Hot Stinky Water
Does your hot water have a terrible “rotten-egg” or “burnt match” type of smell that is suddenly driving you out of your house? Hydrogen sulfide gas, sulfate, and sulfur-reducing bacteria are the typical culprits that cause unpleasant odors in household water and there are generally a few different ways to approach resolving this issue. Getting started down the road to a stink-less shower should always start with isolating the smell to the hot water only. If there is any bit of the odor present in the cold water alone, then it is best to start this process by correcting the cold water with a water filtration system. Without correcting the cold water smell first, the hot water odor will persist regardless of what you do with the hot water heater. If you discern that the smell is only present on the hot side (even with corrective water treatment equipment on the cold side) then the problem is in your hot water heater.
In some cases, sulfur-reducing bacteria could be building up in your hot water heater, blooming that less-than-pleasant bouquet of odors. These bacteria are the result of a natural occurrence in your well water and when introduced into the hot water heater, are left to grow in its warm, hospitable environment. Disinfection practices will be successful in cleaning the smell out of a hot water heater when bacteria are the cause of hot water odors. Turning up the temperature of your hot water to at least 140° F will make the water hot enough to kill bacteria in the tank but could cause scalding. It is possible that this approach may not kill all of the bacteria present. Rather, disinfecting the hot water heater with a solution of chlorine and water is advised to completely eliminate any bacteria present in the hot water tank. Hiring a water treatment professional to disinfect your hot water heater will ensure that a proper amount of disinfectant and time is applied, increasing the likelihood that the bacteria will be completely eliminated the first time. Installing an ultraviolet lamp after disinfecting the hot water can help prevent the build-up of these bacteria in the future.
In some cases, bacteria are not the culprit and proper disinfection of the hot water heater only produces temporary or partial results. The other cause of hot water heater odor can be a reaction involving the heater’s anode rod. Anode rods are installed in hot water heaters to protect against mineral build-up and corrosion and the odor is manufactured by a reaction between the anode rod and sulfur odor causing compounds present in the cold-water supply.
There are three possible approaches when the anode rod is the root of hot water odor. First, the magnesium anode rod in the hot water heater can be swapped out for a less-reactive aluminum rod. Secondly, the standard rod can be replaced with a titanium-electrified anode rod. And lastly, the anode rod can be removed altogether.
The secret to choosing between these alternative approaches lies in expert-driven water testing. Reaching out to a trained water treatment professional to guide you in this process will certainly save both time and money. Having the water testing for minerals and factors that cause corrosion can help in determining what, if any, type of anode rod is necessary to protect your water heater. Treating the cold water that supplies your hot water heater for hardness, iron, manganese and corrosion factors can eliminate the need for a magnesium or aluminum anode rod. Installing a titanium-electrified anode rod can further protect the hot water when the best balance cannot be achieved by treating the cold water alone.
Foul-smelling hot water isn’t something you learn to live with. Partnering with an experienced water treatment professional can lead to results that eliminate the smell while still protecting your hot water heater.