Foul Smell from hot water heater

kandagatthelake

We recently purchased a 410 Cruiser, I believe it sat for awhile before we purchased it. There is a very foul smell that comes out of the hot water heater.  We tried to run bleach through the tank and then add more fresh water and it mostly went away for the weekend.  We drained the tank before leaving but the smell is back.  Any tricks to making the smell go away?  This is not a "rotten egg"  smell, it is much worse.

frodo13056

Best way to gid rid of the oder is to flush the system with fresh water, let the freshwater tank drain completely down, add a dose of bleach(chlorine) to the water system, refill the freshwater tank, run everything for a few minutes then let it sit over night (12 hours or so), then flush the lines / water tank by running the tank about empty, refill, drain a few times to get rid of the excess chlorine and you should be good. The trick is to leave a good dose of chlorine in the hot water heater so that all the growies can be killed off. About an eighth of a cup of bleach is all that is needed for a 40 gallon freshwater tank. The hot water heater is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria - hot stagnant water that sits for weeks at a time with little or no use.

Black_Diamond

Sounds like mold got going in there. You might try flushing it separate of your boat water system. Let the bleach sit in it for a while too.

Dream_Inn

Flushing is key.  Turn the hot water on at several faucets and run the tank dry and then slowly keep adding fresh water a little at a time (not filling the fresh water tank beyond 1/4).  I run water thru all of my faucets and empty the fresh water every single weekend.

MIKES342

I had this problem before and another boating sight said to add bleach to the fresh water tank.  Run water through each of the faucets, shower hoses etc.  At least until you smell the bleach comming from the outlet.  Then leaver presurized for 24 hours.  Drain the system an purge the water system several times.  Smell gone never had the problem again for the next several years.  I did use a additive west marine sells for the portable water system afterwards.  Not sure the name of the solution.

Anyfive

Your hot water tank should have an anode.  It may need replacing.

If its an Attwood heater check their web site for drawings of your heater.