[StaceyH]

Hi,

I've been trying to determine the source of a rotten eggs smell that was coming from our sinks and shower. At first I thought it was coming from the drains, and that it had to do with the septic system and/or plumbing pipes/vents. However, I have since determined that the source is the COLD water only, from our water softener. The hot water never smells in any of our taps, and the cold water that doesn't come through the softener also doesn't smell. Only the cold water that goes through the softener. The softener is a Kenmore, and it's only been in operation 9 months. I checked the owner's manual, and it suggested that certain water sources might make it necessary to disinfect the softener periodically, by putting some bleach and water into the softener and running on regeneration? Cycle. We did this and the smell went away. After 3 weeks, we are getting whiffs of the smell again. Our question is this: Do we need to buy a whole house water filtration system, or is there a problem with our softener? The water was tested prior to moving in, and contained trace amounts of manganese and higher amounts of iron, but we were told that a plain old water softener should take care of us. Our well is deep (450 feet) so there was little chance of surface contamination, and no nitrites or coliforms present (or at least not in levels harmful to humans). Now we are being told we need a whole house water purification system, but we don't understand why only the water in our softener is stinky. We don't get ugly brown or red rings in our toilets or sinks, or the black or yellow stains on our clothes that often accompany iron in water. Our neighbor doesn't even have a softener and he has very little trouble with iron stains on his toilets. Sears of course doesn't think it's a problem with their softener. Can you give us some advice?

Thanks,

Stacey

[ballengerb1]

I believe your sacrificial anode rod in your water heater is shot. I'd replace the anode (big hex nut on top) first then follow the flushing instructions. The anode allows active hydrogen to build up and it allows bacteria to grow in your tank. You will need to flush the heater with bleach, 1 cup of fresh bleach for every gallon in the heater. Allow to sit for at least an hour and begin flushing. Do not open the safety valve (T&P) use the tap at the both of the tank and leave the supply line open. Let it drain for 30 inutes, shut off supply and allow the tank to drain, then re-fill.

[StaceyH]

I believe your sacrificial anode rod in your water heater is shot. I'd replace the anode (big hex nut on top) first then follow the flushing instructions. The anode allows active hydrogen to build up and it allows bacteria to grow in your tank. You will need to flush the heater with bleach, 1 cup of fresh bleach for every gallon in the heater. Allow to sit for at least an hour and begin flushing. Do not open the safety valve (T&P) use the tap at the both of the tank and leave the supply line open. Let it drain for 30 inutes, shut off supply and allow the tank to drain, then re-fill.

You think it's the water heater even though our hot water never smells, only our cold water? I'd be thrilled if that was the problem, because I have had two water experts now tell me there's probably a bacteria (not harmful but causing smells) in our water system, and both have suggested water treatment systems such as UV, carbon filters, etc. It only seems to have the smell in our cold water that has gone through the water softener. Please let me know if I understand you correctly, as this sounds like a much easier fix.

Thanks,

Stacey

[speedball1]

Let's check it out to be sure. Let's bypass the softener and see if the problem persists. First let me show you how to bypass the softener,(see image.)
All bypases have the same basic design. Yours may look different but they all work the same.
When the softener's in the system valve 1 and 3 are open and valve 3 is closed.
To bypass the softener close valves 1 and 3 and open valve number 2.
Good luck and let me know. Tom

[ballengerb1]

Stacy, although you capitalized COLD I still missed it and jumped to the more common hot water heater. Same bacteria can grow in cold but less common since there is less free hydrogen in fresh water but then you are on a well so the water is not treated. Follow Tom's advice, he's been at this for quite some time. New construction plumbing under goes a full house disinfectant and you might be in line for that. It is not a huge expense and you might learn how to do it yourself for future issues.

