I can't get rid of the rotten egg smell in my hot fresh water even after flushing. Any sugestions.
Rotten egg smell in fresh water
- Thread starter SEAMATE II
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Yup.
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books/detail-books.htm?fno=400&sku=66505&cat=1304
This has a complete procedure for eliminating nasty smells in your water.
sulfur smell
BobM
A sulfur smell is typically bacterial. I'd hit it with some bleach (say half a quart then fill your tank if it is 20-50 gallons), let it sit overnight if plastic but not more than an hour or two if it is aluminum or stainless and then rinse with copious quantities of water. I get this in my well and that is the recommended treatment. If you want to try something milder use oxiclean.
BobM
I doubt it is a bacterial cause but try disinfection to see if that helps. If not, as I suspect, then it is the galvanic corrosion of the metal internal to the tank which a zinc might help depending on whether your tank is so equipped which most are not.
Peggy Hall has a system for the water tanks that works extremely well. It should show up in some posts on here if you check the archives. I have used similar systems of flushing, bleaching, and flushing with extremely good success.
Peggie's water system cleanout can easily be found
by doing a search on the word "recommissioning" - I'm sure she's tired of reposting it, so go find it yourself, easily.
by doing a search on the word "recommissioning" - I'm sure she's tired of reposting it, so go find it yourself, easily.
If the rotten egg smell is ONLY in the HOT water...
If the cold water is ok...it means the problem is in the water heater...and it's prob'ly not biological.
This explains what happens--and the cure--in a water heater that has a glass lined tank:
Anodes are included in the water heater of glass-lined steel tanks to protect the inside of the tank against corrosion from acids in the water, stray electrical currents, etc. Glass lined tanks, when the water heater is being built, are heated up red hot. Then glass powder is sprayed inside the tank and it adheres upon contact. However, it doesn't cover every single crack and crevice inside the tank - it should, but in actual practice, it doesn't. The purpose of the anode is to protect those spots inside the tank that have not been glass-covered from rusting away prematurely. The anode is eaten away, rather than the tank being eaten away. Kind of a backup to the glass lining.
The anode is a magnesium rod, about 3/4" in diameter that is attached to the inside of the hot water "out" nipple, via a plastic coupling. It is electrically isolated from the fittings and from the tank. It extends all the way across the inside of the tank, stopping just short of the other side. There is an iron rod in the center of the magnesium that supports it, the iron being stronger than the magnesium. As the magnesium is eaten away and the iron rod exposed, there's a chemical reaction between the water, the iron and the magnesium that causes the "rotten egg" smell. Replacing the anode and flushing out the tank will usually make the foul smell go away.
But...if the water heater is an inexpensive make/model that has an anodized aluminum or stainless tank, there is no anode...the anodizing has worn off the tank walls. The only cure is a new water heater.
However, IF you're VERY lucky you may have taken on water that has a high sulfur content or something biological is going on after all. So you have nothing to lose by recommissioning the system before rushing out to buy a new water heater. You'll find directions for doing that if you search Fresh Water in the forum archives.
If the cold water is ok...it means the problem is in the water heater...and it's prob'ly not biological.
This explains what happens--and the cure--in a water heater that has a glass lined tank:
Anodes are included in the water heater of glass-lined steel tanks to protect the inside of the tank against corrosion from acids in the water, stray electrical currents, etc. Glass lined tanks, when the water heater is being built, are heated up red hot. Then glass powder is sprayed inside the tank and it adheres upon contact. However, it doesn't cover every single crack and crevice inside the tank - it should, but in actual practice, it doesn't. The purpose of the anode is to protect those spots inside the tank that have not been glass-covered from rusting away prematurely. The anode is eaten away, rather than the tank being eaten away. Kind of a backup to the glass lining.
The anode is a magnesium rod, about 3/4" in diameter that is attached to the inside of the hot water "out" nipple, via a plastic coupling. It is electrically isolated from the fittings and from the tank. It extends all the way across the inside of the tank, stopping just short of the other side. There is an iron rod in the center of the magnesium that supports it, the iron being stronger than the magnesium. As the magnesium is eaten away and the iron rod exposed, there's a chemical reaction between the water, the iron and the magnesium that causes the "rotten egg" smell. Replacing the anode and flushing out the tank will usually make the foul smell go away.
But...if the water heater is an inexpensive make/model that has an anodized aluminum or stainless tank, there is no anode...the anodizing has worn off the tank walls. The only cure is a new water heater.
However, IF you're VERY lucky you may have taken on water that has a high sulfur content or something biological is going on after all. So you have nothing to lose by recommissioning the system before rushing out to buy a new water heater. You'll find directions for doing that if you search Fresh Water in the forum archives.
Don and Peggy have it "pegged". I solved the same problem.........by replacing the water heater. I tried all the other suggestions without success. So while I had the engine out for a repower in went a new tank. Problem solved using the same water source as before.
The smell usually comes from the hot water tank's magnessium rod mixed with hard water. To elimininate, either cut off the rod and flush (mine was located at the top centre) or get an aluminum rod replacement. Tanks usually have a choice of rods, depends on what type of water is available. Well water users usually use aluminum rods.
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