Posted by Garry Willis (24.130.242.104) on July 22, 2003 at 16:41:54:
In Reply to: Re: Odor With Hot Water posted by Tom Leising #416 on July 22, 2003 at 13:30:31:
While chlorine is an excellent source for disenfecting water tanks, I would be VERY careful about adding that much bleach to the system. 1 gallon of bleach to 5 gallons of water will simply knock the system for a loop. It has been my experience that even 1 cup of bleach to 70 gallons of water will keep a bleach odor in your system for a long time even after repeated rinsings. If you don't mind a bleach taste in your coffee or spaghetti...then go for it.
Here is a quote from Ronco Plastics which is the supplier of water tanks to Catalina.
SANITIZING INSTRUCTIONS
* CAUTION: DO NOT USE FOR GAS AND/OR FUEL STORAGE *
To assure complete sanitation of your potable water system, it is recommended that the following procedures be used. This applies if it is a new system, one that has not been used for a period of time, or one that may have become contaminated.
(1) Prepare a chlorine solution using one gallon of water and 1/4 cup of Clorox or Purex household bleach (5% sodium hypochlorite solution). With tank empty, pour chlorine solution into tank. Use one gallon of solution for each 15 gallons of tank capacity.
(2) Complete filling of tank with fresh water. Open each faucet and drain cock until all air has been released and entire system is filled.
(3) Allow to stand for three hours.
(4) Drain and flush with potable water (IMPORTANT)
(5) To remove excess chlorine taste or odor which might remain, prepare a solution of one quart vinegar to five gallons water and allow this solution to agitate in tank for several days by vehicle motion.
(6) Drain tank and again flush with potable water (IMPORTANT)
The above recommendations conform to Section 10.8 in the A 119.2 code covering electrical, plumbing and heating of a recreational vehicle. the solution is approved and recommended by competent health officials.
So again, be careful with your bleach/water solutions. The dangers of too much chlorine are well documented and I don't think we should get into it here.
: If you have a Sulfur (rotten egg) smell from the hot water side of your water system, or a stinky smell from your water tanks, then it is time to bleach the system.
: Start by emptying one of the boat water tanks. With the second tank closed and the open tank empty, no more water will flow from the faucets. At this point it must be noted that the hot water tank still is full with approx. five gallons of smelly water.
: Add about two or three gallons of water to the empty water tank. You need to put in enough to get the system pumping again. Now add a gallon of straight off the shelf BLEACH to the water tank.
: Next we must fill the system with this bleach water. Turn on the hot water faucet in the galley and let at least a gallon of water run out. This adds a gallon of bleach water to the water heater. If a strong smell of bleach is not coming out of the faucet yet then let it run longer. Now turn on the galley cold water till you smell the bleach in the water. (This should not take long). Do the same for the hot and cold at the head sink. This will clean the pipes while you are doing the hot water heater.
: Let this mixture sit in the system overnight. Drain the system of the bleach water and refill with five gallons of water and drain again. Fill water tank and your odor should be gone. If you add a cup of this bleach at reach fill-up of the water tank, you should not have any smell in the system other than the faint bleach smell that you would normally get in a city water system.
: If this did not solve your egg smell that it is time to pull the 110v-heating rod on the water heater and replace it. That is a last resort.
: If you plug into shore power while away from the boat, it is not a good practice to leave the hot water switch turned on. This will add to the smell problem as well as safety hazards.
: Try turning on the 110v heater switch just as you arrive at the boat and let it heat the water while you are preparing the boat for your sail. Turn the heater off and disconnect the shore power the last thing before you sail. This will let you start out with some preheated water and the engine will do the rest.
: Al and Michele #55 "Kindred Spirit"