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Old 08-27-2010, 01:33 PM   #1
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Bad odor in fresh water

We let the water tank partially full for a week in warm to hot weather and the water started to have a bad odor. We only use it for hand washing and showering in the Bigfoot, but would like a suggestion on how to deodorize it. Seems to me I saw a remedy using baking soda somewhere. Otherwise I would just use the bleach sanitizing routine.
Any thoughts?
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Old 08-27-2010, 02:25 PM   #2
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Hi Tony,

Sanitizing fresh water system, from Bigfoot manual.

Put 1/4 cup of household bleach in a gallon of water (amount for 15 gallon tank, increase or decrease as needed). Pour that into the fresh water tank and then fill the tank completely with fresh water. Turn on the pump and run each faucet until you detect the smell of chlorine. Allow 3-4 hours of contact time. Then drain and flush until you get rid of the chlorine.

If I remember correctly, Casita recommends Sodium bicarbonate to get rid of chlorine or other odors. My Casita manual went with the trailer.
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Old 08-31-2010, 05:35 PM   #3
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I do the bleach thing at least once a year. To keep it from coming back get a good inline filter and always filter the water going in. I drained my fresh water tank a couple weeks ago after it had sat for about 5 months. We used it at about 4 months for drinking, coffee, and cooking too.
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Old 08-31-2010, 06:12 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony Nowak View Post
We let the water tank partially full for a week in warm to hot weather and the water started to have a bad odor. We only use it for hand washing and showering in the Bigfoot, but would like a suggestion on how to deodorize it. Seems to me I saw a remedy using baking soda somewhere. Otherwise I would just use the bleach sanitizing routine.
Any thoughts?
Tony,
Be sure to drain, treat and rinse your Hot water heater at the same time as the fresh !
This is where most water odors occur and where they are generally most foul!
This stuff works great in after cleaning the system!......

Water Freshener - Spring Fresh


Hope to see you and Darlene at LaCrosse!
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Old 09-03-2010, 11:12 AM   #5
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Thanks for the thougth about Taste Pure Floyd, We will be in site #63 at LaCrosse, but maybe not until Thursday. We look foreward to seeing old and new friends.
Tony and Darlene
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Old 09-04-2010, 05:42 PM   #6
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I used to use the 1 cup of bleach method but have come up with another one that seems to work even better . Got me a gallon of cheap vinager and poured that into a pretty much empty fresh water tank ( tasted of winterizing anti freeze) I filled up the freshwater tank and pumped some into my hot water heater and through the water lines as well . Left this for a couple of days and then ran the water pump. Couldn't believe just how gray the water was. drained the fresh water and hot water tanks as best I could and refilled with fresh water. Flush the system completely and wow what a difference . about by the third flush water was the same as what comes out of the city water tap. No smell , no odour . Was just fine . I was prepared after the first flush to give it another gallon vinager treatment but did not have to.
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Old 09-08-2010, 10:48 AM   #7
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The thing to keep in mind is that the interior of the tank remains damp after you drain it. There is no way to dry it out. A damp empty tank sitting in hot weather is likely to have stuff start growing in it. Give it a shot of bleach, fill and run all the water lines till you smell bleach in them then drain. After storage fill and drain a couple of times to rinse everything out.
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Old 09-08-2010, 11:47 AM   #8
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The thing to keep in mind is that the interior of the tank remains damp after you drain it. There is no way to dry it out. A damp empty tank sitting in hot weather is likely to have stuff start growing in it. Give it a shot of bleach, fill and run all the water lines till you smell bleach in them then drain. After storage fill and drain a couple of times to rinse everything out.
I agree ; I guess my point was that after this "treatment" Use a full gallon of cheap vinager to a tank of water and run pump to fill the lines. Let sit for couple of days and then flush and see what still comes out of the tank and lines !!!! Takes any aftertaste out of the system .
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Old 09-09-2010, 07:22 PM   #9
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The thing to keep in mind is that the interior of the tank remains damp after you drain it. There is no way to dry it out.
Yes, you can dry it out if you're willing to do what Sebastian did in modifying the fresh water tank in his Casita. Looks like a good solution to me: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ate-40482.html
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