# stinky water



## bkplumber (Jan 24, 2011)

Hey guys, I haven't posted in a long time but when I did I received help. Anyway we have a customer with a guest house and he called a while back with rotten egg smell in hot water. No brainer right? Annode rod. Changed it and it was pretty corroded. Told him that because the house isn't used a lot that would cause it to do that. So he regularly ran hot water when they cleaned. Little later it came back. Changed annode rod again. It came back again! So we changed the water heater, 50 gallon electric. It came back! So we figured that maybe some bacteria was in the hot,copper,water lines. We flushed lines and heater with bleach and water mixture and let sit over night. It came back again! Anyone ever had this and could help me? Oh yea by the way it is city water from Baton Rouge LA which is one of the cleanest in the country! Thanks


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Well since it's city water I can't see what would be causing the odor

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

bkplumber said:


> Hey guys, I haven't posted in a long time but when I did I received help. Anyway we have a customer with a guest house and he called a while back with rotten egg smell in hot water. No brainer right? Annode rod. Changed it and it was pretty corroded. Told him that because the house isn't used a lot that would cause it to do that. So he regularly ran hot water when they cleaned. Little later it came back. Changed annode rod again. It came back again! So we changed the water heater, 50 gallon electric. It came back! So we figured that maybe some bacteria was in the hot,copper,water lines. We flushed lines and heater with bleach and water mixture and let sit over night. It came back again! Anyone ever had this and could help me? Oh yea by the way it is city water from Baton Rouge LA which is one of the cleanest in the country! Thanks


 Even with the new heater and treated with bleach, the mag rod is already spoiled... pull it out and plug with GLAV plug..as well re treat it with bleach again... 
Another question.. is the heater grounded???


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

rjbphd said:


> Even with the new heater and treated with bleach, the mag rod is already spoiled... pull it out and plug with GLAV plug..as well re treat it with bleach again...
> Another question.. is the heater grounded???


Pulling the rod will shorten the life of the heater by a lot but it might be the only choice in this situation

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Mississippiplum said:


> Pulling the rod will shorten the life of the heater by a lot but it might be the only choice in this situation
> 
> sent from the jobsite porta-potty


 Would help if have a exp tank on cold supply.. most heaters fail from expaniosn and contraction... but with electric heaters always last longer on with same water condition around my part.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

Seeing this is a guess house that is very seldom used ... I would suggest changing them over to a tankless this more than likely solve the problem also saving your customer tons in energy savings


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## PunkRockPlumber (Mar 26, 2012)

...


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## bkplumber (Jan 24, 2011)

rjbphd said:


> Even with the new heater and treated with bleach, the mag rod is already spoiled... pull it out and plug with GLAV plug..as well re treat it with bleach again...
> Another question.. is the heater grounded???


The electric plug is grounded but I don't recall seeing anything grounded to the copper lines if that's what you mean.


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## bkplumber (Jan 24, 2011)

PunkRockPlumber said:


> Is there a sump pit? If water sits in there for a while it can start to stink. Also if there is water trapped above check valve of the sump and there is an open vent line in the home, that can also cause a smell.


No basements in south LA. It only smells when you run hot water, and it is foul.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

OldSchool said:


> Seeing this is a guess house that is very seldom used ... I would suggest changing them over to a tankless this more than likely solve the problem also saving your customer tons in energy savings


 Electric tankless heater??? Better. Off just to switch it off til needed??


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

bkplumber said:


> The electric plug is grounded but I don't recall seeing anything grounded to the copper lines if that's what you mean.


 Plugged in??? Not hard wired??? Is this pou heater??


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

rjbphd said:


> Electric tankless heater??? Better. Off just to switch it off til needed??


For the amount it's used you could probably run it off a 100 lb propane tank


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

OldSchool said:


> For the amount it's used you could probably run it off a 100 lb propane tank


What's wrong with gas if available? If not, where would ya park 100 lbs tank in the city??


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## bkplumber (Jan 24, 2011)

rjbphd said:


> Plugged in??? Not hard wired??? Is this pou heater??


Yes hard wired I just used wrong terminology! Anything with a wire is a plug to me!


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

bkplumber said:


> Yes hard wired I just used wrong terminology! Anything with a wire is a plug to me!


 Lol... okay is the ground (green) wire connected to the heater??


