Previous owner left in filter to winterize

[zenarmy]

now... the fresh water smells like some sort of awful chemical
I "THINK" it is from the fact that the water filter was full of blueish stuff... possibly rv winterize or some sort of antifreeze NOT pink for sure.. blue and black --probably from carbon

The water smells horrible...

we flushed the water heater and whole system with hookup water then detached the hook up water and then
we filled the tank and have put bleach in it... any ideas as to what I should do to get rid of this?

[eubank]

Blech.

Get a new filter. Before installing it, bypass the old one and give the whole system a thorough flush with baking-soda water. Then install the new one and taste away.

Be sure also to use a white water hose, meant for potable water (i.e., the standard RV kind available at WallyWorld and the like). Green hoses, with some age, will start imparting an extremely ugly taste to the water.


Lynn

[VIKING]

Bleach was a good idea. I also resort to white vinegar for cleaning and deodorizing if the bleach doesn't do it. Just flush the system again BEFORE you add vinegar. You can put a gallon into your fresh water tank, and then fill it the rest of the way with water. Cycle it into all faucets and shower, etc. and let it sit for an hour or so. Then run the rest of the mixture through the lines, refill, and flush with straight water, a couple of tanks full should get rid of the vinegar taste. Don't let the vinegar sit too long in your tanks, as it could leave a taste in the plastic if overdone. I also hooked up to a hot water source when flushing the system, and I believe it helped to flush the system more completely. Do not put hot water into your tanks! only put it into the campground hookup inlet.
I hope this helps with your problem.
Rich