Eliminating well odor

[Yankeesouth]

I am not sure if this is even possible but I had someone tell me that you can take something out of your hot water tank (solenoid possibly) and that will eliminate the sulfur odor.   Has anyone ever done this? 

[Redoverfarm]

It is the anode rod.  Might try a different one first to see if the odor clears up.  As a last resort removal of the anode road and replacing with a plug will void the warranty of the hoter water tank.  It's purpose is to keep the tank from corroding and rusting out prematurely.

[MountainDon]

Only the hot water smells, not the cold?

Sometimes removing the anode rod can help with the odor but the tank life is shortened. The problem is bacteria in the water making hyrogen sulfide. The tank needs sanitizing. Read this info in this link.

[muldoon]

Sounds like iron bacteria, if it only affects your hot water your in good shape as the only infection is likely in your hot water tank.  If you have off smells or discoloration in your cold water it could be your well or your pressure tank (do you have reddish stains in your toilet bowl?  I have it in my well directly and holding tank and constantly fight it with filtration and sanitization.  In my case the well driller did not seal the well properly and ground bacteria made it inside. 

If you only have issues in the hot water tank you should look to sanitize it throughly with bleach.  Removing the anode may help because it produces hydrogen and hydrogen sulphide.  However it does that for a reason, to stop corrosion in your tank.  If you remove it, you will have a different issue in a few months. 

[hhbartlett]

I had this problem with hot water in our last house. It's caused by a reaction from a certain bacteria in your well water with the magnesium anode rod. You can remove the rod (it's just like a really long smooth bolt in the top of your water tank) and replace it with an aluminium one (they're generic and made for this purpose). That will cure the symptom, but not the disease.

You should, as others have pointed out, disinfect your well. I did it by pouring a couple of bottles of bleach down the well, and running the garden hose into the well for an hour or so. Remove any sediment filters first. While this is going on, open every cold and hot tap in your house one at a time until you smell bleach coming out and then shut them off. Then run the hose away from the well until you can't smell bleach and it runs clear. You will also have to run your taps again until they are clear too. This will disinfect every part of your well & water system. I used to have to do this about once a year, about this time of year after the snow melted.

[Yankeesouth]

Yep, only hot water smells.  Cold water barely has hit of odor.

[Yankeesouth]

How much bleach should I pour in the well?  I am new to this stuff.  I poured about 1/2 gal last year buy didn't run a hose into it. 

[glenn kangiser]

Heat can cause bacteria to multiply faster.  Some in the cold may become a lot in the hot.

I would recommend about a gallon or two of bleach in the well ( more if deep), then run all faucets one at a time until you smell the bleach.  At that point shut each one off with the bleach in the system.  Leave overnight or longer.  As mentioned, after setting, run all faucets until free of bleach smell.  As I recall you need at least 6 hours of contact with the bleach.

[hhbartlett]

How much bleach should I pour in the well?  I am new to this stuff.  I poured about 1/2 gal last year buy didn't run a hose into it.

It depends on how deep your well is. Mine was about 100 feet, and I used 2 full bottles. There is somewhere on the internet that tells you, but a bit more won't hurt anything. Running the hose down the well makes sure that everything in your system gets disinfected.

I recall also just disinfecting my water heater as well for the same reason. I had a sediment filter on my system, so what I did was remove the filter housing, pour some bleach in it, replace it and open a hot water tap for a minute. That draws the bleach into your water heater tank. I let it sit for an hour then emptied the water heater completely (shut off intake valve, shut off breakers, open hot water tap and then open the drain at the bottom of the tank). Seemed to cure it for a while.

[considerations]

"I would recommend about a gallon or two of bleach in the well ( more if deep), then run all faucets one at a time until you smell the bleach.  At that point shut each one off with the bleach in the system.  Leave overnight or longer.  As mentioned, after setting, run all faucets until free of bleach smell.  As I recall you need at least 6 hours of contact with the bleach."

Ditto on this, I cannot comment about running a hose back down the well, having no experience with it.

[Rob_O]

"I would recommend about a gallon or two of bleach in the well ( more if deep), then run all faucets one at a time until you smell the bleach.  At that point shut each one off with the bleach in the system.  Leave overnight or longer.  As mentioned, after setting, run all faucets until free of bleach smell.  As I recall you need at least 6 hours of contact with the bleach."

Ditto on this, I cannot comment about running a hose back down the well, having no experience with it.

Running the hose down the well casing sanitizes the casing so if the water level rises the well won't re-infect itself

[hpinson]

How old is the tank?  If over 10 years and not maintained maybe it's time for a new one?

Give that bleach some time to work.  24 hours in the well would not hurt.