well water

Mike_Lipke · May 10, 2006

My well did the same thing right after I put in a new water heater.
Bleach cured it, but it came back.
Friend of mine is a well driller, says its iron bacteria (not harmful) combining with the anode rod in the water heater. Didn't happen with the old heater cuz the anode rod was gone after 30 years, eaten up.

I got a big wrench and took out the anode rod and replaced it with a 3/4 inch plug. Smell is gone, has never been back.

I may be shortening the life of the heater, but that smell!!!!!!
Gone!!!!!
Any iron filter costs more than a new heater anyway.

Try it, save the anode rod to put back in if this does not work.
Also, you can get a magnesium anode rod, which he says does not create the smell. I think they are about 30 bucks, and screw right in.

hunterridgefarm · May 10, 2006

I recently had the pump replaced in my well. I was talking with the well driller about drilling a well where we are building and that the farm behind where were building had a heavy sulpher content in their well. He said there is a new method of ridding the sulpher. It is an agitator in the well that runs once an hour or so, and a vent on top of the well to allow the sulpher gas to escape. He claimed it would take out all the smell. In some cases all you needed was a vent. I don't know if it is true, but if we get sulpher in our water I'll find out.

JoeR · May 10, 2006

The agitator is how municipal water operators here get rid of the sulphur odor. You can smell it when you drive by too! I always ask my wife if she farted in the car when we drive by a water plant... hahaha!

Joe

cisco · May 10, 2006

And you're drinking this water without knowing what's in it? OK, fine, but what about a grandchild?
I've had 2 wells drilled on my property in the past 6 years, both about 200', as the water at 20' is only good for irrigating, and then only for sulfur tolerant stuff. After I'd run the wells for a day, I sent off samples for a chemical and a bacterial analysis, and I repeated that a year later just to make sure nothing had changed. In my state (S.C.), such is done by a state agency, and doesn't cost over $100 though takes a few weeks for results.
As to sulfur smell, I've still some in the 200' water, so my wife insisted we obtain an aerator (for me, a faint taint of sulfa just means I'm in the South, and that's OK - except when mixed with good booze, which is where I draw the line and use bottled water). There's many ways to accomplish aeration, and to blow off the sulfur smell. The way I chose (for no good reason) involves placing a holding tank (? 100 gallons) in the line from the well, and it has an internal sprinkler system and exhaust fan. That holding tank also has a chlorine injection system that I feed every few months just to purge the tank and lines (pellets are cheap; I'm still using the original $20 purchase). It worked, but then my wife objected to the mineral deposits on the sinks and such, which the water analysis indicated would happen, so now I've also a water softener.
Boy, kind of makes me want to move back into town --- not really.

BlueRidge · May 10, 2006

I'm no expert on well water, but I've been told by a professional that dumping chlorine in blindly can do more harm than good.

Given the complexity of water chemistry (various chemicals, bacteria, etc.), I highly doubt that doing ANYTHING blindly is a good idea.

jloppy · May 10, 2006

I hate to make this an easy fix, but the anode rod in the water heater needs to be changed. Well water reacts with different anode rods in these new water heaters differently. Go to a plumbing supply store (i.e. not Lowe's or Home Depot) and ask them about stinky hot water and the anode rod----This will cure what ails you.

GaryQWA · May 10, 2006

You could have naturally ocurring H2S gas or a bacteria problem. The bacteria would be SRB or IRB which are sulfate or iron reducing bacteria. They are harmless to humans and animals but cause odor and other problems. As you see, chlorine works for a time after being added to the well; but the odor always returns. Beware that adding chlorine to the well can cause other expensive to fix multiple problems and carcinogens in the water.

If the cause is bacteria, you must kill it and to treat the water after leaving the well you can use any disinfectant but not UV. If the odor is from H2S, you can use any oxidizer or oxdizing backwashed or regenerated filter.

In most cases there are no readily available water tests for these types of bacteria but you can test for evidence of them like slime (at/under the water line of any color) in the toilet tanks, or an oily film on the water in the tank etc.. I treated many wells with these problems and one of the best types of treatment is an inline erosion pellet chlorintor and special mixing tank and then a special type carbon in a backwashed filter that is properly sized for your peak demand water flow gpm.

Never use any swimming pool chlorine etc. for potable water use. It's a different type of "chlorine" and very dangerous to your health.

Gary
Quality Water Associates

indebt · May 11, 2006

PH 8.0
Fe 2.43 ppm
Hard 602 mg/1CaCo
Bacteria is negative.
Thanks for the help I will check with a plumber.

GaryQWA · May 11, 2006

It's a rare plumber that knows water treatment.... A water treatment dealer is a much better choice. And you can buy over the internet and install any equipment yourself saving up to a few grand in some cases.

The 602/17.1 converts mg/l (or ppm) to gpg and says your hardness is 35.2 gpg; extremely hard water, plus the iron.

The bacteria they test for is Coliform bacteria and reducing types of bacteria are not found in that test.

Gary
Quality Water Associates