My fresh tank has a habit of developing that sulphur smell, and as a newbie, I used the generally advised chlorine bleach... OMG even though I flushed it and flushed it and flushed it, then I had to live with a bleach smell, and it was affecting my skin and hair in the shower! Not healthy!
I discovered that Vitamin C will neutralize chlorine bleach, so I got some powdered Vitamin C from Trader Joes, and put it in the tank. Yeah! No more bleach smell, and it felt fabulous on my skin and hair! But then I thought, Vitamin C might be too acidic for the water heater element etc, so that was just a one time deal. But a Vitamin C shower head is on my Amazon wish list!
So the next time the sulphur smell started up again, I tried non-chlorine, non-toxic bleach from Whole Foods. It's basically extra strength hydrogen peroxide. I maybe poured a cup in a 30 gallon tank. It worked! And, best of all, it's non-toxic, biodegradable, and I did not have to flush the tank. Ready to go, the hydrogen peroxide simply converts into oxygen.
Jane
Happy Prospector said
02:47 AM May 2, 2012
I never heard of of the fresh water tank putting out the sulfur smell, but I have heard of a sulfur smell from the hot water tank. Have you checked the anode rod in the hot water heater lately.
Kevin
Hina said
03:58 PM May 2, 2012
It's a new TT, so the anode rod is good. The problem started just a few (2-3) months into it's use. I believe it is the fresh tank, because it smells with cold water too. I have a Culligan filter, which I believe is carbon like a Brita, on the city water intake, but we have well water, so maybe there is extra sulphur in the ground? The smell will build up gradually. But in any case, if you can get the non-chlorine, non-toxic, biodegradable peroxide bleach, it is a fabulous alternative to regular bleach for water tanks.
Happy Prospector said
05:43 PM May 2, 2012
Wow, you get the sulfur smell with the cold water too, just a question have you tried using the hose you fill your tank with, take that hose and fill up a water glass, do you still smell the sulfur? That would pin down if it is the the tank or is it the water source.
Hina said
06:03 PM May 2, 2012
No, pretty sure it's the fresh. Yes, it's worse with the hot, but I still get it with the cold too. I guess something is slow cookin' in the lines or tank. I filter it going in, and also filter my drinking water with a Brita. I also have one of those UV light steri-pens to kill whatever in the glass.
One of my upcoming projects is a rain water collection system; I have a bacteria/virus Katadyn filter, which I need to use some creativity to rig up, should be fun!
flyone said
06:49 PM May 2, 2012
Water setting in the WH in hot weather can go bad. I had it happen to me twice---the water takes on a sulfur smell. I had to drain the water heater and flush it out a couple of times and then re-fill with fresh water. Now I drain the water heater when it's going to be in storage for more than a few days. It was a alum tank so no anode rod, just setting in the tank for a couple of weeks did it. It took me a few days to really totaly get rid of the sulfur smell. You may want to flush out the water heater and see if that helps.
Flyone
Hina said
09:38 PM May 2, 2012
I'm living full time, so the water heater is in pretty constant use. The fresh tank may sit for a few days, I'm mostly using it for showers (the city water pressure sucks) but that is getting refilled maybe every 5 days.
53 Merc said
09:52 PM May 2, 2012
Hina wrote:
I'm living full time, so the water heater is in pretty constant use.
Mine was in use from last September until Monday. Since I use the electric water heating element, I found a flush and rinse to be beneficial about every month. I used a bent peice of 1/4 inch copper tubing to be able to direct the flow toward the heating element and got lots of calcium carbonate chunks and lots of debris. I was near San Antonio and the well water is a little hard, not enough to tast "gyppy" but you could tell it was loading up the element.
If I were you, I would flush once in a while just for peace of mind. Camco sells a flush device with a ball valve and the tubing.
Hina said
01:36 AM May 3, 2012
Good idea. I'm still new at this, so I am a little intimidated about really getting into the appliances, but I will look up the item you mention. Gathering knowledge and equipment!
My fresh tank has a habit of developing that sulphur smell, and as a newbie, I used the generally advised chlorine bleach...
OMG even though I flushed it and flushed it and flushed it, then I had to live with a bleach smell, and it was affecting my skin and hair in the shower! 
Not healthy!
I discovered that Vitamin C will neutralize chlorine bleach, so I got some powdered Vitamin C from Trader Joes, and put it in the tank.
Yeah! No more bleach smell, and it felt fabulous on my skin and hair! 
But then I thought, Vitamin C might be too acidic for the water heater element etc, so that was just a one time deal. But a Vitamin C shower head is on my Amazon wish list!
So the next time the sulphur smell started up again, I tried non-chlorine, non-toxic bleach from Whole Foods. It's basically extra strength hydrogen peroxide. I maybe poured a cup in a 30 gallon tank. It worked!
And, best of all, it's non-toxic, biodegradable, and I did not have to flush the tank. Ready to go, the hydrogen peroxide simply converts into oxygen.
Jane
Kevin
One of my upcoming projects is a rain water collection system; I have a bacteria/virus Katadyn filter, which I need to use some creativity to rig up, should be fun!
Flyone
Mine was in use from last September until Monday. Since I use the electric water heating element, I found a flush and rinse to be beneficial about every month. I used a bent peice of 1/4 inch copper tubing to be able to direct the flow toward the heating element and got lots of calcium carbonate chunks and lots of debris. I was near San Antonio and the well water is a little hard, not enough to tast "gyppy" but you could tell it was loading up the element.
If I were you, I would flush once in a while just for peace of mind. Camco sells a flush device with a ball valve and the tubing.