# Bad Egg/Sulphur Smell



## rraf (Jul 11, 2009)

I haven't been on MHF for a LONG time but have just rejoined this morning. I wanted to ask if anyone else has had problems with their leisure battery whilst on hook up. 
We had our MH on mains hook up on our drive.One day,I went inside and could smell this awful rotten egg smell. I assumed it was the drains, though I have never experienced it before as I leave the trap open whilst she is sat on the drive. I ran some water through all the taps/drains and assumed it would be gone but it wasn't. I did a bit of searching/sniffing but could not pin point the location of the smell.
I then Googled possible remedies and decided to sterilize the fresh water tank and flush the whole system with Milton,but still the smell lingered even above the smell of the Milton fluid. A couple of days later,I went back into the MH but into the cab only.The curtain was closed between the cab and the habitation area.The smell was really strong in there. I asked my husband to remove the leisure battery to check that and we found that it had boiled dry.This was a year old deep cycle battery and it was totally dry.
We replaced the battery with a brand new one and all is well. Has anyone else had a similar experience?
I will add that the MH was on hook up for about three weeks permanently.Would that damage a battery like that? :?


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## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

If the charger is faulty, or the settings unsuitable for the battery, it will ultimately boil the battery dry if the voltage is excessive.

Check the voltage on the battery while it is all turned on, ours sits at 13.80V all the time on EHU, I was in the trailer the night before last and it was still at that level on the voltmeter.

For continuous float charging, the battery voltage doesn't want to be any higher than 13.80V.

Peter


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## Wizzo (Dec 3, 2007)

rraf said:


> This was a year old deep cycle battery and it was totally dry. I will add that the MH was on hook up for about three weeks permanently.Would that damage a battery like that? :?


You must check out the charger voltage at the battery terminals. It sounds as though your unit could possibly be faulty.

Once the leisure battery is fully charged it can stand for a couple of weeks without losing any significant charge. Personally I would only connect it up for a day every two weeks, but do check the voltage going in.

JohnW


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## dolcefarniente (Jan 2, 2012)

As has been said. Check charger first but it could just be a faulty battery. Run your hand along it's length half way up the side when it's gassing. If it's being overcharged expect all cells to be warm. if it's faulty expect one hot spot at the faulty cell.


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## tyreman1 (Apr 18, 2008)

Definitely overcharging,easy enough to check with a cheap voltmeter,don't risk damaging another battery.....check the starter battery as well.


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## teacup (Mar 22, 2013)

A fiver says it is a cell down on the battery leaving it bubbling away nicely.


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Dead battery, as above advice.
The only warrenty claim I had was a boiled leisure battery. Brownhills changed the battery a couple of days later no problem since. That was over seven years ago. Same battery is in use and always on ehu at home.
Dave p


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## BillCreer (Jan 23, 2010)

teacup said:


> A fiver says it is a cell down on the battery leaving it bubbling away nicely.


As Teacup says, it will be a duff cell in the battery. 
With a cell down the battery never gets up to the voltage that tells the charger to stop charging. The battery will boil, get very hot and give off the sulphur smell.


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## IanA (Oct 30, 2010)

Away in the MH, and we've noticed a sulphury smell - blamed it on the dogs for the first day, but it's still there. I've checked both leisure batteries and vehicle batteries for hot spots, but they are all fine. I have an 80w solar panel that keeps them nicely topped up, but the smell is only when driving.

Any suggestions?


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## BritStops (Mar 3, 2011)

IanA said:


> Away in the MH, and we've noticed a sulphury smell - blamed it on the dogs for the first day, but it's still there. I've checked both leisure batteries and vehicle batteries for hot spots, but they are all fine. I have an 80w solar panel that keeps them nicely topped up, but the smell is only when driving.
> 
> Any suggestions?


Can't be certain, but I reckon if it's only when driving then it's probably coming from your grey waste tank. A good clean out and avoiding where possible putting food waste down the sink is the usual solution.

Steve


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

When you say hot spots, do you mean you put your hand along the side of the battery to feel if it is hot.

cabby


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

IanA said:


> Away in the MH, and we've noticed a sulphury smell - blamed it on the dogs for the first day, but it's still there. I've checked both leisure batteries and vehicle batteries for hot spots, but they are all fine. I have an 80w solar panel that keeps them nicely topped up, but the smell is only when driving.
> 
> Any suggestions?


Not an expert but just some thoughts.

Maybe the smell is coming from the engine battery when the charging is coming from the alternator and most of which is directed to the engine battery.

Stop and smell from which battery(ies) the smell is coming.

If it is the engine battery it may be caused by a duff cell, as has been posted above, or a faulty Regulator which is allowing the alternator to overcharge the engine battery.

I doubt whether a small of sulphur is coming from the waste tank.

Geoff


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## 747 (Oct 2, 2009)

A caravanner once told me he had his van booked in because the Fridge wasn't working and his van smelled of rotten eggs. 8O 

Maybe its the fridge? :?


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## IanA (Oct 30, 2010)

Problem solved - BritStops -spot on, I drained down the grey tank and there was the smell, only ten times worse, goodness knows what was reacting with what, but it was awful.

I think it could have been veg water fermenting with something, but a dose of bleach seems to have sorted it out.

Thanks to the rest of you for your comments - I thought it was electrical and was close to taking drivers seat off to check the battery, not an easy job.


