Troubleshooting – Do you smell sulfur (rotten eggs) in the bathroom?
Well, there’s one smell that no one likes to notice in their home – and that’s rotten eggs. No matter what’s happening in your day, one whiff of this very unpleasant (and very overpowering) odor is sure to throw you off!
If your hot water heater stinks, there’s a reason.
When your water heater smells like sulfur, here’s what is probably happening. The most common cause of smelly water is anaerobic bacteria that exist in some water and react with sulfur and the magnesium and aluminum sacrificial anodes that come with most water heaters to produce hydrogen sulfide gas, making the classic rotten egg ordor. The problem is most common in well systems either private or municipal.
Softening the water can make smelling water much worse. The water heater manufacturers cannot be blamed. It’s a condition that exists in some parts of the country and each person has to deal with it individually.
A Quick Fix . . . But It won’t last.
When you notice this rotten egg smell one wat to confirm that it’s coming from your hot water heater, is to try a do-it-yourself solution.
- Shut off the cold water valve that’s connected to your water heater.
- Drain some of the water from your hot water heater.
When you notice this rotten egg smell and you’ve confirmed that it’s coming from your hot water heater, you can go into water heater repair mode and try a do-it-yourself solution.
- Shut off the cold water valve that’s connected to your water heater.
- Drain some of the water from your hot water heater.
- Next, reconnect the metal hose that you disconnected in step 3.
- Turn the cold water valve back on, which will refill your tank.
- Let it sit for a few hours.
If you’re wondering why hydrogen peroxide will get rid of the rotten egg smell, it’s because it’s a surefire way to kill the foul-smelling bacteria. It’s classified as environmentally safe by the FDA, so no worries there.
Long Term Solutions – Powered Anode Or Tankless
Sacrificial anode rods are typically made of magnesium, aluminum, or an aluminum/zinc alloy. The anode rod create an electrical reaction inside the water heater as it corrodes. A powered anode does the same by feeding electricity into the tank. Since there is no magnesium or aluminum, there’s no smell. Powered anode rods are a permanent solution as they do not need replacement.
How Do Tankless Water Heaters Work?
Tankless water heaters make sure you have hot water whenever you need it. Essentially a hot water on demand system, you will not have to heat a tank full of water and have to wait for hot water. With a tankless system, the water is only heated when you need it, so have the benefit of saving money and enjoying hot water on the spot without waiting. They are designed without an anode rod so you will not have any smell.
To find out more about tankless water heaters click here.
