Skunky smelling water???

[Coach1310]

My water has a pretty awful smell to it recently. I have a dug well, no softener or treatment system of anykind. Anyone know what could be causing it?? To be honest when you put your nose up to it, it almost smells like propane...I checked the water heater and everything seems to be working fine and no odor there. Any help would be great. Thanks

[Shack]

Minnesota Ground water! I have a fairly new well that is very deep. I have almost no Iron or other hard water junk, but do have the smell at times. It seems to be after wife has been running kitchen sink for a long period of time. I drink water out of fridge door (filtered).

Reverse Osmosis or house filter I would think would help!

[Surface Tension]

You can get a smell coming from the drain. Of coarse the P trap is there to stop sewer gases from entering the home.

However, if the water is running down the drain you can get gases coming through. Also if you have the stopper removed the water gets a straight shot to the drain and isn't defused, and more gases can escape as the waters running.

So fill a glass and sniff it away from the drain.

We've had a lot of rain in my area. Could be your dug well is getting ground water coming in. When is the last time you disinfected your well? Household bleach mixed in a 5 gal bucket and dumped down the well. Take a garden hose and run it till you smell bleach. Rinse down the well cap and case with that hose. Next go in the house and run all the facets till you small bleach. Flush the toilets. I let the washer go though a hot water cycle to get the bleach water into the hotwater heater. Let all that sit overnight.

I drain the entire system with a garden hose out into the woods. I don't want that getting into the septic. Don't forget to drain the hotwater heater too.

[Shack]

Quote:

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You can get a smell coming from the drain. Of coarse the P trap is there to stop sewer gases from entering the home.

However, if the water is running down the drain you can get gases coming through. Also if you have the stopper removed the water gets a straight shot to the drain and isn't defused, and more gases can escape as the waters running.

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Vert good info!

[IFallsRon]

The rotten egg smell is hydrogen sulfide. It's pretty common.

[Coach1310]

Thanks for all the info. Will the disinfecting process eliminate my problem of the smell from hydrogen sulfide? Should I be worried about drinking/using the water if it still smells? Thanks

[Craigums]

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The rotten egg smell is hydrogen sulfide. It's pretty common.

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This is probably the most correct comment...it's a gas that is common in wells. I would recommend either shocking the well with bleach/chlorine....or purchasing a solution dispensing system to inject chlorine into your water coupled with a blending tank. Your best bet is to get your water tested. the only reason I know this is because I do tech support for water treatment products

[backlash 1]

Another vote for clorinating the well.

The only other thing it could be would be the iron anode rod in the water heater, only if the water heater has been replaced fairly recently, and the smell would be on the hot side only. ( that makes a rotten egg smell also )

[Surface Tension]

I would have mentioned hydrogen sulfide if the well wasn't a shallow dug well. Could be wrong but from what I've seen you don't get that rotten egg smell with shallow wells.

I'd disinfect the well then have it tested in a month.

For the nuts of it, pull the top off the stools water tank. Is there a pink line at the water level?

[Surface Tension]

Craigums, I'm intrested in the clorine injection and blending tank. How well does it remove that smell and whats the average cost?

[Coach1310]

Our water heater was replaced about 3 months ago. Is that recent enough?? If so could you explain exactly what you are talking about the iron anode rod? Thanks. I will try the bleach process this weekend and see what happens. Thanks a bunch guys.

[sparcebag]

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Our water heater was replaced about 3 months ago. Is that recent enough?? If so could you explain exactly what you are talking about the iron anode rod? Thanks. I will try the bleach process this weekend and see what happens. Thanks a bunch guys.

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Coach its a magnesium rod made as sacrificial member if any thing rusts,corrodes that rod gets it before any internal components of the water heater.Some say remove it some say leave it.I prefer to leave it to serve its purpose! if it was'nt meant to be there it would'nt.And the bleach is only thing I use to stop smell,I do it in spring and now this time of year. I also flush out water heater and pressure tank.If ya wanna look at annode its the 7/8 nut on top of water heater.I think 7/8??? well ya cant miss it.

[Coach1310]

Thanks. I will give it a run, probably this weekend. I will be sure to report back. Thanks again everyone.

[Craigums]

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Another vote for clorinating the well.

The only other thing it could be would be the iron anode rod in the water heater, only if the water heater has been replaced fairly recently, and the smell would be on the hot side only. ( that makes a rotten egg smell also )

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This cannot be the cause because he does not have a water softener to react with the anode rod

[Craigums]

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Craigums, I'm intrested in the clorine injection and blending tank. How well does it remove that smell and whats the average cost?

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Its probably the best way to remove the Hydrogen Sulfide but likewise its the most expensive. sears sells the chlorine injection system and blending tank under the kenmore name...Another possibility if the hydrogen sulfide levels are low you may be able to squeek by with an Activated Carbon filter, although they are not designed to handle sulfide I have heard of people getting good results with them, it would also be the cheaper route to go with

[Shack]

Hey Sparce!

Surface,

I put your theory to the test and it worked. Smell is not there, until sink is ran a long time. I took a sample of water after running until smell occurred! The glass did not smell (water)!

Now I have answer for my wife.

Thanks!

[backlash 1]

Water softner has nothing to do with the anode rod. 3 months is about perfect for the water to react with a new anode rod. Pull the anode rod out , replace with 3/4 galv plug and try that. Chances are, if this smell has just started since the water heater has been replaced ( 3 mths ),this is the problem.