[StaceyH]

Let's check it out to be sure. Let's bypass the softener and see if the problem persists. First let me show you how to bypass the softener,(see image.)
All bypases have the same basic design. Yours may look different but they all work the same.
When the softener's in the system valve 1 and 3 are open and valve 3 is closed.
To bypass the softener close valves 1 and 3 and open valve number 2.
Good luck and let me know. Tom

Ok, we bypassed our softener, although it's a little different than you described. There is a horizontal, plastic bar, and if you push it to the right, that bypasses the water softener. The bar says "bypass" on it, so I think we did it correctly. When we bypass, the smell goes away pretty much instantly in all the sinks and shower. We left it bypassed for a couple days, and still no smell. We disinfected the water softener according to the Kenmore user's manual, and then turned the bypass off, and the water smelled fine for a few weeks, and then came back. The disinfecting process involved 3 tablespoons of bleach and 3 gallons of water be poured into the softener, and then run the "sanitize" cycle.

[speedball1]

Imcrease the amount of bleach and try again. You're on the right track. Good luck, Tom

[StaceyH]

Imcrease the ammount of bleach and try again. You're on the right track. Good luck, Tom

Tom,
Thanks for reply. I will try increasing bleach, how much would you recommend? We are on septic, but our septic guy said it would take a lot of bleach to kill the "good bacteria" that we need in our septic system. Do you think we can actually kill these bacteria in the softener, or are we doomed to need an ultra violet water treatment system, or some other expensive system?

Thanks,

Stacey

[speedball1]

Open up the softener and pour 1/2 gallon of full strength bleach into it and let it set overnight. Next morning flush it out. Since you inquire about septic tanks and what not to put in them let me put up some septic tank tips.
Since the septic tank is such an essential part of a sewage system, here are some points to remember about the "care and feeding" of that part of the onsite sewage treatment system.
A "starter" is not needed for bacterial action to begin in a septic tank. Many bacteria are present in the materials deposited into the tank and will thrive under the growth conditions present.
If you feel that an additive is needed, be aware that some may do great harm. Additives that advertise to "eliminate" tank cleaning may cause the sludge layer to fluff up and be washed out into the drainfield, plugging soil pores. Some additives, particularly degreasers, may contain carcinogens (cancer-causing) or suspected carcinogens that will flow into the ground water along with the water from the soil treatment unit.
Send all sewage into the septic tank. Don't run laundry wastes directly into the drainfield, since soap or detergent scum will plug the soil pores, causing failure.
Normal amounts of household detergents, bleaches, drain cleaners, and other household chemicals can be used and won't stop the bacterial action in the septic tank. But don't use excessive amounts of any household chemicals. Do not dump cleaning water for latex paint brushes and cans into the house sewer.
Don't deposit coffee grounds, cooking fats, wet-strength towels, disposable diapers, facial tissues, cigarette butts, and other non-decomposable materials into the house sewer. These materials won't decompose and will fill the septic tank and plug the system. To use a 5-gallon toilet flush to get rid of a cigarette butt is also very wasteful of water. Keep an ash tray in the bathroom, if necessary.
Avoid dumping grease down the drain. It may plug sewer pipes or build up in the septic tank and plug the inlet. Keep a separate container for waste grease and throw it out with the garbage.
If you must use a garbage disposal, you will likely need to remove septic tank solids every year or more often. Ground garbage will likely find its way out of the septic tank and plug up the drainfield. It is better to compost, incinerate, or deposit the materials in the garbage that will be hauled away. As one ad says, "You can pay me now, or pay me later."
