Smelly water!!!!

[eillac@dow]

Anyone got ideas on why the "well" water in our cottage stinks! It is actually my brother's place, but I know he is perplexed. We have been told the smell is "sulphur".....any thoughts on what the problem is and how to correct? Thank you!

[Formula260SS]

Sounds like Hydrogen Sulfide, a Carbon filter will take care of it. You can use a small cartridge type filter or a larger backwash filter. Just google it, there is plenty of info on the internet

[Shedwannabe]

It happens. A place I rented had horrible smelling water - a new carbon filter took much of the smell away, but showers were still a smelly affair at first.... and then... you get used to it. its hard to believe. I always wondered how pig farmers could stand the smell, but you just...get used to it. Visitors would always comment and I had forgotten about the smell....

[DickR]

We've had a similar situation. Without an actual water test, the symptoms make me think it is "iron bacteria." If the system is used daily, the pipes and water heater are flushed well enough so that the smell is barely noticeable. When we are just weekending, it is strong when we first come in, as the water in the system has been sitting for 5 days at favorable temperatures.

What I have been doing recently when we leave after a weekend is to turn off the heater breaker and supply valve to the heater, open the hot water faucets until the dribbles stop, open the drain valve at the bottom (to which is attached a hose connection that runs down and outside), and let the tank drain to empty. It helps to lift the relief valve lever at the top to break suction, although I suspect that ultimately air would flow back from the tub faucet close by to vent the tank. As we leave, I turn off the pump breaker as well.

Coming back in, use of the toilet a couple of times and opening the cold faucet in the tub empties much of the water left in the air tank underneath the house. Then I close the vent and drain valves on the hot water heater, then open the supply valve. It takes a few minutes to refill the tank. When it is full, as indicated by water coming from the hot faucets, I turn the breaker back on to have hot water in the morning.

Evacuating the bulk of the system and letting the normal use of the cold side during restart flush has eliminated the smell.

[wifi]

I had the same problem when I switched from lake water to well a few years back. My well is higher in iron and manganese and the bacteria from the lake had lots of food. I had to flush and clorox my system several times and change the anode in the water heater to a less friendly metal.

[Acres per Second]

Www.winnipesaukee.com has a great depth of well water options.

Oops...:o that could have been worded better. :emb:

Well, these www.winnipesaukee.com links might pinpoint exactly the solution to your water problem. :look: One problem was traced to a dead mouse in the well! :eek2:

However, reading the following links is a form of schadenfreude for us on lake water: because there were never any Radon issues—and no longer any MtBE issues—you might want to switch to lake water for better quality water! :D

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4060
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/showthread.php?p=87614
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/showthread.php?p=86962
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/showthread.php?p=97370
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...ead.php?t=7097
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/showthread.php?p=40777
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/showthread.php?p=38694

[Kamper]

I added a link to this, to a similiar question, on another forum I visit. I think this tip might help some folks with this problem.

http://www.thehulltruth.com/dockside-chat/254375-home-water-plumbing-help-sulfur-related.html#post2634426

You need to put an aerator on your plumbing system. Basically its a big fiberglass tank that the water sprays into it with fine mist sprinkler heads. This will remove the majority of your sulfur. It requires another pump to go inside this tank to pump inside the house. The sulfur is not hurting your glass lined tank its just the sulfur oxide coating the inside but want hurt anything. Smells terrible like rotten eggs.