Hot Water Tank Smell

it's the water you are using in the tank. some well water comes out smelling bad when heated. usually city water doesn't do that.

DO you have an Atwood or a Suburban water heater?

If Suburban when was last time you replaced anode rod?

Either brand....how often do you drain/flush water heaters?

If it is well water or spring water you need to drain it if is going to sit that long or it will go bad.
The same thing will happen to a 30 gallon home water heater if it sits for any length of time not being used. --From experience !

Jack L

Drain the hot water heater after every trip and the problem will be gone. Just make sure the HW heater is off before you drain the water and make sure it is full of water before you turn it back on again.

You may need to flush the water heater in order to remove the current smell. You can do this with a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water, and let it set for an hour or two then several rinse cycles.

I found that draining the water heater after coming home from a trip eliminates the "rotten egg" smell on the next trip. Make sure you turn off water heater before leaving camp, before storing or parking the trailer, be sure to flip the lever on the pressure relief valve and remove the drain plug. After draining insert the drain plug and re-set the pressure relief valve. After a couple of showers, I always remembered to let the pressure out of the tank before draining.....:S

Smelly hot water can be caused by a buildup of anaerobic bacteria in the hot water tank. Drain the tank and flush it with a peroxide or bleach solution. Here is a link to a good article that describes the process:

http://www.smellywater.com

my HW tank is the kind that does not have an anode rod. I've had this trailer for 13 years this August and seems like the last couple years it has done this. It probably just needs a good bleaching. I drain it when I winterize it. The drain plug is hard to get to and we installed a relief valve type plug last fall and it takes a day or so to drain. The old plastic plug wouldn't come out. I don't think I added any bleach to the fresh water tank when I used it the first time this spring, so may be why ? It's only been 2 months and it's stored in a cool barn when not in use.

You really should remove that plastic plug and give the tank a good flushing. Sediment and mineral buildup over time and add to the rotten smell.

Use one of these to thoroughly flush the tank. Available at most RV accessory parts stores. Tank Flusher

Most stuck or rounded off plastic drain plugs occur from over tightening. I put a couple of wraps of Teflon pipe tape around the threads of the plastic plug and do not keep wrenching on it until it stops turning. A little tighter than just snug is enough. Although I carry a spare, I have been using the same plastic drain plug for 10 years.

The plastic plug is long gone. It was destroyed when we pried it out. Thought we were going to have to replace the HW heater. That's when we went to the copper and it's wrapped with tape also. Never seen the tank flusher but I'll be ordering one !! THANK YOU

vjswhippet wrote:
The plastic plug is long gone. It was destroyed when we pried it out. Thought we were going to have to replace the HW heater. That's when we went to the copper and it's wrapped with tape also. Never seen the tank flusher but I'll be ordering one !! THANK YOU

YOu have an Atwood water heater...........NYLON plug is used due to the aluminum threads in drain hole.
Drain hole is only 1/2"

Installing a petcock type drain plug does NOT allow for good draining because of the small hole in petcock (".....it takes a day or so to drain.")

Remove that petcock......rinse/flush tank

I turn water supply back on after removing drain plug and let it blast ------helps churn up bottom sediment and force it out drain hole.

Then use the OEM NYLON drain plug.......it is temp rated and will not damage the aluminum threads (PVC or CPVC are not temp rated)
Nylon come 2 to shrink package.
Start with fingers then SNUG with 6 point socket (7/8" or 15/16"---depending on size of head)