# Smelly Hot Water



## JohnnieSqueeze (Mar 23, 2016)

I feel like this came up in a recent posting but I can not remember. I have a customer on well with an electric water heater with sulfur smell on hot water side only. No current house water filter installed. Do you recommend they replace their hot water heater and install a gas unit? 


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

you are correct it was discussed under a well thread, possibilities were the anode rod was giving off the smell, I have an electric heater upstate on a well and if its not used for 3 to 4 weeks sometimes it gets that sulfur smell, I think more from the water sitting than anything else, if used normally I never get the smell...you need to give more details on your customer, time the heater is not used, water supply..


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

There are old threads on that subject. Most agreed to remove the anode to remove the smell but no feedback.


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

I personally dont think its the anode rod but just bacteria in the water going stagnant from lack of use, just like a bucket of water that sits for a long time gets the same smell from any rotting organic material..I add a little bleach into my water haeter via water filter and in an hour or so the smell is gone..


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## JohnnieSqueeze (Mar 23, 2016)

Thank You for re opening this. 
He had no problem when he installed an electric water heater 3 months ago. Now the smell is coming back. He had a whole house water filter but removed it and had a water softener put in. Im planning to put a new water filter in. I was thinking the main. I know shtrunsdwnhill said put two one by the water heater, should that be on the cold side of it?


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

is he well or city water?


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

I think the first step would be to take a water sample from the well and send it to a lab to see what's in it. The results will tell you what to do next. 

Who knows maybe the well needs to be decontaminated. Then add the appropriate filters and maybe a UV filter. I wouldn't fool around the water heater just yet.

There's a reason the hot water stinks and there's something in it.


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## JohnnieSqueeze (Mar 23, 2016)

its well water 


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

I’m not familiar with well water, but I thought I read somewhere to crank the temperature to 140 degrees or above and install a mixing valve on top of the heater dialed down to 120 degrees.


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## ShtRnsdownhill (Jan 13, 2016)

you might want to look into a chlorine injection system, depends whats in the well water thats causing the sulfur smell. does the customer get any smell on the cold water side?
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...chlorinator/&usg=AOvVaw1QPUQatU___FFTJ1WPw14q


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

TMontPlumbingan said:


> Hey Tango,
> Thanks for your advice I also have a same problem.I'll send the well water to lab.


You are welcome, however you've been told to post an intro so go and do it now.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

JohnnieSqueeze said:


> I feel like this came up in a recent posting but I can not remember. I have a customer on well with an electric water heater with sulfur smell on hot water side only. No current house water filter installed. Do you recommend they replace their hot water heater and install a gas unit?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
























Chlorinate the W/H or else crank up the t-stats to a minimum of 140 F. Then the 2nd step is, draw the hot water to all the hot water taps; showers, tubs, lav, laundry, dishwasher, etc. Let is stay there for at least {2} hrs.


If you chlorinate the system use 1 qt. bleach for every {10} gallons of tank capacity. So {1} gallon of bleach in a {40} gallon tank.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Tommy plumber said:


> Chlorinate the W/H or else crank up the t-stats to a minimum of 140 F. Then the 2nd step is, draw the hot water to all the hot water taps; showers, tubs, lav, laundry, dishwasher, etc. Let is stay there for at least {2} hrs.
> 
> 
> If you chlorinate the system use 1 qt. bleach for every {10} gallons of tank capacity. So {1} gallon of bleach in a {40} gallon tank.





That is a ton of bleach. We only use like 2-4 quarts for a 2-300' well and whole house. I guess there isn't really a downside to using extra in this case though. My usual suggestion to people if they don't have any issues is to NOT TEST the water. Most wells will have some form of bacteria, usually iron borne bacteria. If it isn't an issue you don't want to make it one. 



*Just get some bleach into the water heater and to all the hot taps. Then after like 24 hours run it all out.*


If you want to be anal about it than the only 100% sure method is to chlorinate, add a couple of filters before a UV light, and then a carbon filter. Chlorine injection is cheaper than UV but obviously means you're drinking chlorine. We change the UV bulbs of our customers yearly before they fail. Some houses we install redundant lights, or a bulb failure alarm, or a valve that shuts if the bulb fails.



If the water heater is real old anyway than just replace the water heater, crank up the temp on the new one, and run some bleach through the whole system so you start with a clean slate. It would also be a good time to remove old galv pipe or dead ends which can harbor bacteria.



I have heard stories of anode rods smelling from the built up magnesium which is why the newer rods are alloys. I highly doubt this is you issue. Some houses just always have a faint smell even when they test clean and this is usually from iron/sulphur in the aquifer. A new sulphur smell is bacterial growth. If it is only present in the hot side now is the time to stop it before it runs rampant.



I want to make it clear that my recommendations are just opinion and are based off of the water conditions in my area. We have pretty basic water with a lot of lime, light to heavy iron, and a bit of sulphur corresponding with the iron.


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## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

TMONTPLUMBINGAN:

Why Post An Intro?
Quote:
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