Sulfur Smell In Hot Water? Here’s 4 Ways To Fix It.

Sulfur Smell In Hot Water is a Widespread Issue

Plumbing and water treatment companies are often faced with complaints pertaining to bad odors emanating from the water heaters. These unpleasant smells are commonly described as ”water smells like rotten eggs” or ”sulfur smell in hot water”.

The odor issues can cause numerous problems for the inhabitants, and often becomes a topic of conversation when guests are around. Today, we present the optimal, most efficient, method to get rid of this sulfur smell in water.

What Are The Causes of This Sulfur Smell In Hot Water?

First and foremost, it is worth noting that the sulfur smell in water can be caused by a number of different reactions.

If the odor is present only in your hot water, it is usually created by the presence of sulphate-reducing bacteria (sulfur bacteria) in your hot water tank. In some cases, it can also be caused by a chemical reaction between your magnesium rod and the hot water.

If the Sulfur Smell is present in both hot and cold water, the problem usually comes directly from the water source and it’s caused by the presence of hydrogen sulfide gas in the water underground. Since it’s coming from your water supply, this problem is the most expensive to fix since you need water tests and water treatment systems.

Here Are The Best Ways to Stop The Sulfur Smell in Hot Water

Preventing the Development of Sulphate-Reducing Bacterium 

Generally seen living in a low-oxygen environment such as water heaters, deep wells, as well as in the plumbing network, this sulfate reducing bacteria take their energy from sulfur. Since they usually proliferate in hot water, it is standard for the rotten egg smell to amplify when faced with these environments.

Temporary Solution: Concentrated Chlorination Treatment 

A temporary solution would be to do a concentrated chlorination treatment (chlorine bleach), which involves adding a predetermined amount of chlorine to your well and circulating the water through all your water systems. Once the smell of chlorine is noticeable throughout your home, simply let the water run until the smell disappears.

It is not recommended to use or consume this water for 24 hours after treatment, which makes this solution much less convenient. In addition, since this is a temporary solution, keep in mind that odors will be back in 1 or 2 months.

Permanent Solution: Corro-Protec Powered Anode

Since 2012, there’s a new way to solve this sulfur smell in house water and it’s guaranteed to work. By creating an environment in the water heater where the sulphate-reducing bacterium is not able to survive, the Corro-Protec anode will be able to stop that sulfur smell in only 24 hours.

In addition to being guaranteed for 20 years, the Corro-Protec only takes 15 minutes to install. Today, more than 80,000 households have adopted this solution and solved their hot water odor problems for good.

Rectifying This Reaction Within Your Water Heater

Each water heater is equipped with a magnesium anode rod in order to temporarily limit corrosion within the tank. In most cases, the smell of sulfur will be caused by high levels of magnesium content water that comes into contact with the original anode already present within the water heater.

If the odor issue in your home water plumbing system comes from the reaction between the magnesium anode and your water, several options are available to you. However, it is important to know that these options are not all good in the long run.

Remove Magnesium Anode (NOT RECOMMENDED) 

It would be possible to eliminate these odors by completely removing the magnesium anode from the tank. However, doing so is very dangerous for the water heater because it will then be without its protection against rust. The weakest and most exposed places will then rust faster forcing you to change your tank after only a few years.

Replace the Magnesium Anode With an Aluminum Anode 

It is also possible to replace the magnesium with an aluminum anode. Water will no longer have a poor chemical reaction while supported by the new anode, and odors should completely disappear.

However, even though aluminum anodes are cheaper than magnesium anodes and last longer, the main issue is that as the anode dissolves, debris tends to harden and sink to the bottom of the reservoir. This can potentially end up in your faucets and cause breakage. In addition, some scientific research raises concern regarding aluminum residues found in water which could have adverse effects on people’s health.

Install an Powered Anode 

In conclusion, a powered anode is the ideal solution to these problems, because in addition to stopping this sulfur smell in hot water in a few hours, these anodes are made from insoluble titanium, which limits their debris.

In addition, this technology requires no maintenance and is good for several years. Corro-Protec anodes are easy to install in your existing tank and will fix the problem, no matter what the cause of the odors, in just a few hours.

Other Kind Of Smell

It is important to know that a water softener will not solve the sulfur smell problem. Be aware that there are other kinds of odors in hot water tanks. This article is only about how to deal with sulfur odor problems. If you have other issues, you can read our full article :

https://www.corroprotec.com/blog/hot-water-tank-isnt-working/