help! any plumbers here?

[mikenbecw]

Re: help! any plumbers here?

I have had to shock my well a few times, for best results I reccomend the following:
Pick a time when you can go without using any water for most of the day. Then add the bleach (couple gallons).
Hook up a garden hose on one of your outside taps and place the end back down your well and circulate for a few hours.
Open each tap (hot and cold), one at a time, in your house until you smell the bleach then close them and let it sit and work.
When you are finished circulating you will probably want to run your taps for a while so the bleach smell isn't too strong when you want to shower.
If you have a septic tank you may want to use a hose and run the water out on the ground to not risk "killing your tank"

One other issue I had with well water that resulted in that smell was the zinc anode reacting, you could try a magnesium one.

Good luck.

 

[markernineteen]

Re: help! any plumbers here?

Wow !

 

[ondarvr]

Re: help! any plumbers here?

I had the same issue, 10+ years of very good water, then the guy next door put in well less than 100' from mine. After that it smelled if we either had a great deal of rain, or if we had no rain, normal rainfall and there was no smell. Bleach sort of worked, but it would come back after a while. I moved before I found a solution to the problem.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: help! any plumbers here?

One other issue I had with well water that resulted in that smell was the zinc anode reacting, you could try a magnesium one.

Good luck.

You should be switching the other way, if at all.
Magnesium is more reactive and will cause more problem than the zinc if you are in a hydrology zone that has this issue.

 

[mikenbecw]

Re: help! any plumbers here?

You should be switching the other way, if at all.
Magnesium is more reactive and will cause more problem than the zinc if you are in a hydrology zone that has this issue.

You are probably correct! I just remembered that I had one and needed to switch to the other as it was causing me some issues and smell. I changed it, shocked the well and it was all good again. Previous "shockings" would only last a couple days because the issue was in the new hot water tank and not the well.

 

[bandit86]

Re: help! any plumbers here?

You are probably correct! I just remembered that I had one and needed to switch to the other as it was causing me some issues and smell. I changed it, shocked the well and it was all good again. Previous "shockings" would only last a couple days because the issue was in the new hot water tank and not the well.

and that hot water anode made your cold water smell as well?

 

[rbh]

Re: help! any plumbers here?

No, the reason your cold water stinks is because its coming strait from your well to the faucet untreated.
The hot water side is going through the water softner, and thats taking 80-90% of the bacteria/minerals out that are causing the stink.
(dont know what you have in your water)
shocking the well with bleach kills any bacteria, as well as clean out some of the crud from your lines if in a high enough quantity.
after you shock the well and the bleach smell is gone you may want to
A) install reverse osmossis filter system.
B) use a active charcoal water filter for example- britta
C) replump so cold water comes out of the water softner circuit(will be salty)
D) install UV light to kill the bacteria before it goes into the water softner/cold distribution lines.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: help! any plumbers here?

A water softener does NOT remove bacteria.

Also, OP still hasn't confirmed that this smell is "rotten egg" type.

Good summary from MN Health website:

How can I find the source of a hydrogen sulfide problem, and what can I do to eliminate it?
The odor of hydrogen sulfide gas can be detected in water at a very low level. Smell the water coming out of the hot and cold water faucets. Determine which faucets have the odor. The "rotten egg" smell will often be more noticeable from the hot water because more of the gas is vaporized. Your sense of smell becomes dulled quickly, so the best time to check is after you have been away from your home for a few hours. You can also have the water tested for hydrogen sulfide, sulfate, sulfur bacteria, and iron bacteria at an environmental testing laboratory. The cost of testing for hydrogen sulfide ranges from $20 to $50 depending on the type of test.

If the smell is only from the hot water faucet the problem is likely to be in the water heater.

If the smell is in both the hot and cold faucets, but only from the water treated by a water softener and not in the untreated water the problem is likely to be sulfur bacteria in the water softener.

If the smell is strong when the water in both the hot and cold faucets is first turned on, and it diminishes or goes away after the water has run, or if the smell varies through time the problem is likely to be sulfur bacteria in the well or distribution system.

If the smell is strong when the water in both the hot and cold faucets is first turned on and is more or less constant and persists with use the problem is likely to be hydrogen sulfide as in the groundwater.

 

[rbh]

Re: help! any plumbers here?

Our biggest issue here is IRON
A water softner will remove iron for the most part and will remove almost all if it has an built in iron filter, "IRON BACTERIA" for the most part attaches itself, or becomes part of the iron content.
the bacteria can be controlled in the well by use of bleach through the shocking procedure.
I do not know what the OP has in his well thats giving him the smell on the "COLD" side, but the water softner is definetaly taking it out before it hits the hot water heater, agreed???
We do not have an issue with "hydrogen sulfide", but our neighbour does, he has been trying to aerate the well, so as to release the gas from the water.
(not sure how thats working for him)
people we know of have a problem with natural gas or coal bed methane
"YOU DONT LIGHT A MATCH WHEN THE WATERS RUNNING" BOOOOM
and a UV light installed in line will kill off bacteria if they are present in your water.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: help! any plumbers here?

Our biggest issue here is IRON
I do not know what the OP has in his well thats giving him the smell on the "COLD" side, but the water softner is definetaly taking it out before it hits the hot water heater, agreed???
.

I don't think that is confirmed for sure.
OP will have to answer that one.
That, and a better description of the type of odour.

 

[bandit86]

Re: help! any plumbers here?

I still dont know if I would call it a rotten egg smell, first thought is still "mineral" whatever that conveys.

 

[marlboro180]

Re: help! any plumbers here?

I still dont know if I would call it a rotten egg smell, first thought is still "mineral" whatever that conveys.

Have you checked the ph of the water?

 

[Tubingluvr]

Re: help! any plumbers here?

I had the same problem when I bought my current house....smell would get worse at times and other times wouldn't hardly be noticable.

I installed a whole house charcoal cartridge filter that I change on a regular basis which solved my problem.

I can't remember for sure but it seems like it was between $50 and $100 and can be purchased at any home improvement or hardware store