Hello -- Last weekend, I opened up the vacation cottage and turned on the hot water (after being left on the "vacation" setting all winter). There was a distinct smell of stagnant water... almost like a sewerage smell. I let the hot water in the shower run, and the two other sinks to no avail. I still have it. I'm going again this weekend, any suggestions? I can't drain the sediment out of the hot water heater because it's in a hole and there are spiders all over the hot water tank. What do you think?

I think a lot of the answer here is what you don't want to do, which is purge out the sediments in the hot water heater. Then you know its basically out of the loop. If the cold water is fine then its back to the hot water heater.

How long did you let the hot water run to completely get rid of the old water and new is in. If it was a long time and that didn't get rid of the smell time to purge and clean out heater.

Hi -- I let the hot water run for about 15 minutes. The cold water is just perfect, no odor. Do you think I didn't let it run long enough?

21 Boat --- picture this. This huge hot water heater is in the yard in a semi-shed, but dug down in a hole. Now then, just to turn it from the vacation setting to "HOT," what I have to do is hang inside the hole upside down by my feet. Plus, the spiders are all over and they look like taranchas... if you can imagine that. This is at Cape Cod Massachusetts, the spinder capitol of the world. I simply can't hang in there and drain it off. I could hire a plumber to do it though. Do you think I need one?

Run more water through it for a while. Again if that doesn't solve it then call a plumber.

I don't know how old the heater is to begin with which has nothing to do with the smell. A plumber can purge it for you and maybe assess the age of it being its in the hole and hard to see if its rusting Or check the elements for lime build up.

A service check up being its used casually

It may not be water in your heater at all. It is a closed, pressurized system.

Source of your smell is probably shower drain, floor drain and /or sink traps.