[TritonXJ]

I have read the post about water smelling like rotten eggs but I have not seen any quick solutions to the problem. If there are some plumbers out there that know of a
Do-it-yourself way of fixing this please post.

I have been in my house for 9 years and once in a great while the water will smell for a day or a few hours but now it's all the time.

Thank You...
Doug..

[speedball1]

Hey Doug,'
Need a little more information. Is it hot, cold or both that smell? Pump or city water? Smell just started or has it been around for some time? Answer me and I'll answer you. Regards, Tom

[TritonXJ]

Need a little more information. is it hot, cold or both that smell? Pump or city water? Smell just started or has it been around for some time? Answer me and I'll answer you. regards, Tom

Thx for the quick response Tom..

Sorry it is pump, I have my own well. It is with both hot and cold water more noticeable with the cold to me. It has been about a week now that it has been stinky.

I should probably also mention that lately the toilets have been stained with what looks like rust but does not come off. I have iron in the water that is why I have a filter in the basement, just a small on the pipe filter and it usually gets clogged with iron deposits and I replace it. But lately it has not been getting blocked up but it's letting this what looks like very fine particles through to the toilets and sinks etc. usually it cleans out of the bowls easily but not now.

[twinkiedooter]

Where I work they have stinky water also. I talked to a well driller about this fact and he said what he suggests is having the well dug deeper as you apparently hit a pocket of natural sulphur. Sulphur makes the water stinky. You could also get another water filter on the well. In Florida I had a huge charcoal whole house filter that did wonders for the water I had there. The cylinder looks like one of those big oxygen tanks but was filled with charcoal. The huge filter had a backflush system that I had added as an extra. Once a month I would back flush the filter. I had to change the charcoal in the filter once every 3-4 years. It was well worth it. Then every time I took a shower or bath my skin would be clean vs itchy and stinky.

[letmetellu]

Odor-producing bacteria are often referred to as "iron" or "sulfur-reducing" bacteria. They use iron or sulfur in their life cycle and give off hydrogen sulfide gas. That's the rotten egg odor. The bacteria may form slimy colonies in pipes or toilet tanks and can stain laundry. However, the odor is usually the most objectionable problem.

Shock chlorination is the most common way to disinfect a well. You need to calculate carefully how much chlorine is appropriate for your well size and depth. Make sure the entire system gets disinfected and that chlorine remains in the system 6 to 8 hours. For directions on how to disinfect your well, request publication #5941, Treatment Systems for Household Water Supplies: Chlorination. Treatment

Treatment Systems for Household Water Supplies: Chlorination (Clean Water Series)

[speedball1]

I guess we can rule out "sulfur water" which smells exactly like rotten eggs. But the bacteria that causes water to smell's a different story. I would follow LetMeTellYou suggestion about disinfecting your well.These particals. Tell me more about them. What color? Hard or soft? Any smell to them? What does the water smell like ahead of the filter? As a rule I get a "rotten egg" complaint from the hot water side or a well with water that needs to be aerated before it can be drunk. Your complaint's unusual . Regards, tom

[TritonXJ]

Guys thanks for the help. This Single-pipe Packer Jet Water System is this something internal or are they talking about something else in the steps to shock chlorinate the system? Remember I have my own well and it is about 6 inches across.

Also I remember when my pump was replaced last summer they had me pour about 3/4 of a gallon of bleach directly into the well.

[speedball1]

when my pump was replaced last summer they had me pour about 3/4 of a gallon of bleach directly into the well.

If the source of the contamination is within the well casing or the building, sanitizing the well will often clear up the problem. After completing the well disinfection process, be sure to re-test the water after all of the chlorine is purged from the system.


1) Mix 2 quarts of bleach in 10 gallons of water. Pour the solution into the well while it is being pumped. Keep pumping until the chlorine odor appears at all taps. Re-circulate the water back into the well (via a hose) for at least an hour. Then close the tap and stop the pump.

2) Mix 2 more quarts of bleach in 10 gallons of water and pour this chlorine solution into the well. Allow the well to stand idle for at least 8 hours and preferably 12 to 24 hours.

3) Pump the well to waste, away from grass and shrubbery, through the storage tank and taps, such as an outside connection, until the odor of chlorine disappears. The chlorine may persist for 7 to 10 days depending on how much water is used.

4) After all the chlorine is pumped out, a water sample should be collected and tested to determine whether all contamination has been eliminated. A sterile sample bottle obtained from the testing laboratory is needed to collect the sample.

Remember that disinfection is no assurance that the water entering the well is free of chemical pollution. A positive Coliform Bacteria test after sanitizing the well often indicates that the aquifer itself is contaminated and that the installation of a chlorinator or an ultra-violet light system will be required to control these microorganisms.
Good luck, Tom

[TritonXJ]

Guys I was told that the bleach will only penetrate so far through the system when dumped down the well so it was recommended to go to a pool place and get the chlorine tabs about the size of coal chunks and drop them down the well because they will drop all the way to the bottom.

I was also told do not combine the bleach and chlorine tabs because they don't play well together.

Your thoughts?

[speedball1]

Follow directions. The tablets sound like a better solution to me. Let me know how they work. Good luck, Tom