral removal wise to do this flush without baking soda neutralization as the soda is what does the trick -- after the vinegar.

Have a humidified CPAP or BiPAP? Is the aluminum disc coated with ugly minerals? Heat a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water to boiling. Fill the chamber and it sit on the counter.

WITHOUT DRAINING IT

Add three tablespoons of baking soda and mix by shaking.

Whoa! Looks like new. Rinse.

Strange diseases and afflictions are derived from bacteria growth.

With the humidifier chamber, hose and mask weird respiratory stuff like Legionaire's Disease isn't so funny. Change hose sanitize mask.

Until I cleaned out a year-old water heater down here I kept getting eye infections. Somehow simply sanitizing the water tank missed it. After vinegar and baking soda my eyes cleared up and stayed healthy.

You got me. I just live here..