Fresh water on 42 sundancer is foul

[DMK2012]

Help!! The fresh water supply in our 42 sundance is foul. Smells like rotten eggs. Dealer can't figure out why. We've pumped, flushed, repumped etc...

Anyone have any ideas on what we can do to troubleshoot or repair?

Thanks gang

dave

 

[rcknecht]

It might be the sulfer in your water supply... I made a activated carbon filter for my shore water. I would also pour a cup of bleach in the water tank..

 

[alnav]

Dave, you've got a very typical problem and you will probably get lots of good solutions including using vinegar, bleach and other products/techniques to clean the tank and waterlines and deodorize the water. For me, I just usually treat the water with a bottle of RV water treatment I buy at Wal-Mart. There are lots of products available at marine stores as well but the RV lines are usually the same stuff but less expensive.

 

[wvsundancer]

Have you used bleach in your flushing and pumping ? I know that the water in CA. can smell funny spent a week at the Del. a couple of months ago and thought the water smelled funny. And BTW the liquid water treatment sold at wal-mart (RV) section works very well.

 

[wetpaint]

One thing I do every year: I will leave out some steps, but you get the process

Run all water from tank
Fill up all the way
Add bleach
Leave over night
Drain
Fill up 3/4 way
Add bleach
Take boat out and make hard turns, hit waves so it is like a washing machine in tank
drain
Fill up
Drain
Good to go.....I always add water treatment everytime I fill up and water is very good

 

[Vince_nj1]

Another suggestion I read somewhere was to keep the water tank full when leaving the boat for an extended time (Sunday to Friday).

 

[GottaLuvit]

Most likely caused by the hot water heater. Try turning water heater off and flushing the hot water system with pklenty of fresh water.

 

[alnav]

Most likely caused by the hot water heater. Try turning water heater off and flushing the hot water system with pklenty of fresh water.

This is a good point. If you can get to it, open the drain on the water heater and get everything you can out of the heater before flushing as well.

 

[Alex F]

I use the following method:

The fresh water system should be sanitized before initial use, after winter storage or when system has not been used for extended periods of time.
NOTE: The water tank and hot water heater tank must be empty before beginning the sanitizing process.
1. In an appropriate size bucket, make a solution of 1-1/4 cups (10 oz.) of household bleach and 5 gallons (19 liters) of fresh water.
2. Dump water into water tank and allow treated water solution to remain in water tank for 3 to 4 hours.
3. Use faucet pump to bleed air from the fresh water line.
4. Drain treated water solution from the lines and empty tank.
5. Flush entire system with fresh water.
IMPORTANT: Thoroughly flush entire system with fresh water after each sanitizing process.
If fresh water has an excessive chlorine taste after sanitizing the system:
1. Pour a solution of 1 quart (approx. 1 liter) of vinegar and 5 gallons (19 liters) of fresh water into tank.
2. Allow solution to stand in tank for several days.
3. Drain entire system and flush with fresh water.
IMPORTANT: Thoroughly flush entire system with fresh water after treatment.

I think having large fresh water tank requires some adjustment in how you use it. If you fill the tank to the top and don't use remains for a a while this will cause the smell in water. I'm still trying to tune my methods with new to me 420DB, but what I found another good method is to use the internal fresh water instead of constant city water feed while I'm on the dock. This ensures that my water is constantly being used and refreshed. I picked up this tip from my friend's sailboat. Apparently, sailboats (not sure if all are the same) don't even have city water hook up. So, they have two tanks and you have no choice but use internal fresh water supply.

 

[rondds]

The water inlet to your HWH has a check valve in it. Maybe it's shot? That would allow smelly water to back up into the rest of the system. BUT by running the HOT faucet, that tank should deplete and be replenished by the main tank.

If you are able to get things back to normal, a tablespoon of clorox at each tank top-off will keep it smelling fresh.

 

[jpk33]

Dave, I dealt with this when I picked up my boat - stale well water left in the tank for 9+ months in the florida heat! The methods listed work well (I am partial to using the household bleach method). What is the source of your water? If its well water that is most likely the source of your foul odor. The carbon filter method should work to remove some of this when you fill your tank. Did you fill the FW tank up at your marina or while visiting another? Maybe have your tap water at the marina tested to see how it is? Do you have municipal water at the marina? Good luck - it may take a few tankls of clean water to flush out that odor.

 

[tbirdvet]

Had the same issue this year. I think it is from the antifreeze and using the water heater (even though I flushed it first). I added some chemical from West Marine and let it sit. I will go back this week to see if the odor is gone.

