# Help - water still smelly



## plumbingintexas (May 27, 2010)

Hello, I posted on another thread a few days ago. Anyway, I have more details. We have a customer in a house and the water has an egg smell. Already changed Anode, then he got a new W/H. Smell was gone for a few weeks. It is back...The smell is only on one side of the house, only hot water! He has a well. P.S. I tried to be as detailed as possible, my husband is the plumber.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

plumbingintexas said:


> Hello, I posted on another thread a few days ago. Anyway, I have more details. We have a customer in a house and the water has an egg smell. Already changed Anode, then he got a new W/H. Smell was gone for a few weeks. It is back...The smell is only on one side of the house, only hot water! He has a well. P.S. I tried to be as detailed as possible, my husband is the plumber.


Ok heres your permanent answer. Install a chlorine injection system and set the temp of the water heater to at least 140 degrees. Goodluck


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

There are 3 kinds of common anodes out there. Which one did you replace the factory magnesium anode with?

You said a new water heater was installed. Does that one have the factory magnesium anode still in it?

Is the water being chlorinated? If not, install a chlorine injector on the well system. Change the anode to a zinc/alum/tin anode and flush the heater and all water pipes with heavily chlorinated water. The idea is to sterilize the water distribution system downstream of the chlorine injector and then the chlorine injector will keep it clean after sterilization is done. Temporarily cranking up the heater temp to kill any possible traces of bacteria is prolly a good idea to.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

On a side note.....I had a customer that was complaining of stinking water. I took the call and went out to inspect. She took me to the bath that they smelled it in when they took a shower. She ran the hot water and no smell showed up.......the room steamed up and then the STINK showed its face. I leaned over and smelled the towels hanging on a few robe hooks. The towels had soured to the MAX from being wet too long.....the steam kicked the smell up enough for you to smell it. Humidity will make stinky things stink worse.


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## plumbingintexas (May 27, 2010)

You guys rock! Thank you for the responses, I will pass on to hubby!


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## plumbingintexas (May 27, 2010)

what brand of chlorine injectors do you guys recommend?


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

You can rid the rotten egg odor either of two ways: 1) chlorinate system or 2)raise temperature to at least 140 degrees F. Both by themselves will kill the hydrogen sulfide bacteria. If you bleach, add 1 gallon of household bleach for every 25 gallons of W/H tank capacity. Regardless of which method employed, you MUST draw water to EVERY hot fixture in house. You need to kill bacteria in not only the tank but in all the hot lines as well. If you use bleach, after running hot water taps until bleach is smelled at fixture outlet, close faucet and let stand for 2 hours. Then you have to flush tank and lines completely. I prefer to hike up the thermostat. But caution is in order; make certain no children will be in home to open a faucet and burn themselves. The last thing we want is a child to get burned from the very hot water. I hope this helps. By the way, I've never had to change an anode rod to remove the smell. Bleach or very hot water (minimum 140 degrees F.) will do the trick.


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

*water still smelly*

Why only half of the house? Is there a second water heater?


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## plumbear (Jun 24, 2010)

I installed a manganese greensand filter for a friend that had a lot of iron in his well, inadvertently, the hydrogen sulfide smell disappeared as well. I have used manganese greensand filters two more times since then and the smell goes away each time. Must be killing the bacteria through oxidation? Any thoughts?


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

plumbear said:


> I installed a manganese greensand filter for a friend that had a lot of iron in his well, inadvertently, the hydrogen sulfide smell disappeared as well. I have used manganese greensand filters two more times since then and the smell goes away each time. Must be killing the bacteria through oxidation? Any thoughts?


Yes, manganese greensand will work also. I think getting a less reactive anode rod in the w/h would be the first step and then either choline or a chemical removal filter would be in order.







Paul


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

Have your husband the plumber post here. This is a trade only board.

And no, my wife is not a member here. She is doing laundry or something


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## Optimus Primer (May 20, 2009)

Matt said:


> Have your husband the plumber post here. This is a trade only board.
> 
> And no, my wife is not a member here. She is doing laundry or something


:laughing:


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## plumbingintexas (May 27, 2010)

He has two water heaters, only happens with one though???:blink:


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## plumjoe (Oct 21, 2009)

are you on well water?


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## TheSkinnyGuy (Sep 15, 2009)

last smell problem I had was because of under-use. If you have a heater that doesn't get used that often it will tend to start go bad on you as well. If it only happens with one and not the other then you might have a problem with under-use.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Is the smelly one plumbed to an ejector pump?:whistling2:


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Or maybe the smelly one is used so infrequently that the bacteria builds up in it. Anything below 140F and bacteria growth is slowed but not stopped.



Redwood said:


> Is the smelly one plumbed to an ejector pump?:whistling2:


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## vinpadalino (Aug 27, 2010)

Maybe they dont use that side of the house as much. Water sits in the pipes for days and starts to smell?


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## plumbingintexas (May 27, 2010)

The smell is only on one side of the house, used frequently. (kitchen side). I just saw posts asking my husband to post, not me. Really?


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

Really


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