I just installed a new hot water heater (Seaward 6 gal) for my Catalina 36. Once I figured out how to get it hot, the water started to smell like sulfer or rotten eggs. Some have told me just to flush out the system. I was thinking of doing the clorine shock treatment. Is there something else going on here that I need to be concerned about? Or is this just part of the break-in process for the new heater? Thanks, Les Murray s/v Ceilidh 86 C-36 #560
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
Try flushing it out with white vinegar
About a gallon of it in a (hot water) tank full of water. Make sure the unit is off. Let it stand for a couple of hours, then flush VERY thoroughly with clean water. If that doesn't cure the problem, call Seaward...'cuz you may either be missing the anode, or if the tank is anodized alumunium, you may have a defective tank.
About a gallon of it in a (hot water) tank full of water. Make sure the unit is off. Let it stand for a couple of hours, then flush VERY thoroughly with clean water. If that doesn't cure the problem, call Seaward...'cuz you may either be missing the anode, or if the tank is anodized alumunium, you may have a defective tank.
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Garry @ S/V TASHTEGO
Smells Like Sulfur
The sulfur smell is Hydrogen Sulfide if it smells like rotten eggs. It is Sulfur Dioxide if it smells like a lit match. In either case, the probable source of the sulfur is sea water. Sulfate is the second most abundant anion after chlorine in sea water. Sitting around stagnant in a water tank lets sulfate reducing bacteria convert sulfate to hydrogen sulfide. It sounds like you have a minor sea water leak into your tank. Flush it well, let it sit for a while with the motor running to generate some more hot water (and run hot sea water through the heat exchanger) then taste for salt. Even a trace of salt means a leak.
The sulfur smell is Hydrogen Sulfide if it smells like rotten eggs. It is Sulfur Dioxide if it smells like a lit match. In either case, the probable source of the sulfur is sea water. Sulfate is the second most abundant anion after chlorine in sea water. Sitting around stagnant in a water tank lets sulfate reducing bacteria convert sulfate to hydrogen sulfide. It sounds like you have a minor sea water leak into your tank. Flush it well, let it sit for a while with the motor running to generate some more hot water (and run hot sea water through the heat exchanger) then taste for salt. Even a trace of salt means a leak.
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Claude L.-Auger
Same problem
I too just installed a Seaward 6-gallon and am facing the same problem. I will try the white vinegar as per Peggy's recommandation, but I also have another problem: whenever I turn on the hot-water faucets, there is a hissing sound coming from the tank. I called Seaward and was told by their president to "crack open the fitting" on the hot water side at the tank to let air out. I cannot do that without first disconnecting the line, and of course when I do that, I cannot turn the pressure on as I get water all over. I tried running the water for long periods. No success:still hissing. Any ideas ? I also have a question for Garry (Tashtego): your post was interesting but I do wonder how one could get a seawater leak in the hotwater tank. Most boats equipped with this type heat exchanger tank run with a FWC system. I do remember reading that a raw water cooled engine would not run the heat exchanger hot enough to heat the fresh water in the tank. Secondly, if their was a leak, and it was a FWC engine, eventually wouldn't the engine coolant disappear in the hot water tank and out the faucets, creating an even greater problem: engine overheating ? Thanks for your help
I too just installed a Seaward 6-gallon and am facing the same problem. I will try the white vinegar as per Peggy's recommandation, but I also have another problem: whenever I turn on the hot-water faucets, there is a hissing sound coming from the tank. I called Seaward and was told by their president to "crack open the fitting" on the hot water side at the tank to let air out. I cannot do that without first disconnecting the line, and of course when I do that, I cannot turn the pressure on as I get water all over. I tried running the water for long periods. No success:still hissing. Any ideas ? I also have a question for Garry (Tashtego): your post was interesting but I do wonder how one could get a seawater leak in the hotwater tank. Most boats equipped with this type heat exchanger tank run with a FWC system. I do remember reading that a raw water cooled engine would not run the heat exchanger hot enough to heat the fresh water in the tank. Secondly, if their was a leak, and it was a FWC engine, eventually wouldn't the engine coolant disappear in the hot water tank and out the faucets, creating an even greater problem: engine overheating ? Thanks for your help
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
Claude, put a bucket under the hot water outlet
To catch the water that spills out. If the hot water tank is full--which it should be if you don't open a hot water faucet anywhere, it shouldn't be necessary to turn the water pump on to bleed the air out of the tank...you should only have to loosen the fitting enough to let the air out, then re-tighten it.
To catch the water that spills out. If the hot water tank is full--which it should be if you don't open a hot water faucet anywhere, it shouldn't be necessary to turn the water pump on to bleed the air out of the tank...you should only have to loosen the fitting enough to let the air out, then re-tighten it.
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Claude L.-Auger
Thanks Peggy
I'll try that. But because of the lay-out, I cannot crack open the fitting. I have a 1½" long galvanized nipple screwed in the outlet to which a 90-degree regular plastic waterline elbow is connected. Female end of elbow connected to male end of galvanized nipple, then regular plastic waterline connected to male end of plastic elbow. I will try unscrewing the waterline at the elbow to see if it works. BTW, on my H34, the hotwater tank is under the settee at the table, so the bucket has to be a small cut-out from a plastic gallon jug which is squeezed in-between the tank and the starboard hull side. I'll tackle the project this week-end. Thanks for the tip.
I'll try that. But because of the lay-out, I cannot crack open the fitting. I have a 1½" long galvanized nipple screwed in the outlet to which a 90-degree regular plastic waterline elbow is connected. Female end of elbow connected to male end of galvanized nipple, then regular plastic waterline connected to male end of plastic elbow. I will try unscrewing the waterline at the elbow to see if it works. BTW, on my H34, the hotwater tank is under the settee at the table, so the bucket has to be a small cut-out from a plastic gallon jug which is squeezed in-between the tank and the starboard hull side. I'll tackle the project this week-end. Thanks for the tip.
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Garry @ S/V TASHTEGO
Sulfur
You are right. I had assumed you were running raw water to the heat exchanger. A FWC engine would put coolant in a leaking hot water heater which would be just as unpleasant but a very different smell. Another source of sulfate is your fresh water source. A lot of municipal water has sulfate in it and that would do it. Finally, sulfur is the material used to vulcanize rubber. If you have rubber hoses slowly breaking down they might add sulfur to your water. The solution is new hoses. Good hunting.
You are right. I had assumed you were running raw water to the heat exchanger. A FWC engine would put coolant in a leaking hot water heater which would be just as unpleasant but a very different smell. Another source of sulfate is your fresh water source. A lot of municipal water has sulfate in it and that would do it. Finally, sulfur is the material used to vulcanize rubber. If you have rubber hoses slowly breaking down they might add sulfur to your water. The solution is new hoses. Good hunting.
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