Clean your septic tank every 1 to 3 years. How often depends on the size of the tank and how many solids go into it. A rule of thumb is once every 3 years for a 1,000 gallon tank serving a 3-bedroom home with 4 occupants (and with no garbage disposal).
Using too much soap or detergent can cause problems with the septic system. It is difficult to estimate how dirty a load of laundry is, and most people use far more cleaning power than is needed. If there are lots of suds in your laundry tub when the washer discharges, cut back on the amount of detergent for the next similar load. It's generally best not to use inexpensive detergents which may contain excessive amounts of filler or carrier. Some of these fillers are montmorillonite clay, which- is used to seal soils! The best solution may be to use a liquid laundry detergent, since they are less likely to have carriers or fillers that may harm the septic system.
Each septic system has a certain capacity. When this capacity is reached or exceeded, there will likely be problems because the system won't take as much sewage as you want to discharge into it. When the onsite sewage treatment system reaches its daily capacity, be conservative with your use of water. Each gallon of water that flows into the drain must go through the septic tank and into the soil absorption unit. Following are some ways to conserve water that should cause little hardship in anyone's standard of living:
Be sure that there are no leaking faucets or other plumbing fixtures. Routinely check the float valve on all toilets to be sure it isn't sticking and the water isn't running continuously. It doesn't take long for the water from a leaking toilet or a faucet to add up. A cup of water leaking out of a toilet every minute doesn't seem like much but that's 90 gallons a day! So be sure that there is no water flowing into the sewer when all water-using appliances are supposed to be off.
The most effective way to reduce the sewage flow from a house is to reduce the toilet wastes, which usually account for about 40 percent of the sewage flow. Many toilets use 5 to 6 gallons per flush. Some of the so-called low water use toilets are advertised to use only 3.5 gallons per flush. Usually the design of the bowl hasn't been changed, however, and often two flushes are needed to remove all solids. That's 7 gallons! Toilets are available which have been redesigned and will do a good job with one gallon or less per flush. Using a 1-gallon toilet rather than a 5 gallon toilet will reduce sewage flows from a home by about a third. This reduction may be more than enough to make the sewage system function again. While prices may vary, 1.6 gallon toilets can usually be purchased in the $200 range, far less than the cost of a new sewer system. Baths and showers can use lots of water. "Setting up camp" in the shower with a shower head flow of 5 gallons per minute will require 100 gallons in 20 minutes. Shower heads that limit the flow to 1.5 or 2 gallons per minute are available and should be used. Filling the tub not quite so full and limiting the length of showers will result in appreciable water savings.
Is the water from the faucet cold enough to drink? How long do you let it run to cool down? Keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator. Then it won't be necessary to run water from your faucets in order to get a cool drink.
There may be other ways to conserve water that you can think of in your home. The main idea is to consider water as a valuable resource and not to waste it.
Following a few simple rules like not using too much water and not depositing materials in the septic tank that bacteria can't decompose should help to make a septic system trouble-free for m, too! Any years. But don't forget the septic tank does need to be cleaned out when too many solids builtreatment system.
With a water meter you can determine how much water your automatic washer uses per cycle. Many washers now have settings to reduce the amount of water used for small loads. Front loading washers and suds savers use less water than top loading machines. If your sewage treatment system is reaching its maximum capacity, try to spread the washing out during the week to avoid overloading the sewage system on a single day. Septic tanks need tender, loving care too.
Good luck, Tom

