Smell!!!!

[jim8860]

I was getting my MH ready for a fall trip. I was in the bathroom washing out the sink useing the water in the tank and I had a horrible smell.So what I did is drain the tank and flushed out the waterline with the city hook up. The next day I refilled up the water tank and ran the water and no smell. The next day I walked in the MH and smell the same oder but much fainter in the nose. The bathroom no smell and the kitchen sink had no smell but at the door the smell was in the air. Any ideas? do I need to "treat" the fresh water holding tank? and with what? . Any info thanks Jim

[nickcrowhurst]

Originally Posted by jim8860

do I need to "treat" the fresh water holding tank? and with what? . Any info thanks Jim

Jim, yes, you need to treat the tank and lines with chlorine or iodine. Household bleach is added to the tank for a few hours. The details are at http://www.airforums.com/forum...hlorine+iodine
The Airstream manuals recommend this procedure.
Nick.

[nickcrowhurst]

Jim, from the Airstream website.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR DISINFECIION OF POTABLE WATER SYSTEMS ON RECREATION VEHICLES

As approved by the U.S. Public Health Service

To assure complete disinfection of your potable water system, it is recommended that the following procedures be followed on a new system, one that has not been used for a period of time, or one that may have become contaminated. This procedure is also recommended before long periods of storage such as over winter.

1. Prepare a chlorine solution using 1 gallon of water and 1/4 cup of household bleach (sodium hypochlorite solution). With tank empty, pour chlorine solution into the tank. Use 1 gallon solution for each 15 gallons of tank capacity. This procedure will result in a residual chlorine concentration of 50 ppm in the water system. If a 100 ppm concentration is required as discussed in item 3, use 1/2 cup of household bleach with 1 gallon of water to prepare the chlorine solution. One gallon of the solution should be used for each 15 gallons of tank capacity.

2. Complete filling of tank with potable water. Open each faucet and run the water until a distinct odor of chlorine can be detected in the water discharged. Do not forget the hot water taps.

3. Allow the system to stand for at least 4 hours when disinfecting with 50 ppm residual chlorine. If a shorter time period is desired, then a 100 ppm chlorine concentration should be permitted to stand in the system for at least 1 hour.

4. Drain and flush with potable water.

[eubank]

Originally Posted by jim8860

... I had a horrible smell.... at the door the smell was in the air. Any ideas? ... Jim

You might want to check your fresh-water hose if you're using a green one. We had a guest here at the park last summer who reported to us that there was "something wrong with our water." Eh, gads. However, I'd noticed that he was using a green hose, so I grapped a water glass and went down there. Disconnected his hose and got water straight from the tap and had them taste it. (I tasted, too.) It was ok. Then reconnected the hose and filled from the other end. We didn't even have to taste; the smell alone was enough to kill Airstream mice.

Bottom line: Folks mean it when they say not to use a green hose for fresh water.


Lynn

[jim8860]

Thanks for all the quick replys. As for the "green hose" I use the white ones. Thanks Jim

[dwightdi]

What you have to do to get rid of the odor that developes in "fresh" water tanks depends on what the odor is. If it is a sulfur smell, it may just be there is sulfur gas in the original water and it starts to come out of solution. You could treat the water before putting it in the tank to help that. If it is sulfur, it is usually worse in the hot shower where it really comes out of solution. If it is an iron odor and taste, you can remove the most of it by using softened water. If it smell like shower curtains, you are using a PVC hose with the wrong stabilizer (Tin). Some waters in certain parts of the country have a high organic content. Carbon filter the water before putting it in the tank. Same for too high chlorine content.








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