Smelly Plumbing

[Stephen G Sheldon]

Inspected a new house (has been vacant for 2 years) where there was an overpowering sulpher-like smell when turning on the hot water fixtures. Any thoughts on what might be causing this?

[Ted Menelly]

Inspected a new house (has been vacant for 2 years) where there was an overpowering sulpher-like smell when turning on the hot water fixtures. Any thoughts on what might be causing this?

More than likely the water heater
Water heaters are pretty nasty creatures. I don't know if you ever replaced one or drained one but if you have I am sure you saw all that nasty sludge on the bottom.

Even without that just think of the water hanging in that tank for a couple years and not being flushed thru. Pretty nasty

[Scott Patterson]

Do a search on this site for Hot Water odor. Also try a Google search and you will find a ton of information. Very common.

[Elliot Franson]

Inspected a new house (has been vacant for 2 years) where there was an overpowering sulpher-like smell when turning on the hot water fixtures. Any thoughts on what might be causing this?

Hydrogen sulfide - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_sulfide)

[Raymond Wand]

Sulphite reducing bacteria, common in well water, it thrives in an anaerobic environment. Hot water heaters give it the ideal evnviron to flourish.

Well can be chlorinated and the hot water tank to temporarily kill it, but it will return often in weeks.

http://www.infrastructure.alberta.ca/Content/docType306/Production/TechPres19.pdf

Sulfates, Hydrogen Sulfide, Rotten Egg Odor, Sulfur , Sulfate Reducing Bacteria in Drinking Water Testing Analysis Treatment (http://www.water-research.net/sulfate.htm#indic)

[H.G. Watson, Sr.]

I would expect whole-house system disinfection of the water plumbing system would be recommended anytime a home had been vacant for a sustained period (one big plumbing dead-end) and/or winterized.

If not on a chlorinated public water supply, this can be accomplished by using a chlorine bleach solution or hydrogen peroxide.

Flushing for sustained period can sometimes do with a chlorinated public water supply, but not as effective with non-copper plumbing.

Having set storage type water heater temperatures to low, vacation mode or pilot only often done as a safety measure to avoid build-up of hydrogen gas in the plumbing system.

Strange odors can quickly develop when a sacrificial anode has deteriorated.

Water treatment system or filter could be fouled.

Cross-over contamination, syphoning, i.e. fouling from waste or ground water.

May be a condition of the water supply (as mentioned iron reducing bacteria, mineral content, other contamination, aquafer, etc.).