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## bkplumber (Jan 24, 2011)

You know we have discussed the tankless route and there is a 1 1/4" gas line that runs next to it. But I hate to tell someone oh well can't figure this out so let's spend 2 grand on a tankless heater. I want to fix this. And let's say we do put tankless in and its still there? I don't get it we put new heater and all and this happens within 30 days or so


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## bkplumber (Jan 24, 2011)

rjbphd said:


> Lol... okay is the ground (green) wire connected to the heater??


Yes


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## bkplumber (Jan 24, 2011)

rjbphd said:


> What's wrong with gas if available? If not, where would ya park 100 lbs tank in the city??


On the roof. Lol


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

rjbphd said:


> What's wrong with gas if available? If not, where would ya park 100 lbs tank in the city??


You made it sound like gas was not available or to expensive to run ...

It sound like you don't know how big a 100 lb propane tank is.... It is not that large and you are allowed to put it against the building

In any event ... A tankless would resolve his issue no matter what method he chose as the energy source.....


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## bkplumber (Jan 24, 2011)

Seen this a thousand times, customer calls "water stinks" go over and change annode rod and never hear from them again. Not this one!


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

bkplumber said:


> You know we have discussed the tankless route and there is a 1 1/4" gas line that runs next to it. But I hate to tell someone oh well can't figure this out so let's spend 2 grand on a tankless heater. I want to fix this. And let's say we do put tankless in and its still there? I don't get it we put new heater and all and this happens within 30 days or so


The amount of time and effort you put into it so far unless you work for free the least expensive method from the start would have been the tankless...

It seems that its caused from stagnet water from non use...

One of two things ... Turn up the water to higher than 140 degs and put a mixing valve so nobody gets scalded... And leave tank in operation at all times

Or 

Put in a tankless


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

OldSchool said:


> You made it sound like gas was not available or to expensive to run ...
> 
> It sound like you don't know how big a 100 lb propane tank is.... It is not that large and you are allowed to put it against the building
> 
> In any event ... A tankless would resolve his issue no matter what method he chose as the energy source.....


 I do know how big the 100lbs tank is.. and butt ugly too.. now he have gas available..


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

bkplumber said:


> Yes


Okay.. u didn't hear this from me.. re treat the heater and using the glav plug ( not re-using the cut off mag rod plug).. disconnect the green wire and wire nut the end... take 2 asprins and get back to me with a report in 30 days..


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## AWWGH (May 2, 2011)

Not a solution but a quick easy fix. An automatic purge solenoid run by a timer. Flush the system periodically.

Essentially you're cooking stinky water.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

AWWGH said:


> Not a solution but a quick easy fix. An automatic purge solenoid run by a timer. Flush the system periodically.
> 
> Essentially you're cooking stinky water.


AWWGH!?! Where's the hell ya been????


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## bkplumber (Jan 24, 2011)

rjbphd said:


> Okay.. u didn't hear this from me.. re treat the heater and using the glav plug ( not re-using the cut off mag rod plug).. disconnect the green wire and wire nut the end... take 2 asprins and get back to me with a report in 30 days..


Now what would the ground have to do with it


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## bkplumber (Jan 24, 2011)

OldSchool said:


> The amount of time and effort you put into it so far unless you work for free the least expensive method from the start would have been the tankless...
> 
> It seems that its caused from stagnet water from non use...
> 
> ...


I told him about the lack of use and they were running hot water while they cleaned. So it was being used. This is after a new heater, and a month later it comes back. That just seems a little quick to me


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

bkplumber said:


> I told him about the lack of use and they were running hot water while they cleaned. So it was being used. This is after a new heater, and a month later it comes back. That just seems a little quick to me


How big is the tank and what temperature do you have it set at ?????


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

bkplumber said:


> Now what would the ground have to do with it


A lot... if there's a stray voltage going thru the ground, it will change the 'chemistry' water and become 'sulfer charged', hence the smell when heated.. 
Many will think I'm crazy...


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

So you replaced the magnesium anode rod with a magnesium anode rod?


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## bkplumber (Jan 24, 2011)

OldSchool said:


> How big is the tank and what temperature do you have it set at ?????


50 gallon electric, temp is at factory setting


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## bkplumber (Jan 24, 2011)

Redwood said:


> So you replaced the magnesium anode rod with a magnesium anode rod?


Yes


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Try disinfecting the system again and installing a Aluminum/Zinc/Tin Anode Rod.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

bkplumber said:


> 50 gallon electric, temp is at factory setting


The factory setting is 120 more than likely... Bacteria can still survive at that temperature...

