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Thad in AR. 
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Arkansas
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 Topic: Sulfur in well water
Posted: 30 Nov 2021 at 5:13pm |
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We recently drilled a new well. Has a surfer smell when water first comes out.
Worse with hot water.
Anyone dealt with this?
Any advice?
Looking at a backwash filter
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steve(ill)
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: illinois
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Posted: 30 Nov 2021 at 5:32pm |
We use to add a couple cups of CHLORINE BLEACH every 2-3 weeks , when we had a well 30 years ago... Its the Hydrogen Sulfide that smells....... Water heater can also "manufacture" hydrogen sulfide as it heats the water ( if its a hot water problem).
---------------------------------- Chlorine bleach can effectively remove medium to high levels (over 6 mg/l) of hydrogen sulfide. The chlorine in the bleach chemically reacts with (oxi- dizes) the hydrogen sulfide eliminating the "rotten egg" odor. Chlorine bleach also reacts with iron or manganese, and disinfects water supplies.
Edited by steve(ill) - 30 Nov 2021 at 5:33pm
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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jaybmiller
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Greensville,Ont
Points: 24336
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Posted: 30 Nov 2021 at 5:34pm |
friend still has it, after 40 years.... has a chlorinator pump/tank system between pump and house... air bubbler near foot valve in well,supposed to 'break down' the sulphur BEFORE getting into the 'plumbing'.
Has plastic foot valve(suphur 'eats' cast iron.....)
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plummerscarin
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Joined: 22 Jun 2015
Location: ia
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Posted: 30 Nov 2021 at 5:43pm |
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The sulfer reacts with the magnesium anode rod in the water heater which is why it is more noticeable in hot water. Replace that with an aluminum one. It does not protect as well as the original but odor should be reduced
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Thad in AR.
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Location: Arkansas
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Posted: 30 Nov 2021 at 6:33pm |
 plummerscarin wrote:
The sulfer reacts with the magnesium anode rod in the water heater which is why it is more noticeable in hot water. Replace that with an aluminum one. It does not protect as well as the original but odor should be reduced |
Can I get one at a plumbing supply?
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AllisFreak MN
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Joined: 07 Dec 2009
Location: Minnesota
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Posted: 30 Nov 2021 at 7:29pm |
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I removed the magnesium rod all together, and put a plug fitting in its place. The stink disappeared and it's been this way for 22 years and counting. Same water heater all this time.
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'49 A-C WD, '51 A-C WD, '63 A-C D17 Series III, 1968 A-C One-Seventy, '82 A-C 6060, '75 A-C 7040, A-C #3 sickle mower, 2 A-C 701 wagons, '78 Gleaner M2
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steve(ill)
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Posted: 30 Nov 2021 at 7:33pm |
If you want the Aluminium for anode protection, YES, they are available about anywhere.
just screws into the 3/4 inch plug...... IF you can get it out !
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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plummerscarin
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Posted: 30 Nov 2021 at 9:17pm |
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Be sure to use a 6 point socket. They are in TIGHT!
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Ray54
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Joined: 22 Nov 2009
Location: Paso Robles, Ca
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Posted: 01 Dec 2021 at 1:37pm |
A neighbor had a artisan well that was very strong sulfur. He ran water over a big screen with little ridges every inch or 2 to disperse it out to let the sulfur out into the air. Others that had to pump it up anyway put it though a sprinkler to land in a open topped tank to air it out.
But your seem like much less sulfur than these where dealing with.
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john(MI)
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: SE MI
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Posted: 01 Dec 2021 at 5:14pm |
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I just take that rod out and put a plug in the hole. I also have a two filter tall filter that just uses the paper filters, and a softner. The softner works on water use rather than time. The softner company tests the water and determines at what amount of use the water needs treated. The only problem with our water now is we occasionally get salty water. We do not have the sulfer smell or iron smell. I keep a gallon jug of our water in the fridge and drink that water most of the time. Occasionally get a salty jug!
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Thad in AR.
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Posted: 02 Dec 2021 at 5:15am |
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A friend of mine who is our plumber at work is working on this with us. We’re sending a sample off to be tested. We’ll decide which system to buy after we get results.
I’m leaning towards a backwash filter. He recommends a carbon / charcoal filter in addition.
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Tom6070
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: Kendallville IN
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Posted: 02 Dec 2021 at 9:32pm |
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Get a plastic water heater from Menard's. They cost twice as much or more but they work great. Totally eliminated the sulfur smell in my water. Going on 20 years now.
