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The moment you open a tap be it for cold or hot water, you may experience a pungent, rotten egg smell. It is not something that you should try in fixing on your own. It will be best to consult a professional to do the needful. Find out whether it is the hot water from where the smell is coming, and if not then you should check the cold water. If there is no smell of sulfur, then you are lucky, and you need to fix the water heater.
On the contrary, if the smell is coming out of the cold water, then you need to consult a specialist. Again you need to ensure that the odor is coming from the water. If the floor drain, sink, tub or shower dry out completely, then may you have an open pipe in the drain and the sewer/septic line? Let the water run for a couple of minutes for refilling the drain. Then pour some chlorine bleach to kill the bacteria that causes odor.
Rotten Egg Smell- Some Fixes
How to get rid of the rotten egg smell in your water to be more precise from hot water? Well, depending on the source of water it will comprise of various quantities of naturally occurring sulfur. Probably the water may also have sulfate-reducing bacteria that occur naturally. They will not cause any harm to people. In the case of city treated water, it gets killed by the addition of chlorine to the water. In the case of non-chlorine well water, the naturally occurring organisms will be present in the water along with sulfur in higher concentrations. The sulfate-reducing bacteria indeed will create problems the moment the metal structures get exposed to water that contains sulfate.
The interaction between metal and water will create a molecular hydrogen layer on the surface of the metal. The sulfate-reducing bacteria will oxidize the hydrogen and at the same time create hydrogen sulfide that will lead to corrosion. When sulfur and the bacteria get inside the heater with any corrosive metal; the outcome will be that the metal will corrode while the bacteria will develop hydrogen sulfide that smells nasty as a rotten egg.
What can make this Issue Worse?
When you use a water softener, the process of water softening will boost up the water’s conductivity in the tank that will destroy the anode even faster thereby allowing the bacteria in creating the smelly gas quickly. In case of well water, that is untreated, hard and contains bacteria and sulfur in high quantities, chances of having smelly water are even more. The problem will turn worse when water fails to flow through the tank such as in vacation homes or a cabin. When you do not use a water heater for some time, it will automatically allow the hydrogen sulfide gas to build up.
How to get it Fixed?
Based on how severe the issue is as well as the number of strikes against them, there are different things that people can try for fixing the smell. No matter the method selected, each will emphasize to prevent the H2S gas formation or kill the bacteria which are causing it. Some professional plumbers will recommend removing the water heater anode. That may fix the problem but is not a good choice. It is because, after the removal of the anode, it will void the warranty on the water heater. It can also result in premature rusting and leaking, so avoid doing it.
Fix it with H202
One of the best ways of fixing this issue will be by shutting off the valve of the cold water inlet in the water heater, remove some water and then the metal hose should be disconnected which connects with the cold water part of the heater. Use the regular H202 or hydrogen peroxide solution of about 3%, pour this in a cup for every 10-gallon tank. In case of 40-gallon tank, pour 4 cups. After that, reconnect the hose by turning back the valve of the cold water for refilling the tank, allowing it to sit for some time. All the bacteria will be killed by the hydrogen peroxide, and at the same time, the smell will also disappear.
People also use chlorine beach in this regard, but hydrogen peroxide is comparatively safer. Along with being excellent to kill bacteria, it is also safe for the environment as stated by the FDA as it generates in forming water and oxygen.
Use a Zinc or Aluminium Anode
It is another effective means to fix that rotten egg smell that you get from your water heater. It is best to use an anode made of aluminum and zinc over that made of magnesium. However, it should be of the same size and style as the present anode. In case if you are using a water softener, which will help in doing the trick. It can be that soft water is so conductive even anodes made of zinc-aluminum also fails to work. But if this works, use a powered anode as it will not lead to any replacement yet if it does not work all the money will go waste. In this case, use hydrogen peroxide for treating the water regularly.
To conclude we may say that if both methods fail to fix the issue, the last option will be to try for water filtration systems for removing the sulfur. You always have the option of getting professional help to sort out the issue. You just need to find someone who can work with your water-related issues and solve them without hassles.
Today, sulfur removing water filters are also available in the market in different makes and models which means there is one to suit your needs. Hope one of this will work for you as well as help you in keeping away from that annoying rotten egg smell in the water now and forever. All the best, choose the right solution and enjoy maximum perks.
About The Author:
Evans Walsh is a freelance content writer. He has written many good and informative articles on different categories such as technology, health, fashion, beauty, education, career, travel etc. He is very responsible for his job. He loves to share his knowledge and experience with his friends and colleagues.
