Lets talk water filtration.

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samthetramp

samthetramp

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I installed a On the go water softner last year and it has improved my water greatly. After a short while I get that rotten egg smell coming from the hot water. I assume that the stuff that creates that builds up in the hot water tank over time. I'm currently using the cheapo Camco blue inline charcoal filter. I've been looking at the Clear source linked below. It's more expensive than I'd like to pay. I don't mind paying for quality and I'd rather buy once and cry once. Has anyone used this set up? Is it worth the expense? What other filtration systems have you used and do you like them?

Clear Source


Thanks
Sam
 
The "rotten egg" smell is from a harmless bacteria that thrives in hot water. It's small enough to pass thru most filter systems, so difficult to prevent if you connect to a water source that has it. It's not necessarily the fault of the campground - a previous camper may have left some germs on the water tap.

To get rid of the obnoxious odor, you need to sanitize your entire RV water system with a bleach or peroxide solution. There are instructions available online or in this forums Resources section at https://www.rvforum.net/resources/water-system-sanitizing.75/
 
Many people seem to believe that filters protect against bacteria and fungi, but they don’t. They just remove large (as compared to bacteria and fungi) particles or chemicals. Gary is right that you need to sanitize your tank,
 
There is nothing particularly special about filtration. You can build your own multi-stage filter system for far less than $350. The filter housings and the filters themselves are made to a common 10 inch standard and use common plumbing fittings. A search on Amazon will show all the components, if you are diligent you can find everything you need for less than $100.

Kevin
 
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I guess I should've added I've been set up in the same spot for 11 months. When I first hooked up the softener I flushed the water heater tank out but didn't sterilize the system since I'm a full timer and the system nearly always is hooked up. Don't know if that matters in this situation or not. I installed the softener at this campground and it did well for the 1st couple of months. Then the smell started coming back. I have recharged it but the smell came back quicker this time. Not running off my fresh water tank.
 
Do you keep your hot water heater turned on all the time? That should prevent the bacteria because of the heat level. If you are letting the water cool down to "warm" status (which can happen if you only turn on the water heater as-needed), that is where the bacteria will grow the thrive. The source is your hot water tank (and then spreads through the rest of your system), not the fresh water tank. You'll need to sanitize the whole system (with Gary's instruction link above) to get rid of the bacteria & odor.
 
Hot water heater has been on since last May with only 1 week being off when I hauled the camper to get a skirt made for it.

I'll download the instructions and report back.
 
I have an overly sensitive stomach even drinking water in a hotel room in a different city sets it off. We as result fill our tanks and use bottled water for everything except washing / bathing and cooking. Even the coffee is made with our tank water, and bailey's lol
 
I don't know the brand of the water heater but can get that info when I get back to the camper. I'm at home for the weekend. I pulled the rod about a month ago to drain the heater when I recharged the water softener and it was in good shape then. Some of the others in my current campground have told me the rods they're using just waste away. I've never had that issue and been in spots that have absolutely horrible water.
 
If you have a anode Rod then your water heater is a Suburban. No need to go look. The other manufacturer is Atwood (now purchased by Dometic) does not need a anode Rod. Just make sure that you inspect the Rod as necessary so that it doesn’t completely get eaten away to nothing even if you have to inspect it every 4 months. You can go longer between inspections if the Rod appears to be holding up. If it does go that far, the minerals in the water will start eating away at your tank. It won’t happen overnight but you shouldn’t let it go too long.
 
The rotten egg (sulfur) smell is from a harmless bacteria that thrives in hot water. Has nothing to do with an anode rod. To get rid of it, sanitize the water lines and tank with chlorine (bleach) or peroxide. It will keep coming back until you do so. You may have to sanitize periodically if you are using water from a source that has the bacteria.
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
The rotten egg (sulfur) smell is from a harmless bacteria that thrives in hot water. Has nothing to do with an anode rod. To get rid of it, sanitize the water lines and tank with chlorine (bleach) or peroxide. It will keep coming back until you do so. You may have to sanitize periodically if you are using water from a source that has the bacteria.
Click to expand...
Gary what are the chances of a filter set like this keeping the bacteria out once I sanitize my system?

Clear Source
 
“The most common cause of smelly water is anaerobic bacteria that exist in some water and react with the magnesium and aluminum sacrificial anodes that come with most water heaters to produce hydrogen sulfide gas, making the classic rotten egg odor”



In addition to maybe helping out the original poster, I shared his data because over 23 years ago right after we built a new house we had a nasty rotten egg smell in our hot water. I talked to a few people and they said your new hot water heater has an anode rod. Remove it. I did...smell gone. We have soft water in the house. So, I disagree, the rotten egg smell does, or at least can be, from the anode rod.

Now, I had a lot of people tell me, you’ll be sorry you removed that anode rod, your water heater will fill with minerals. The water heater in our house now is the same one I installed when we built the house, yes, 23 years old and still works, and still does not leak.

My water heater in my RV has an anode rod. It was getting pretty small last year and I removed it. We have a water softener we use everywhere we go. I’m assuming I’ll get the same results as my home water heater and removing the anode rod will not cause any issues.

Anyone have any evidence to prove it’s not the same from your house to your RV?
 
Last edited:
Gary RV_Wizard said:
The rotten egg (sulfur) smell is from a harmless bacteria that thrives in hot water. Has nothing to do with an anode rod. To get rid of it, sanitize the water lines and tank with chlorine (bleach) or peroxide. It will keep coming back until you do so. You may have to sanitize periodically if you are using water from a source that has the bacteria.
Click to expand...
Atwood says to use vinegar/water mixture instead of bleach, which reacts with aluminum.
 
a question regarding filters and smelly hot water - I the yr before last I used the blue camco filters to fill my tanks etc and never had a problem with smelly hot water. Last yr I switched to the camco evo filter with a carbon filter and got the smelly water. As Gary stated I had to sanitize it to get rid of it, but it came back. So I sanitized it again and then stopped filling the tank with filtered water but straight from the tap, I only used it for bathing etc, not drinking, so only filtered my drinking water into a 3 gal tote. The problem didn't come back, and this was all in the same spot, I stayed there 2 mths.

So the question is - could the carbon filters be removing enough chlorine (or chloramine not sure which it is) that it allows the bacteria to grow, and not filtering it prevents it since it has the chlorine in the tap water?
 
rbTN. I believe you've nailed it. Carbon filters remove chlorine.
 
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