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shameless dude
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Posted: 02 Dec 2021 at 11:10pm |
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what does that rod in the water heater protect?
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shameless dude
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Posted: 02 Dec 2021 at 11:18pm |
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we had wonderful tasting water with no sulfer smell since the time the well was drilled in 1953. had to have a new pump installed as it had quit, well company pulled the pipe up, replaced the pump, then he poured something down the tube. wouldn't tell me what it was, but the water now has the sulfer smell and the great taste is gone. caught the well company owner in town and he said that if it's like that we need to have a new well drilled. BS! come to find out thru the years, that is that company's way of bilking people. telling them they need a new well drilled when they don't need it done. most are city people that move to the country and don't know any better! ours is still working fine, and if we let the water sit a bit before using, the sulfer smell diminishes alot.
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dee_veloper
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Posted: 03 Dec 2021 at 3:00am |
shameless dude wrote:
what does that rod in the water heater protect? |
The anode rod is a sacrificial rod that protects against corrosion inside the tank.
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Thad in AR.
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Location: Arkansas
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Posted: 03 Dec 2021 at 3:27pm |
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Bought an aluminum anode today. Gonna flush and clean the water heater and install this weekend. I’m thinking they got a lot of mud in our house cause they didn’t flush the well.
Doing a water test Monday to see if we need a filter or not.
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Clay
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: Udall, Kansas
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Posted: 03 Dec 2021 at 6:13pm |
The mud may be caused by the well short cycling. If the foot valve is stuck or worn out, the well will pump until the pressure cut out switch is activated. Once the pressure decreases enough, the pump will start again. If the pump shuts off and then restarts in a short period of time and starts again, this is short cycling. Water is drawn up the pipe and then dumps back down the pipe. Our well did this several years ago. A new foot valve cured the problem. Electric bill dropped, water cleared up and filters now last along time before they need changing.
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desertjoe
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Posted: 04 Dec 2021 at 5:59am |
Hey Clay,,,what is a "Foot Valve" and where does it go on a well,,? We have never had one on the well next door and I'm fixing to install a new pump as the old pump did not work after having sat for a couple of years.
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plummerscarin
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Posted: 04 Dec 2021 at 6:16am |
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New term for me. Check valve?
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Thad in AR.
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Posted: 04 Dec 2021 at 7:06am |
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I remember the old shallow well pumps (no n submersible) having a foot valve.
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steve(ill)
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Posted: 04 Dec 2021 at 8:26am |
Check valve and foot valve do the same thing... Stop water from running backward out of the pump... keep pump primed.. FOOT valve goes at the BOTTOM of the suction line into the water... Check valves can be somewhere else in the line ( normally on the Discharge)... Both stop water from RETURNING to the well.
Thad is right, its the SHALLOW WELL systems that have a foot valve at the BOTTOM of the suction tube...... Deep wells or submersed pumps normally have a check valve at the top or in the house.
Edited by steve(ill) - 04 Dec 2021 at 8:31am
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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DonBC
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Posted: 05 Dec 2021 at 6:15pm |
I have had experience has been with iron bacteria that can occur in water with a fairly high iron content. My first experience was with a 200', 8" diameter well in a valley deigned to produce 200 gpm. It actually had significant artisian flow. They had to get a professional outfit to come and disinfect that well. If you mixed whiskey with that water an interesting side affect was that the drink turned black. I would occasionally get the sulfur smell from the well water at my previous home so I got in the habit of dumping a couple of tablespoons of chlorine for my hot tub down the well once a month. I would use the hot tub test kit to test the chlorine levels at the kitchen tap. I also changed the anode in each of our hot water tanks as well.
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Thad in AR.
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Posted: 31 Dec 2021 at 6:58am |
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Plumber froiend had me run the water several times to flush everything. I let it run for 4-5 hrs at a time.
We did a water test and it’s safe for drinking but will still leave sediment in the sinks and toilets on occasion.
Still stinks when water first turns hot.
Plumber came out and installed 2 big filter housings. One has a cheap pleated filter and the next a carbon filter.
No more dirty water and no more smell.
Supposed to change filters every 3 months.
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DMiller
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Posted: 31 Dec 2021 at 7:22am |
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We have a slight sulphur odor to our water, standard Filtrete inline filter takes care of odor(Carbon Element), softener takes care of hardness and deposits. Good water otherwise.
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