Whenever I wash my hands in hot water or rinse my face, or even shower, the hot water smells of rust or iron. What does this mean?

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Originally Posted by pamelitarose

whenever I wash my hands in hot water or rinse my face, or even shower, the hot water smells of rust or iron. What does this mean?

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It could mean that the coating on the interior of your hot water tank has worn out, and that the tank is rusting from the inside out.

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Originally Posted by iamgrowler

It could mean that the coating on the interior of your hot water tank has worn out, and that the tank is rusting from the inside out.

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Unless you have a very old heater most heaters are glass lined to prevent rust from ocuring. A more likely explanation is that you do not flush your heate out on a regular maintenance schedule and you have mineral build up in the bottom of the tank that's now being sucked up into your system. How old is your heater? Does the hot water have a brownish tinge? Try flushing your heater and let me know if it helps. For long life and fewer troubles you should keep your heater clear of mineral build-up by flushing on a regular schedule. Let me show you how. Attach a hose to the boiler drain at the bottom of the tank. With the pressure on, open the boiler drain and let it run until the water runs clear. You will see a spurt of red,(rust) followed by white grains,(lime or calcium carbonate). This shouldn't take more then a few minutes. Do this monthly to keep it clear. Now flush out your hot water lines on ALL fixtures. Now pull each aerator and clean the screens. Be sure you put them back togather the same way you took them out. Don't forget to flush it out every month. Your heater will thank you for it. Hope this helps, Tom