Most of the time since it s a water heater issue you won t smell rotten eggs when using cold water.
Rv cold water smells like sulfur.
My hot and cold water smell like rotten eggs.
The smell is caused by the anode rod material reacting to the minerals in the water.
We ve also seen this process on water heaters without anodes.
Even in small amounts hydrogen sulfide makes the water develop a horrible taste and smell.
Replace your magnesium anode rod with an aluminum anode rod to get rid of the sulfur rotten egg smell in your rv hot water tank.
First it s important to differentiate the source of the smell.
Rv water smells like rotten eggs.
Some are made of aluminum which is reactive and susceptible to the reaction.
The water smells like rotten eggs or sulfur because of the high concentration of hydrogen sulfide h 2 s in the water.
The only solution is to remove the gas.
But if both your hot and cold water smell it s probably caused by naturally occurring hydrogen sulfide.
Water that smells strongly of sulfur or like rotten eggs is likely attributed to the presence of sulfur bacteria or hydrogen sulfide.
If your water smells regardless it might be because of a backup of sulfur.
Possibility number 1 is propane.
Before you start check that the water inside the water heater to make sure that it is not hot to prevent burning yourself.
Open the hot and cold water faucets in the camper to drain any remaining water out of the lines.
So depending on your water conditions culligan offers multiple.
Hydrogen sulfide gas produces a strong and unpleasant rotten egg odor and taste.
Propane actually doesn t have a smell of its own but a stinky smell akin to the scent of rotten eggs or skunk spray is added to the gas in order to ensure gas leaks can be quickly and easily detected if you smell propane in your rig you ll want to get out right away.
It s only when you run the hot water that this odor occurs.
The most common cause of smelly water is anaerobic bacteria that exist in some water and react with sulfur and the magnesium or aluminum anodes that a lot of rv water heaters feature.
At times this mineral build up can cause your hot water to smell like sulfur or rotten eggs.
While it is not necessarily dangerous for your water to smell like sulfur it may signify high levels of pollution or chemicals.
Then turn off the water pump and or city water and make sure your water heater is off.