In Ontario it's code to have the HWT at 140 or greater in order to kill the bacteria...

It's also code to install a tempering or mixing valve to reduce the domestic hot to 120 max to serve the fixtures...

The lack of use... Even with them use some for cleaning as you say would never empty 50 gallons of hot water to replenish the tank with new water...

I am amazed to this is not code in your area as it's a prove fact that this is what occurs with in the HWT with little to no use


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## okcplum (Jul 16, 2011)

What os says I can relate to.
Storing water at 120 is nice and all but the system should be raised in temp to cook the bacteria.
Where I'm from we set the systems to raise in temp once a week via the controllers to kill all bacteria.
Like redwood said, if you change the sacraficial anode for the same type you will achieve nothing but a week or two of no phone calls from the customer.


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## bkplumber (Jan 24, 2011)

Redwood said:


> Try disinfecting the system again and installing a Aluminum/Zinc/Tin Anode Rod.


My bad I was just corrected by my boss, he did install an aluminum rod. I wasn't there on that call. No need for two trucks on a rod change out!


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## bkplumber (Jan 24, 2011)

You all reconfirmed my thoughts, I'm going to push the tankless option and be done with it. Thanks for all the help I'm proud to be a member of this forum and will remain.


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## AWWGH (May 2, 2011)

rjbphd said:


> AWWGH!?! Where's the hell ya been????


Been crazy busy lately. I still check in on you guys, just have not been finding good time to chime in! :thumbup:


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## AWWGH (May 2, 2011)

But I do have a story about how the bosses son flooded a basement last Friday night. And guess who's problem it became!


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## rizob (Nov 14, 2011)

Are they on a dead end of the city water system? We had a few customers like that. They were the last person on the line and it was a long run. If that's the case the the line might need a good flushing. The water can be in that line for a long time. Especially if they don't use a lot of water.


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## bkplumber (Jan 24, 2011)

rizob said:


> Are they on a dead end of the city water system? We had a few customers like that. They were the last person on the line and it was a long run. If that's the case the the line might need a good flushing. The water can be in that line for a long time. Especially if they don't use a lot of water.


It's not on a dead end and its not in the cold water only the hot


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## rizob (Nov 14, 2011)

I would definitely bleach the lines again. Hot and cold. Sometimes the smell is really coming from the cold water but you don't really smell it until you heat it up. I live in New Jersey. We have some of the smelliest water around. Sometimes it takes a few times disinfecting to get rid of it.


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## theplumbinator (Sep 6, 2012)

I live in northern New Jersey we have that rotten egg problem often with well water due to high sulfer content in the water, we usually start with anode rod also but if problem returns witch it normally does we do a water test determin the sulfer content then install corresponding treatment equipment. Usually a greensand system solves problem for good.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

bkplumber said:


> My bad I was just corrected by my boss, he did install an aluminum rod. I wasn't there on that call. No need for two trucks on a rod change out!


He installed an Aluminum Anode...

Try the Aluminum/Zinc/Tin.... Zinc is a natural anti-fungal element and can help control the rotten egg bacteria odor....


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

I'm betting the cold water smells too, just not as bad. I'm guessing H2S which is exacerbated in hot water tanks. Have the lady of the house (they have more sensitive nostrals) sniff a glass of cold water. If she smells it you need to filter it. GAC would be a good place to start.


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

Disinfect the heater with hydrogen peroxide. It does the same as bleach and won't kill you with the fumes. Our shop had a 2nd floor bathroom added, with no recirc. The hot water gets stagnant and grows bacteria, so I disinfect it every 6 months.


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## Big cheez (Jan 11, 2012)

OldSchool said:


> Seeing this is a guess house that is very seldom used ... I would suggest changing them over to a tankless this more than likely solve the problem also saving your customer tons in energy savings


If it was gas I would agree with you but it's electric


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

Big cheez said:


> If it was gas I would agree with you but it's electric


Apparently the gas line is just outside


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## bkplumber (Jan 24, 2011)

rjbphd said:


> Okay.. u didn't hear this from me.. re treat the heater and using the glav plug ( not re-using the cut off mag rod plug).. disconnect the green wire and wire nut the end... take 2 asprins and get back to me with a report in 30 days..


I think you were on to something got an electrician out and he said it wasn't properly bonded the new heater had corrosion on the top Like a car battery


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Wander will naver seest!!


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