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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Charlotte NC
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    2,304

    Default Rotten egg hot water.

    I know this has been discussed before. Water heater has not been used for sometime and now has a terrible smell. This is a short sale, as is. Young lady 1st time buyer. I know the drill-- leave it to a licensed plumber to come up with a solution, but I would like to give this young girl good advice.

    What I would do is have a plumber treat the hot water system with chlorine. To do this may require installing a whole house water filter to inject shock chlorine into the water heater, may be another way? I don't want to see her buy a new water heater if it is not necessary.

    Your thoughts please.

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    1,828

    Default Re: Rotten egg hot water.

    Google it,Lots of sites explain the fix. Also you can turn the water heater up over 140 degrees i think for 2 days to kill the bacteria.


  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Charlotte NC
    Posts
    2,304

    Default Re: Rotten egg hot water.

    Thanks Wayne.


  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Near Philly, Pa.
    Posts
    1,682

    Exclamation Re: Rotten egg hot water.

    Rotten egg odor is indicative of sulphate-reducing bacteria. Hard water or unused heaters are more prone to it.

    First, flush the sediment from the tank. The sludge is a breeding ground for goobers.
    Next, replace the anode rod with zinc or aluminum. The aluminum is less prone to supporting bacteria but zinc will react with sulphites and reduce the odor directly.
    Third, add one pint of hydrogen peroxide per 40 gallons. This will oxygenate the water and get rid of anerobic bateria. Reconnect, fill and flush the tank.

    It takes about 160-170*F to kill goobers, which is a severe scald hazard. When the water temp. is turned down, the goobers will return unless the above are done.
    HTH,
    Bob

    Keep the fire in the fireplace.

  5. #5
    Matt Vozzella's Avatar
    Matt Vozzella Guest

    Default Re: Rotten egg hot water.

    I've seen places that have a whole house filter cause the smell. The filter removes the chlorination that the city uses in the water but the chlorination was killing the bacteria that produce the smell. The fix was to either remove the filter, add additional filters to remove the bacteria, or change the anode rod in the water heater.

    This apparently isn't an issue with the house in question but I felt it was relavent to the conversation as a whole.


  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Fletcher, NC
    Posts
    28,032

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Tyler, TX
    Posts
    720

    Default Re: Rotten egg hot water.

    The anode rod inside the water heater. This one was taken out of a water heater I inspected. The smell in the house was terrible.

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