How to: Flush the Fresh Water of an RV's Hot Water Tank to Get Rid of the Sulfur Smell

Elevated hydrogen sulfide levels cause the sulfur smell in your RV's water tank. When this occurs, you either have bacteria or sulfur in your water. You need to treat this with a cleaning solution and then allow it to sit. Once the water tank has been cleaned, you will be able to enjoy fresh water from your system without the smell. You don't have to be an RV mechanic to complete this task. You can do it yourself with little hassle.

Things You'll Need

  • Wire brush
  • Garden hose
  • Vinegar
  • Water
  • Bleach
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Instructions

    • 1

      Turn the water heater off in you RV and let it sit for a couple hours or until it is cool. Drain the tank from outside of the RV.

    • 2

      Open the tank and use a wire brush to clean any buildup around the drain plug. Use a garden hose to clean all of the sediment out of the tank.

    • 3

      Fill the water tank up with two parts of vinegar and one part of water. Let the solution sit in the tank for three to five hours.

    • 4

      Drain the tank and then fill it back up with 5 or 6 ounces of bleach. Fill the rest of the tank with water. Let the solution sit for a couple of hours and then flush the system again.

    • 5

      Fill the water system with clean water and then flush the system to remove any remaining solution from the tank.

    • 6

      Repeat this procedure until your water smells clean.