2014 FWC Hawk - Water tastes like plastic....?

[GCS03]

When we first got our new Hawk (2014), after flushing the water system, the water always tasted great on all of our trips last year... up until now. Now, getting ready for a trip to White Rim (Utah), after disinfecting and flushing the system at least 10 times, it has a 'plastic' type taste to it. We are on a private, non-chlorinated 160' well with great tasting water. Any suggestions? More flushing? Anyone use a water filter (charcoal?) on their water system? Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Stalking Light]

Are you using a different water hose than before to fill the tank?

 

[longhorn1]

Use a white hose designed for fresh water.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Wander The West mobile app

 

[Beach]

Did you disinfect/flush the system because of the plastic taste or did the taste start after disinfecting? Try filling a glass with water straight from the hose and see if it tastes bad, if water is good then start looking at the camper system. Maybe draw some water from the tank before it runs through the pump to isolate that part of the system. My pump has a small integral filter on it, check that if you have filter on yours. You could install a charcoal filter system if unable locate the source.

 

[Stitch]

I'm with Stalking Light on this one. Have you changed the way you fill the tank? Different hose? Different hose bib? Did you do the mutiple flushes for a reason?

If you're on a short timeline for your trip you could throw a Brita pitcher in the camper and sort it out when you get back. If your water is good at the source then something is amiss downstream. I do have a recipe for clearing out funky tastes in Camelbaks and Nalgene bottles, but I'm hesistant to recommend it for a whole camper system.

 

[craig333]

I put a filter on the cold water side. Sorta easy and I know longer need to carry bottled water.

 

[PaulT]

I've had the same experience with my 2014 Hawk. I believe it is the internal plastic water tubing. After the camper has been left without using the water for some number of days, it can develop that plastic odor. Running about a gallon or so water out seems to clear it out and the rest of the tank is fine. That's why I think it is the plastic pipes rather than the tank.

Don't know if the leaching out of the plasticizer will stop, or diminish. I've thought about replacing the tubing but just thought about it so far.

Might help if those of us experiencing the problem could narrow the symptoms and correlate with use of the water like sanitizing, letting it sit with tank full or empty, ambient temperature, etc. It catches me by surprise.

Paul

 

[Hobart78]

I have a 2014 Hawk. The plastic taste only occurs when I use the white potable water hose as my water source, bypassing the holding tank. The plastic taste and smell comes from the hose in my situation. I need to explore other potable hose products.

 

[veryactivelife]

Check out the Clear Flow water hose. You can find it on Amazon. It is offered in several sizes, I got the 25' hose and use it in conjunction with a Sureflow filter in line b4 the hose. The hose is completely tasteless.

 

[Advmoto18]

Not sure what you are using to sanitize the tank. Commerical sanitizer? Home bleach brew?

If you are mixing your own bleach solution, be sure to use only 2 Tablespoons of unscented household bleach. If it is concentrate, use 1 Tablespoon. Mix the bleach in a one gallon glass container of water before dumping it into your water tank fill port. Also, fill the tank at least a 1/3 full of water before dumping the bleach solution into the tank.

Bleach can cause vinyl tubing to impart a taste in addition to clouding the tubing. I would expect too strong of a solution, or inadequately flushed, to impart a bleach taste rather than a plastic taste.

Having said all of that, I'm inclined to agree with Charlie, the fill hose is usually the prime reason why pottable water tastes like rubber or plastic.

 

[nobueno]

We flushed our system out with vinegar amd that fixed it for us. Water never tasted better. We used about a gallon of vinegar per 10 gallons of water tank. Was probably a little rich and you could probably get by with a little less but I wanted to be sure.