Getting rid of bad water smell

[billbuster84]

We are buying a brand new house. Closing in the next few weeks, and I've noticed when we turn the hot water on, it has a sulfur smell. It's only on the hot. Builder said that the water heater may need to be flushed. I've let it run in one of the tubs on 5 different occasions, until there's no more hot water. Still smells like sulfur. Any tips?


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[beanhunter]

Well or city ?

[beanhunter]

You can spritz it on a well. Basically tapping into out pipe. Run a small 1/4" tube back into top of well cap. It sprays water down and doesn't allow gasses to rise.

[baydog]

At least you won't have snakes. They hate sulfur

[billbuster84]

It's a well. I don't think it's anything with the well as the cold water and the spigots have no odor. Only when running hot water.


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[uga_dawg]

I'd agree that it's the water heater. It can happen when they sit up. I went through it when we moved.

I flushed my tank when it first started. Not by running the water at the tub but by turning it off and putting hydrogen peroxide in it and draining and flushing it from the drain spigot on the tank (hook a hose to it).

That helped mine for a while. But eventually the smell starred to come back. So I changed the anode rod to one with a different type of metal and that resolved the issue for me.

I've also heard of people fixing it by cutting the anode rod out all together. But it supposed to be the sacrificial metal so that will shorten the life on the heater. But I know of a heater that is 25+ years old with no anode rod. I'm sure it depends on the water. Turbo can probably weigh in on that.

[uga_dawg]

Just noticed you said builder. So I assume it's a new house. I would expect the Builder to resolve it. I don't know if they still make the anode rods the same. Mine was on a fairly old heater when I changed it.

[CAMO SNOB]

This may make too much sense... Change the hot water heater.

[Relentlous]

This may make too much sense... Change the hot water heater.

This is too simple for most fellas on here. Like a bunch of tinker bells.

[Luvin' Labs]

This may make too much sense... Change the hot water heater.

"Water heater"... Not hot water heater

[Rubberhead*]

There's still a chance that it's in the water not just the tank - just that the heating releases the gases more. Most water heaters have a garden hose style connector at the bottom. Let it cool down, run a hose outside (remember it's gravity fed), shut off the water supply and the breaker then open the value. You'll probably have to release the pressure valve at the top of the tank too to release the vacuum. If it's electric you can remove the upper element and spray fresh water in the top of the tank and let it run out. 'Way cheaper than a new tank.

[blackstock]

There's still a chance that it's in the water not just the tank - just that the heating releases the gases more. Most water heaters have a garden hose style connector at the bottom. Let it cool down, run a hose outside (remember it's gravity fed), shut off the water supply and the breaker then open the value. You'll probably have to release the pressure valve at the top of the tank too to release the vacuum. If it's electric you can remove the upper element and spray fresh water in the top of the tank and let it run out. 'Way cheaper than a new tank.

You're going to wait three days for it to cool down before you drain it?

[Rubberhead*]

You're going to wait three days for it to cool down before you drain it?

You can shut off the breaker and run the hot water for a while to cool the tank down. I just didn't want him to run hot water through a garden hose and burn his hands and complain or sue us.

[*Crippler*]

Change out the anode rod to an aluminum / zinc one.

[WoodieSC]

Change out the anode rod to an aluminum / zinc one.

This. I just went through changing anodes, although fortunately I didn't have a smell issue.

Chances are that your tank has an all aluminum anode as they're the cheapest. Just find out the length and rod diameter and get an aluminum/zinc anode of the same diameter and approximately the same length.

You might also check to see if there is a second anode in the hot water discharge pipe. I have one in mine, but it's a gas heater and I have no idea if electric heaters might also have them.

[turbo]

Swap your anodes first. You can find the aluminum versions at your big box stores.

Then report back.

I'll bet you'll be fine.

My well is the same way. My wife bitches about it, but I've got better shit to do than worry about a little stinky water. In fact, it seems that it has gone away lately.

I'll swap the anodes out when it gets cooler outside. Or never. Either way.

It's hydrogen sulfide gas. If you can't taste it in the water, don't worry about it. There's no health risk.

If the house has been sitting any amount of time, it'll probably go away on its own.

[2thDoc]

mix that shit with bourbon and quit your bitchin

[Glenn]

mix that shit with bourbon and quit your bitchin

You're pretty smart sometimes.

[CAMO SNOB]

mix that shit with bourbon and quit your bitchin

You're pretty smart sometimes.

HOT WATER and bourbon? really? tha fuck is wrong with yall... its like 100 degrees

[Highstrung]

The hot water in our cabin smells like dookie, too. We always blamed it on just not drilling it deep enough, or some horse shit like that. It's not used often, being as I've only slept (hence, shower)in the place three times since we built it 15 years ago.. But it'd sure help after hunting clean up and such, right now I just have a piece of tape over the knobs.