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## 747 (Oct 2, 2009)

I have found that Bleach is just a short term solution.

Bio washing liquid seems to work better. From now on I will be using cheap Bio (lots of it) regularly. I intend to do it on the trip home so that it will be drained off and not ferment while the van is not being used. I already use Aldi bio for the toilet cassette.


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## BritStops (Mar 3, 2011)

I only thought it might be the grey water as it was worse when you were on the move. We've had that, and it seems that driving creates some kind of vacuum effect, pulling the evil smell back up the drains! 

Where possible we now try to wipe the worst off dishes and pans with kitchen roll before washing them. A dose of grey tank cleaner now and again also helps.

(Of course it does sound like rraf's problem is battery-related)

Steve


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## ChrisandJohn (Feb 3, 2008)

This thread has been a revelation!

We have had a bad egg / sulphur smell in and around the van since before Christmas and have been trying to deal with it, in and amongst other issues. We have been assuming the smell came from the waste water tank. We have always followed Grizzly's advice never to pour the water from egg boiling down the sink so were surprised that we had this problem, but we have been following her further advice on how to use bio liquid to clean the waste tank ('use warm water, not hot') with mixed success. Driving the van around for a bit with a tank full of warm water / bio mixture seemed to work. Some of the smell lingered and another go would almost completely get rid of it. Then, back on the drive (on hook up) the smell would come back again. At one point John unscrewed the sink drain hole cover and discovered some pretty foul ancient food waste gunge on the other side of it. This, we thought, must be the problem. The bio/water must be passing straight past it and sorting out the tank but the smell must be caused at the top end. It was given a really good clean and replaced, but the smell still came back. Witzend doesn't describe it!

Then, an hour or so ago I started a thread called 'Waste Water Tank Smell" to tell / ask you all about it. After a sentence or two I decided to stop and google 'bad egg smell in motorhome' to try to come up with some of the previous threads giving the advice we were trying to follow. I came up with this thread which immediately raised the possibility of a totally different cause. John went out and touched the leisure battery compartment (it's outside the van) and could feel the heat coming off. The van is now off hook up and we're now recognising it's a battery, not a waste tank problem in our case. It's on the list to sort tomorrow, along with marmalade making.

Thank you so much! You are all our 'motorhoming greats"


Chris


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

There are two important safety point to make here:

1) If the smell was detectable inside the van then the battery venting system isn't working properly, make sure it's working correctly before you install a new battery.
2) The gas being given off is highly explosive. In the morning, open the habitation door and leave the interior to ventilate properly before doing anything. Don't use any electrical or gas appliance inside the van and don't introduce any naked flames until the battery has been removed.

You should remove the battery ASAP and store it in the open air until you are able to dispose of it safely.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

gaspode said:


> There are two important safety point to make here:
> 
> 1) If the smell was detectable inside the van then the battery venting system isn't working properly, make sure it's working correctly before you install a new battery.
> 2) The gas being given off is highly explosive. In the morning, open the habitation door and leave the interior to ventilate properly before doing anything. Don't use any electrical or gas appliance inside the van and don't introduce any naked flames until the battery has been removed.
> ...


I wonder if the above should form a new thread with an appropriate title to prevent anyone blowing themselves up.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

IMO it should be used as a sticky in a new section on safety that can be found easily....

Ken is a man of great wisdom and massive experience, he has helped very many people over very many years with many different problems, if ever there was a worthy recipient for some form of recognition he would be one that I would recommend......

Dave


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Arise Sir Kenneth  I have to agree, he's helped me a few times since I joined, as have many others.


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## ChrisandJohn (Feb 3, 2008)

I'm posting to thank all those who have advised on this battery issue - including those from a few years ago who originally alerted us to the possibility that the 'bad egg smell' can be battery failure related.
This morning I removed the two 95A batteries. I'd phoned my local motorhoming mechanic who couldn't do the job right then, but was alarmed that the external battery box was actually quite warm and reminded me 'Take the negative lead off first'. (There's a story in that about my Dad who was an electrician at 5FTS & 27MU Sealand and a Boulton Paul Defiant night fighter in 1941.)
Next, I've booked our local peripertetic 'van fixer to find out what the cause was and fit new batteries as required.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Smart arse, "peripertetic" I had to look that one up > peripertetic :roll:


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

cor, does that mean he makes sweet music on your MH, 'cos that's the only time I have come across peripathetic being used as a description of music teachers......

My guess would be a cell gone down as been allowed to get too low at some point - that buckles the plates and stops them working properly......

Sadly, one duff cell can and will drag all connected batteries down at the same time....

Dave


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

PeripAtetic.


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## ChrisandJohn (Feb 3, 2008)

That was John's post above, he should have put his name to it. He apologises for his poor spelling. :frown2:

John is better than me at lots of things, but I can beat him on spelling and reverse parking. 0:nerd:


Chris


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

ChrisandJohn said:


> That was John's post above, he should have put his name to it. He apologises for his poor spelling. :frown2:
> Chris


does he know that he has apologised? :surprise:

Dave


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## ChrisandJohn (Feb 3, 2008)

Yeah. I arsked er to do it cos she si berra than me. :roll eyes:


John


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

ChrisandJohn said:


> Yeah. I arsked er to do it cos she si berra than me. :roll eyes:
> 
> John


Yeah, well we get more practice don't we Chris?0


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