Plumbing Question 29
Question:
I recently added 2 1/2 baths on to my existing home. We are using the same well. We split the line at the well to run to the new addition. I do have two separate water heaters and two separate water softeners – one for the existing and one for the addition.
My problem is the water on the new addition smells like rotten eggs. Could this be the water softener? The smell is only on the new addition; the existing side does not smell.
Answer:
You may be getting a reaction from a zinc anode rod from the new water heater. Try draining some water from the drain cock into a bucket. Is it smelly and kind of grayish?
If it is, you need to drain the water out of the heater, change the anode rod, pour a quart of bleach into the water heater inlet, fill the tank back up, (do not light yet), run water from the Hot water side of the fixture furthest from this heater until you smell bleach, continue doing this to each faucet until you smell bleach from all fixtures. (Run a little cold water when you start to smell the bleach so it will also clean the cold line). Now you can light the heater.
The bleach will kill the bacteria which is “growing” in your water lines and water heater. This was caused by a chemical reaction from a “bad” anode rod with a higher zinc content than it should have.
Follow-up Question:
It has a magnesium anode rod, not zinc. Would this be the same situation? Does aluminum work better?
Follow-up Answer:
Even a Mag rod will still have some zinc in it as most metals are blends. (A pure Mag rod would be quite costly). Yes, Aluminum would work better. Also, I forgot to mention you will also need to flush out the brine tank on the softener with bleach. I usually empty the tank with a shop vac and add the bleach. Put the control timer on a manual rinse cycle to flush the bleach through the lines. After this has been done add your sodium or potassium and rinse one more time. You could also try putting a cartridge filter on the incoming line from the well. Ace Hardware sells a filter housing that is clear which allows you to “see” when it needs changing. Get a cartridge that is for “smells and odors”.