I posted several months back about how the colored cloths coming out of our High efficiency washer smelled like rotten eggs.
A little history:
1) Well water tested. All was fine
2) Shock treated the well just to make sure
3) Ran the cleaning cycle on the washing machine weekly rather than the once each month like the manual says to do.
4) Boiled some of the well water to make sure zero sulfur in the well.
Still had smelly cloths. Real smelly when they get damp again like towels or sweating in a Tee shirt.
So asked on here and researched the anode rod in the hot water heater. Seems the likely cause of the trouble. Proved it by washing the colored cloths in straight cold water rather than warm water. The cloths washed in cold have ZERO smell. Also now that we are not using as much hot water through the washer the hot water at the kitchen sink has an odor.
So I thought I would just change the anode rod. Even that seems to be an issue. Some are telling me to replace the original with a aluminum/zinc combination rod. Then another source says that the Aluminum/zinc rod is actually poisonous for human consumption. Others tell me to just remove it all together. Some say to get a "powered" anode rod for the water heater. So all I am real sure about now is that I am confused on what/how to fix this issue.
Would just replacing the water heater solve the problem?? Will the new water heater's anode rod make the water smell too??? The reason I am asking I is that with the rebates from the utility company a new water heater is not much higher than the anode rod to needed to fix the current one. Plus the current heater is 12 years old.
This is well water with a water softener and filter being used.
I do not want a gas water heater. Getting the propane supplied to the heater and a vent outside would be a real fight on where the plumbing is on this house.
So what the heck should I do??????
A little history:
1) Well water tested. All was fine
2) Shock treated the well just to make sure
3) Ran the cleaning cycle on the washing machine weekly rather than the once each month like the manual says to do.
4) Boiled some of the well water to make sure zero sulfur in the well.
Still had smelly cloths. Real smelly when they get damp again like towels or sweating in a Tee shirt.
So asked on here and researched the anode rod in the hot water heater. Seems the likely cause of the trouble. Proved it by washing the colored cloths in straight cold water rather than warm water. The cloths washed in cold have ZERO smell. Also now that we are not using as much hot water through the washer the hot water at the kitchen sink has an odor.
So I thought I would just change the anode rod. Even that seems to be an issue. Some are telling me to replace the original with a aluminum/zinc combination rod. Then another source says that the Aluminum/zinc rod is actually poisonous for human consumption. Others tell me to just remove it all together. Some say to get a "powered" anode rod for the water heater. So all I am real sure about now is that I am confused on what/how to fix this issue.
Would just replacing the water heater solve the problem?? Will the new water heater's anode rod make the water smell too??? The reason I am asking I is that with the rebates from the utility company a new water heater is not much higher than the anode rod to needed to fix the current one. Plus the current heater is 12 years old.
This is well water with a water softener and filter being used.
I do not want a gas water heater. Getting the propane supplied to the heater and a vent outside would be a real fight on where the plumbing is on this house.
So what the heck should I do??????