On-board Water Smell

[Emancipation]

I had my first experience this weekend with contaminated water. We usually take our SE250 out every weekend, I always top off the water tank with the garden hose before we leave. This weekend, our water had a horrible sulfur smell to it from all the faucets. Our house water never has that smell, I was wondering if we may have developed algae or bacteria in the holding tank. Anyone had that problem?

When we got home, I pured a 1/2 gallon of bleach in the tank, filled it with water and run it through the faucets...did I make a mistake in the diagnosis or fix?

I appreciate any comments.

 

[TeamPCBeach]

Re: On-board Water Smell

Can't help with your diagnosis, but I will tell you we add a little bleach (couple of cap fulls) to the tank each time we add water. Never had any problems.

 

[BSAFlash]

Re: On-board Water Smell

G'Day Emancipation,
Yes I have suffered that problem, but not after only a week of inactivity.
I had stagnant water in the main tanks on a yacht, first noticed in the shower (had to dive overboard to get rid of the smell).
Are you sure it is the water? I have an ongoing fight with a sulfur scent from my black water tank when left for more than a few days in summer without a disinfectant deodorizer. If you have a grey water tank on board with the same problem as I have, it may be the source of smell.

 

[PhatboyC]

Re: On-board Water Smell

Usually it is recommended to leave the Bleach in there up from 3-4hours to 24 hours to be effective.

 

[Emancipation]

Re: On-board Water Smell

Thanks for all the comments. I surely hope it wasn't cross-contamination from black water!!! Even though I would fill it every weekend, it never completely emptied.

Does anyone know if there's a drain for the water system? I feel I will eventually wear out my water pump running through the faucets.

I'll put a couple caps full of bleach as TeamBCbeach has suggested.

 

[BosnBill]

Re: On-board Water Smell

I use a capful of Aquafresh (West Marine) before refills. In the Spring I do the bleaching and let it sit for a few hours, run the water out, refill, run the water out again. The Aquafresh seems to work in a 20 gallon tank real well.

 

[BSAFlash]

Re: On-board Water Smell

Thanks for all the comments. I surely hope it wasn't cross-contamination from black water!!! Even though I would fill it every weekend, it never completely emptied.

If it is like mine, cross contamination is impossible. I have had a bad scent from the black water tank every time the head was used and also from the shower sump area when a float switch failed and allowed water to build up and stagnate over time.
Topping up the tanks stirs every thing up so the water shouldn't stagnate (I do the same without issue and mine is fitted with a 150lt bladder that would cause a problem before the main tank)

 

[Emancipation]

Re: On-board Water Smell

Does anyone know how to drain the fresh water tank without using the faucets?

 

[Jlee815]

Re: On-board Water Smell

Hello,
I am not sure how to do what you are asking.. I assume the 250 has a fresh water tank when away from the dock and also a fresh water tank for when you are at the dock. At least the prestancia does... I am not sure which one you want to empty.

For the one that is used when away from the dock I have never emptied it outside of using the faucets. I wa able to purge the hot water tankof water by means of a valve on it. it takes a while since I have to drain into a bucket there is no venue to the bildge from what I can tell. If you can access the fresh water tank fill perhaps you can put an aqua buster down there( attwood device which pumps water) or a siphon. I imagine that would take about as much time as using the faucets. I find my sulpher oder comes from the hot water tank. To eliminate it I fire it up often. If I dont do that the smell comes back. It seems like you are trying to preserve your fresh water pump from failing. In my opinion those things fail every couple of years wether you use them alot or very little. I think I have gone through 4... I get the shurflo or Jabsco parmax pumps with the warranty and hope the failure happens during that time. beleive me it will fail, if it doesnt count yourself lucky.

 

[Burtonair01]

Re: On-board Water Smell

Does anyone know how to drain the fresh water tank without using the faucets?

I drain mine through the hot water heater, you still use you're pump doing it that way but it pumps out super fast.

I agree with what everyone else says about the bleach thing, after sitting all winter I put a few cups of bleach right into the tank from the water fill cap and then top it off completely with water and run all faucets till I smell bleach and then let it sit for a day then drain/fill and drain then I'm good to go for the summer. I do the same on my RV as well!