[StaceyH]

Open up the softener and pour 1/2 gallon of full strength bleach into it and let it set overnight. Next morning flush it out. Since you inquire about septic tanks and what not to put in them let me put up some septic tank tips.
Since the septic tank is such an essential part of a sewage system, here are some points to remember about the "care and feeding" of that part of the onsite sewage treatment system.
A "starter" is not needed for bacterial action to begin in a septic tank. Many bacteria are present in the materials deposited into the tank and will thrive under the growth conditions present.
If you feel that an additive is needed, be aware that some may do great harm. Additives that advertise to "eliminate" tank cleaning may cause the sludge layer to fluff up and be washed out into the drainfield, plugging soil pores. Some additives, particularly degreasers, may contain carcinogens (cancer-causing) or suspected carcinogens that will flow into the ground water along with the water from the soil treatment unit.
Send all sewage into the septic tank. Don't run laundry wastes directly into the drainfield, since soap or detergent scum will plug the soil pores, causing failure.
Normal amounts of household detergents, bleaches, drain cleaners, and other household chemicals can be used and won't stop the bacterial action in the septic tank. But don't use excessive amounts of any household chemicals. Do not dump cleaning water for latex paint brushes and cans into the house sewer.
Don't deposit coffee grounds, cooking fats, wet-strength towels, disposable diapers, facial tissues, cigarette butts, and other non-decomposable materials into the house sewer. These materials won't decompose and will fill the septic tank and plug the system. To use a 5-gallon toilet flush to get rid of a cigarette butt is also very wasteful of water. Keep an ash tray in the bathroom, if necessary.
Avoid dumping grease down the drain. It may plug sewer pipes or build up in the septic tank and plug the inlet. Keep a separate container for waste grease and throw it out with the garbage.
If you must use a garbage disposal, you will likely need to remove septic tank solids every year or more often. Ground garbage will likely find its way out of the septic tank and plug up the drainfield. It is better to compost, incinerate, or deposit the materials in the garbage that will be hauled away. As one ad says, "You can pay me now, or pay me later."
Clean your septic tank every 1 to 3 years. How often depends on the size of the tank and how many solids go into it. A rule of thumb is once every 3 years for a 1,000 gallon tank serving a 3-bedroom home with 4 occupants (and with no garbage disposal).
Using too much soap or detergent can cause problems with the septic system. It is difficult to estimate how dirty a load of laundry is, and most people use far more cleaning power than is needed. If there are lots of suds in your laundry tub when the washer discharges, cut back on the amount of detergent for the next similar load. It's generally best not to use inexpensive detergents which may contain excessive amounts of filler or carrier. Some of these fillers are montmorillonite clay, which- is used to seal soils! The best solution may be to use a liquid laundry detergent, since they are less likely to have carriers or fillers that may harm the septic system.
Each septic system has a certain capacity. When this capacity is reached or exceeded, there will likely be problems because the system won't take as much sewage as you want to discharge into it. When the onsite sewage treatment system reaches its daily capacity, be conservative with your use of water. Each gallon of water that flows into the drain must go through the septic tank and into the soil absorption unit. Following are some ways to conserve water that should cause little hardship in anyone's standard of living:
Be sure that there are no leaking faucets or other plumbing fixtures. Routinely check the float valve on all toilets to be sure it isn't sticking and the water isn't running continuously. It doesn't take long for the water from a leaking toilet or a faucet to add up. A cup of water leaking out of a toilet every minute doesn't seem like much but that's 90 gallons a day! So be sure that there is no water flowing into the sewer when all water-using appliances are supposed to be off.
The most effective way to reduce the sewage flow from a house is to reduce the toilet wastes, which usually account for about 40 percent of the sewage flow. Many toilets use 5 to 6 gallons per flush. Some of the so-called low water use toilets are advertised to use only 3.5 gallons per flush. Usually the design of the bowl hasn't been changed, however, and often two flushes are needed to remove all solids. That's 7 gallons! Toilets are available which have been redesigned and will do a good job with one gallon or less per flush. Using a 1-gallon toilet rather than a 5 gallon toilet will reduce sewage flows from a home by about a third. This reduction may be more than enough to make the sewage system function again. While prices may vary, 1.6 gallon toilets can usually be purchased in the $200 range, far less than the cost of a new sewer system. Baths and showers can use lots of water. "Setting up camp" in the shower with a shower head flow of 5 gallons per minute will require 100 gallons in 20 minutes. Shower heads that limit the flow to 1.5 or 2 gallons per minute are available and should be used. Filling the tub not quite so full and limiting the length of showers will result in appreciable water savings.
Is the water from the faucet cold enough to drink? How long do you let it run to cool down? Keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator. Then it won't be necessary to run water from your faucets in order to get a cool drink.
There may be other ways to conserve water that you can think of in your home. The main idea is to consider water as a valuable resource and not to waste it.
Following a few simple rules like not using too much water and not depositing materials in the septic tank that bacteria can't decompose should help to make a septic system trouble-free for m, too! any years. But don't forget the septic tank does need to be cleaned out when too many solids builtreatment system.
With a water meter you can determine how much water your automatic washer uses per cycle. Many washers now have settings to reduce the amount of water used for small loads. Front loading washers and suds savers use less water than top loading machines. If your sewage treatment system is reaching its maximum capacity, try to spread the washing out during the week to avoid overloading the sewage system on a single day. Septic tanks need tender, loving care too.
Good luck, Tom

Tom,

The instructions say to put the bleach into the brinewell, and just plain water into the main tank where the salt goes. Should I put bleach into the main tank as well?

Thanks,

Stacey