Stumped on sulpher smell in cold water

[jwfrede]

Originally Posted by Billr

The Sulphur smell was coming from My water heater, I had to get a new anode rod (bought a stainless steel one) and cleaned water heater good (used a flexible hose) got all the debris out of it the last time and had no more smell after sanitize.

You may still get sulfur smell out of your hot water heater even after sanitizing. I have a chlorine treatment at home and still get h2s smell after sanitizing. The tank is new, so no sediment, and I have purged the whole house with 200 ppm chlorine 20-50 times. I have a tremendous amount of dissolved minerals in my well water. The best I can figure out is that there is a electrochemical reaction with some kind of sulfite or sulfate compound. It doesn't take much h2s to produce a smell, parts per billion.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

One thing to try. Remove any inline filter ele m.j ent and set valves for winterizing so hot water tank is bypassed and water can be sucked in via antifreeze port.

Mix a sanitizing solution of bleach and water then suck it into antifreeze port with water pump on and cold water turned on at offending faucet(s). As soon as a heavy chlorine smell comes from faucets stop pump and close faucet.

Let sit for a few hours then change valves so water is now coming from city water. Flush well and when done replace filter element.

This will kill any bacteria in the water lines and not require a lengthy flush as it would if the hot water tank wasn't bypassed and fresh water tank was filled with bleach solution.

Nice, but it doesn't get the stub going to the city water inlet. As Thomas says, you have to fill a segment of the city water hose with bleach and run a little into the trailer wy turning on city water and opening taps briefly.

[Billr]

Sorry for the info.
OK, I'm old and forgetful..
(Many anode rods are made of magnesium or aluminum. When these rods corrode, the metals react with the sulfates in the water, turning the sulfate into stinky hydrogen sulfide.)
Replace the Magnesium Anode With an Aluminum Anode, it should last longer in hard water.
You still need to clean the inside of the water heater to get rid of all the loose rod pieces, they last a long time.

[FrankG]

If you inject chlorine or more commonly used Hydrogen Peroxide (8%) into water containing Sulfur, the sulfur will precipitate out and the water will need to be filtered. In a household system this is usually accomplished with a backwashable charcoal filter. In extreme cases the filter medium may change.

Light amounts of sulfur can be removed by aeriation at the faucet.

Chlorination is usually used as a final treatment for sanitizing the water.

To the OP, Have your water tested, fresh sample in a full sealed container. A pint mason jar works well.

[NJKris]

To the OP, Have your water tested, fresh sample in a full sealed container. A pint mason jar works well.

I was intending to have my water tested recently, hundreds of freaking dollars 700? I said forget about it. Let me know if you know of a lab that is not so stupid expensive. My town charges me $10,000 a year in property taxes, but stopped sending out water tests. Unreal.

[Bogieboy]

Originally Posted by Billr

Sorry for the info.
OK, I'm old and forgetful..
(Many anode rods are made of magnesium or aluminum. When these rods corrode, the metals react with the sulfates in the water, turning the sulfate into stinky hydrogen sulfide.)
Replace the Magnesium Anode With an Aluminum Anode, it should last longer in hard water.
You still need to clean the inside of the water heater to get rid of all the loose rod pieces, they last a long time.

The issue is not on the hot side, only the cold. Also my Atwood water heater does not have an anode rod.

[FrankG]

Originally Posted by NJKris

I was intending to have my water tested recently, hundreds of freaking dollars 700? I said forget about it. Let me know if you know of a lab that is not so stupid expensive. My town charges me $10,000 a year in property taxes, but stopped sending out water tests. Unreal.

Ouch, where you live makes a difference. If you are serviced from a municipal water source, your water quality, or lack of, is known and should be public information. On the other hand if you have a privet well, and live in a area abundant with wells, testing should be free to reasonable in cost. If you care to open yourself up, there is the county health department, but they could condemn your well. Most rural plumbing supply houses, actually anyone selling water conditioning products will be able to test for, total dissolved solids (hardness), Sulphur, and PH. Different parts of the country have unique water issues and the locals should know the testing requirements.

[NJKris]

I have a private well, but township has wells they pump from and test. During COVID they stopped people like me from being able to get tested (at contract cost). 10 grand a year just in property taxes, and you get nothing in way of services here. No kids, nobody in school system, no water, no gas, no sewer, no garbage collection (I have to pay for trash pick up privately). Oh, I lied, I do get something, they plow the roads in winter. Badda Bing! Life in NJ.

[Daniel.mullins4]

I have been a drinking water operator for 25 years, a sulfur smell is a result of your water supply, contact your city and ask for the consumer confidence report, this will show water quality results, look for sulfide, iron and manganese, results, when water sets with certain natural elements this can consume oxygen, when the oxygen is consumed you get the rotten egg odor, this condition will eat up chlorine since chlorine is an oxidizer. Let your water supplier know about your experience.

