Something rotten in Denmark

GordoSD · Oct 10, 2013

I had a new water heater installed about a month ago. About ten days ago I started smelling hydrogen sulfide (like rotten eggs)in the hot water in the sink.
This morning I took a shower and I actually thought, "I am going to smell worse after this shower".
I am on a well. Been on it for 13 years and never smelled it before. There is no noticeable smell in the cold water.
Can this be a fault in the heater?

GVSII · Oct 10, 2013

Not the fault of the heater itself but the sacrificial anode in the heater.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 10, 2013

Your new water heater no doubt has a magnesium anode rod in it. Remove it, install an aluminum anode rod, problem solved. Well around here will stink forever with magnesium rods in them. Simple to change. Tom

rrlund · Oct 10, 2013

I know JUST what you mean. I put a new one in about a year and a half ago. Same size,same brand,same everything as the old one. Got both at the local hardware store. This one absolutely STUNK. The guy at the hardware store told me to call the company,DO NOT bring it back. You could run water in the tub and it was actually black. Somebody at the company said it was the anode rod,but they didn't offer to do anything about it. The brother in law is a plumber,he said he'd get something done. Nothing.

It's better for the most part after all this time,has an occasional flare up,but mostly we just lived with it til it got a little better.

gab · Oct 10, 2013

What"s that rod do, I put a new lower element in mine a couple years ago and cleaned out all the lime I could get along with a few pieces of what looked like a fat welding rod.

GVSII · Oct 10, 2013

(quoted from post at 15:58:17 10/10/13) What"s that rod do, I put a new lower element in mine a couple years ago and cleaned out all the lime I could get along with a few pieces of what looked like a fat welding rod.

The"fat welding rod" is part of the anode.The anode is there to cut down the corrosion.

Michael Soldan · Oct 10, 2013

The anode rod collects all kinds of crud and bacteria,shut you water supply off ,unscrew it,cut it off with a hacksaw and put the plug back in..the tank will only last 17 year instead of 19..thats about the difference,my neighbour and I installed a nipple and a ball valve where the anode went,I can shut off the water,pour a cupful of Javex in the tank ,close the ball valve and turn the water supply on..only need to do that twice a year and our water is sweet and hot for showers!

rrlund · Oct 10, 2013

The trouble with mine is,when I went to take it out,there wasn't a plug where I thought it should be. I cut the old one open and the rod was inside the dip tube or whatever you call it. Not something that was just that simple to pull out.

MarkB_MI · Oct 10, 2013

Most new water heaters have magnesium anodes. Replacing it with an aluminum anode will help. In a few years, once the anode wears out, the smell will go away and you'll have no more problems until the bottom falls out of your heater.

S.Crum · Oct 10, 2013

Same problem here with my new (2 years ago) hot water heater, the dog smelled better than the water! I took the anode rod out of it (threaded out) then put a plug in it. The paperwork say's I voided the warranty by doing this. Has anyone seen a warranty on one of these that was worth the paper it was written on? Water smells fine now (favorite daughter isn't b*****g now) and so what if I have the drop another 250 in ten years, the last one was 24 years old and never leaked.

OH - 961 · Oct 10, 2013

Took the anode rod out of mine and just put a plug in it some 25 or more years ago. Problem solved, and the heater is still working.

Myron

GordoSD · Oct 11, 2013

Talked to the Ace dealer and he said if I used a plug I would void the warrantee. I said why do I need a warrantee on a heater that is now worthless to me? he is sending a "Anode replacement kit."
Tomorrow I will back the anode out and cut it off at the base.
I think I will bottle up a little in some used Perrier bottles for a prank on some hunters coming.

Geo-TH,In · Oct 11, 2013

Someone else told me they had to remove the anode from their water heater. They are on a well. I'm on a well and never did.

Neighbor had the same problem. Bleached his well and problem solved.

John Fulton · Oct 11, 2013

Long term solution is to replace your electric water heater with a tankless on-demand heater. I did 3 years ago and cut my electric bill in half. You can get a tax credit and many companies have significant cash back promotions. My heater was nearly free, but had many other propane set-ups installed at same time.
With an on-demand heater, as long as you have water in the well and gas in your tank, you will have very hot water.

co_mike · Oct 11, 2013

Gordo,
Some folks suggest an aluminum rod as most all heaters come with magnesium, well it didn’t work for me aluminum lasted 4 months and smell came back, pulled rod and smell gone. Since my current heater was the 4th heater since we moved into newly built house in 2004, all covered under warranty at no cost to me. Plumber said that the rods corroded very quickly and then the tanks go away. Even draining the tanks every 6 months didn’t help on any of them. After replacing many rods (most lasting 6 to 8 months before the smell comes back), I finally found an electric device (low voltage) on line (Google – smelly water) that has a titanium wire that has been in the current heater for more than a year and still looks new, although a bit pricey $247.00 but doesn’t void the warranty and no smell. Hoping this extends the life as I have tried everything.
I would have liked a tankless however I don’t have enough voltage to power one since I have a ground source heat pump for heat and A/C, so the electricians tell me. Wish I would have gone with 400amp service for the house. My have to further investigate this solution eventually.
Mike

Something rotten in Denmark

GordoSD

Well-known Member

GVSII

Member

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

rrlund

Well-known Member

gab

Well-known Member

GVSII

Member

Michael Soldan

Well-known Member

rrlund

Well-known Member

MarkB_MI

Well-known Member

S.Crum

Well-known Member

OH - 961

Member

GordoSD

Well-known Member

Geo-TH,In

Well-known Member

John Fulton

Member

co_mike

Member

Similar threads