Bad Taste In Water

Hercules

Member
I purchased my 2011 Big Horn 3610RE prior to Thanksgiving last year. This is my third Fifthwheel, but my first Heartland product. The water from my fresh water tank tastes very similiar to the taste of water in a garden hose that has been in the sun for a few days in the summer time. It will make you want to gag. Also, when connected to city water, I have the same problem until I let it run for a few minutes. Then when I do not use it for a couple of hours, the taste returns although not as strong as before. I have flushed the system multiple times and have used the recommended bleach cleaning method to no avail. All of my water hoses are new. I have a Brita water pitcher I use for drinking water and even that does not take all of the foul taste away. Has anyone else had this problem? Anyone have any recommendations? I have never had this problem with my previous units.
 

jpajax

Well-known member
I have used baking soda, put about half box in tank full of water let it set over night then flush. What has happened is dealer did use a garden hose happened to me.
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
Hydrogen peroxide will help remove the taste, better than bleach and it is safe to use. We had a NSF white hose several years ago that must have been made of the same plastic the regular garden hoses are. Threw it away and bought another one. There is a difference in the hoses and it does take a coupled of tanks of water to get the taste out. Check you plumbing and make sure you have all Pex and no tubing other than at the pump. Check the pump tubing to see if it is NSF as well. Our ice maker line was just a cheap poly line and the ice wasn't usable. Bleach is always a good thing to add when filling the tank, just don't over do it or that will taste/smell as well. You might try taking a drink out of your white hose and be sure it taste OK. If not throw it away and try again.
 

Hercules

Member
Thanks for the inputs. I have owned this rig for 6 months now and have filled the fresh water tank about 4 or 5 times. I will use my long flat water hose on the real and see if that helps. I had it when I owned my previous rig and never had a problem. Have not needed that much hose with my Bighorn so far. I will also check my water lines in the unit. Do not know if I can determine what type they are. Any education that you folks can provide in this area would be appreciated.

I will use the baking soda idea if all else fails.
 

branson4020

Icantre Member
I have this same problem and it has not fully gone away even after 2 seasons of use. Mine has nothing to do with the city water hose. It's a mystery, but I'm suspicious of the colored pex tubing.
 

beardedone

Beardedone
I have the same issue on my trailer and this year, in addition to usual treatments, I am replacing the pex to the kitchen sink and I will also get a new hose. This is my last stand, so to speak.
 

Hercules

Member
Hmmm. Perhaps Heartland can shed some light on this since it seems that others have the same issue on their 2009 rigs. I love my Bighorn, but this water issue really needs to be corrected. I can't help but wonder about potential health issues from water that tastes as bad as it does.
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
The 2009's do seem to have more taste issues. Ours still is a little funky even with the new hose and peroxide/bleach treatment. Worse than any other camper in the past.
 

aclwbaker

Member
We have a 2010 Eagle Ridge and the bad water taste. I tried the bleach cleaning method and not much improvement. I tasted the water from the tank drain and it was fine, no bad taste. I'm guessing the problem is in the line from tank to kitchen. Anyone ever replace that line, how big of a job is that? This is my third fifthwheel and the first to have this problem with bad tasting water.
 

Hercules

Member
Good news for me folks. The dealership where I purchased my Big Horn found my bad water taste problem. It is the main Pex line coming from the city water and fresh water tank where it enters the system. I think they told me it was about 8 feet of hose. Once replaced "presto" the old garden hose taste was gone. They fixed it under warranty. Love my dealership (Carpenter's Campers of Pensacola, Florida). Too bad that Heartland did not chime in on this. I could have saved a bundle on purchasing water over the past 9 months...
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
We have not had a problem with our '09 on city (campground) water. We use it to brush our teeth, make coffee, cook, and even refill plastic water bottles to drink. We have a dual canister filter system, but our neighbor is using only a single filter and remarked a couple of weeks ago about how good the water at the CG was.

We have not used the fresh water tank for anything other than the PDI check-out. I might put some water in it just for flushing the toilet in the event of a power failure taking out the CG pumps.
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
Good news for me folks. The dealership where I purchased my Big Horn found my bad water taste problem. It is the main Pex line coming from the city water and fresh water tank where it enters the system. I think they told me it was about 8 feet of hose. Once replaced "presto" the old garden hose taste was gone. They fixed it under warranty. Love my dealership (Carpenter's Campers of Pensacola, Florida). Too bad that Heartland did not chime in on this. I could have saved a bundle on purchasing water over the past 9 months...

We have a garden hose taste and are careful to fill with only NSF white hose. What was the PEX, non NSF?
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
On a similar note the ice maker line was just a poly tube. Not NSF or pex. Helped the ice taste some by changing it out.
 
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Hercules

Member
I use the normal white drinking water hoses that you get at the RV stores and connect city water to the unit. The line that was replaced was on the inside of the unit. For some reason, the foul taste was coming from that line which was installed at the factory. Although I have not yet taken the rig on a road trip since the replacement, initial tests indicate that the foul taste is gone (at least when connected to city water). Have not tested the holding tank yet, but I am confident the results will be the same.
 
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