Smellly Water

[MedDreamer]

For the past few visits to the boat there has been an awful smelll when we run the domestic water system. it goes after running the tap for about 30 secs but it is unpleasant.

Any ideas what is causing it and most effective way of geting rid of it. I am going to competely flush the system a couple of tiimes and get some new sterilising tablets but do I need to consider anything else?

 

[DAKA]

Re: Smelly Water

When I first bought our boat the water gauge didn't work , when I removed it I saw green strands of weed in the tank, I put loads of Aquatabs in to kill the slime.

by the time I replaced the gauge the green had turned black and died.

for a week we had a smell of rotten eggs each time the tank got empty.

I kept up the aquatabs and used loads of water to flush it out, went away completely within a month.
we didn't drink it, we carry bottled water for drinking anyway.

 

[omega2]

Some folk use a drop of bleach into the tank and then fill, then drain, then do it again, but it is a bit time consuming, could be the pipe from the tank to the tap is not the correct spec, and as you find that the smell goes after running for a few seconds then I would suspect the pipe.

 

[RIB_imposter]

your problem seems to be close to the outlet where you are getting the problem (if it was in the tank you would smell it all the time and at all outlets). it could be bacteria/mould (smell like off food, rotten eggs, bread thats gone mouldy, musty/damp oilies, sweaty feet etc!) or the pipework breaking down (smell like TCP or a harsh chemically smell - but almost a "clean" smell).

either way you need to solve the problem not just cure the symptom temporarily. if its chemically then either its crap spec, very old or its getting hot. If its bacterial you need to flush the whole system and use some sort of sterilising solution (bleach, steritabs, baby sterilising solution/tablets).

 

[PCUK]

Jabsco Aqua-Filta!

 

[[2068]]

I would get hold of a couple of large bottles of liquid Milton. Empty out the tank, add the Milton. Add some water, maybe 1/4 of a tank. Run up the engine connected to the calorifier for a bit. Then open every tap you have so you can smell the Milton water coming out of each one - both hot and cold. Don't forget the shower.

Leave it for a few hours, fill up the tank, leave for a few more hours, then run out the Milton mix and refill with fresh water. It'll still taste of Milton for the first couple of tanks, but it beats drinking anerobic bugs.

dv.

 

[DAKA]

Milton is good but half filling only sterilises half the tank, best to fill till the breather flows out.

 

[[2068]]

good point, have edited! idea is to get conc solution in the pipes.

dv.

 

[Nick_H]

the same people that do aquatabs also do aquaclean, which is for disinfecting the tank once a year, might be worth a try