Help!! The fresh water supply in our 42 sundance is foul. Smells like rotten eggs. Dealer can't figure out why. We've pumped, flushed, repumped etc...

Anyone have any ideas on what we can do to troubleshoot or repair?

Thanks gang

dave

 

[Asureyez]

Rotten eggs, sulfurous?

The organic equivalent of a sulfurous odor, swamp gas, is due to a build up of organic matter that is rotting. You either filled with well water, or have allowed the tanks to remain stagnant.

1. Do you use a potable water dock hose for filling the tanks?
2. Do you run the water at length to clear our organics in the hose before refilling?
3. Do you particle filter the refill water (and remove city water added chlorine)?

I'm a fan of regular house hold bleach used pretty much as @wetpaint has outlined. However, after pumping dry, I add my chlorine to the empty tank, fill about a 1/3rd & pump out to dry again (inc the HW tank) then add more chlorine, fill to the vent bleed the lines, top up let stand over night, then pump dry in the AM. Refill a to a third with fresh water and pump out the bottom of the tank (dilute the chlorine) and then refill adding just a 2 caps of bleach and fill.

As for tank management, I recommend to use the water freely unless you can't easily refill, keep the tank turned over. Add a small amount of Bleach periodically when filling from near empty.

All that said, you have to pay to haul around full water tanks.

 

[capt karl]

always use your water, don't use dock water. the more you use your water tank, the cleaner it gets. turn the hot water heater off and drain the hot water out every time you close the boat up for the week, that will keep the smell away

 

[jmunro123]

I was cleaning the water system this weekend. I used the bleach / vinegar / lots of water method.
Then it hit me - why am I doing this. Why not just put a little water in the tank when I arrive at the boat , like 10 gallons. Then attached the shore water connection and use that as the primary water source. When we leave the dock we can draw from the tank. At the end of our time on the boat just drain the tank empty. Then I would always have fresh clean water. Its a little more work but seems better than having stale water. I read that water in a RV tank should be kept with 3ppm of chorine ( which is what tap water is). This way - the chorine level will be always right.

 

[rondds]

Not sure how everyone uses their "tank water" but if you're primarily at the dock, you're using dockside water 99% of the time. Why tote around 50,75,100 gallons of fresh water at 6 lbs/gallon?

In case anyone cares, here's what I do...
1.tank is drained every fall before layup
2. each spring I put in about 25-30 gallons and about 1 capfull of clorox
3. boat remains on dockside water while we "live" aboard every summer weekend and when we travel
4. while underway or on the hook, we work off that 30 gallons to wash hands, use vacuuflush, rinse off after a swim, etc.

Last summer, I never even got through the entire 30 gallons that I put in in April. And it never got skunky. That little bit of bleach did the trick. If you do this you will never get skunky water.

DISCLAIMER: We do NOT stay at anchor overnight. We do not make ice or brush teeth with that "aged" tank water. I do NOT put pink stuff in the tank. I drain it and bypass it by hooking a bucket directly to the pump at winterization. I also do not put pink in the HWH. I Drain it & bypass it when winterizing.

 

[jetlag]

I heard a home repair guy on the radio yesterday saying that electric water heaters have anodes in them and when they are shot the water elks like sulphur and rotten eggs. I sanitize my 44db tank and lines every 10 to 12 months. I also put about 1/4 cup Clorox in each time I fill it. This has taken care of my smelly water problem and I am down here in H-Town, TX where it is hotter than hell in the summer time. I also gave a spot-free water filter in my fill line but that's mostly for washing the boat/isinglass down as it softens the water and gets rid of most of the water spots.
Good luck,
JetLag

 

[rondds]

Jetlag
You got me thinking about that anode. All HWH have anodes and they all turn to crap eventually, which contributes to them eventually rotting out and needing replacement. I guess boat HWH are just as susceptible to galvanic corrosion, but maybe b/c of limited use, esp here in the NE, they last a whole lot longer (?)

 

[tbirdvet]

Had the same issue this year. I think it is from the antifreeze and using the water heater (even though I flushed it first). I added some chemical from West Marine and let it sit. I will go back this week to see if the odor is gone.

OK, after putting in about 3 oz of Aquabon water freshener in the tank and letting it sit for 3 days I found all the odor was gone (no more sulphur smell). I ran each faucet for about 30 secs. to be sure the freshener got through all the plumbing.