[mnoland30]

Wow, I thought $3400 a year was out of line.

When I lived in Williams, AZ, the city water supply came from a lake which would "turn over" twice a year. I'd pull bath water, and decide if I was dirtier than the water. It was a yellow green color and gave me the "runs" when I drank it. The first time I went to Flagstaff and filled up several 5 gallon jugs for drinking. The second time, I installed a filter at the kitchen faucet, which worked fine.

Worst case was a well system with iron that turned the clothes in the washer orange. We installed a Reverse Osmosis system to solve that.

[Bogieboy]

Originally Posted by Daniel.mullins4

I have been a drinking water operator for 25 years, a sulfur smell is a result of your water supply, contact your city and ask for the consumer confidence report, this will show water quality results, look for sulfide, iron and manganese, results, when water sets with certain natural elements this can consume oxygen, when the oxygen is consumed you get the rotten egg odor, this condition will eat up chlorine since chlorine is an oxidizer. Let your water supplier know about your experience.

I dont believe it has anything to do with the drinking water supply.... the water in the house has no odor, the water in the bathroom of the rv has no odor. Only the cold line to the kitchen faucet in the rv has odor.

Also heres the latest drinking water report, the far right column labeled village of palmyra is where i live.

[mfMcFroggierPod]

Did you have this sulfur problem with the house?
You stated not the hot water on the cold. This eliminates the WH anode rod.

[DouglasReid]

Only the kitchen faucet. Makes me think there is some device beneath the sink that is the source...........is there ANY device/Filter attached inline in the cold water system under there?


If it was coming from anything common to all the water outlets it would be coming from all of them...........


Trace that cold water back the kitchen sink to where it enters the camper or splits off from the rest of the cold water plumbing. You are looking for anything that is unique to the kitchen faucet.

[nomad297]

Carbon is a breeding ground for bacteria. This is why they are not incorporated into well water treatment systems. They are especially bad when left in the heat/sun. This could have been the genesis of your bacteria problem.

Lose the carbon filter, sanitize your system with bleach/chlorine and you will probably be good to go.

Bruce

[Bogieboy]

So i believe i have algae in the hose to the kitchen sink... just looked in the bottom of my keurig, and saw algae growing in it...

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by Bogieboy

So i believe i have algae in the hose to the kitchen sink... just looked in the bottom of my keurig, and saw algae growing in it...

Algae in "hose"........What hose, and where in your water delivery system?.


Im NOT picking on you Im trying to understand what you are telling us.



Your Keurig is not connected directly to that faucet, is it?

[Bogieboy]

Originally Posted by DouglasReid

Algae in "hose"........What hose, and where in your water delivery system?.


Im NOT picking on you Im trying to understand what you are telling us.



Your Keurig is not connected directly to that faucet, is it?

Sory, in the hose or piping from the main city connection to the kitchen faucet. My filter also smelled a bit green, so i replaced that as well... i mixed a "hot" chlorine solution of 1/2 cup to 10 gal and ran that thru all the lines, let sit for approx 2 hrs. Flushed, and we shall see how it does now... i did get a few small black chunks out of the kitchen faucet with the strainer off... i need to drain the fresh tank yet as well, as the solution is still in there.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by Bogieboy

Sory, in the hose or piping from the main city connection to the kitchen faucet. My filter also smelled a bit green, so i replaced that as well... i mixed a "hot" chlorine solution of 1/2 cup to 10 gal and ran that thru all the lines, let sit for approx 2 hrs. Flushed, and we shall see how it does now... i did get a few small black chunks out of the kitchen faucet with the strainer off... i need to drain the fresh tank yet as well, as the solution is still in there.

If the chunks were black algae the chlorine had not yet killed it all.

I would insure ALL your lines have that chlorine solution in them and let it sit overnight.

Then drain and flush until no chlorine smell can be detected at any outlet/.

[Villagerjjm]

Is there a good quality carbon core water filter in new condition between the water tank and the faucet. Mind you, if you sanitize with chlorine with the filter in place it completely nullifies the carbon component and there is nothing you can do except put in a new filter.

[bbells]

Sulfur smell is usually iron bacteria. This is almost always cleared up by flushing the system with a mild bleach solution. Many homes with wells have the problem in their well pipe. Some homes with the problem find they need to remove the anode rod in the water heater - But this is only true if it is just the hot water. If the smell isn't in the water going into your camper, it is caused by something inside. I would mix a solution of about 10% bleach, make sure you fill your tank, and the solution goes through every water line in the camper, especially the hot water - And let it sit 24 hours. Flush it thoroughly when done.