How do I treat sulfur and orange stains??

[aces]

Our well is right at 80 feet deep. The water is blown up into a holding tank. That helps the sulfur smell, some. Some days it can still be quite strong though.

My first question is how do I get rid of the smell?

Second question: I have 2 bathrooms in my home. I have a total of 5 sinks, 2 toilets, 2 bathtubs and 1 double shower unit. My tubs, sinks and toilets look fine but my double shower unit has orange staining in it. Now I'm assuming that is from lead right, but why would it only be in the one shower unit? I will say that unit is the one that is used most and if it makes a difference, it's the one closest to the hot water heater.

We are ripping it out and replacing it so I'd like to address several things at one time.

First: Is it truly lead and if so how can I remove it from the water to prevent staining?

Second: My current shower unit is Fiberglass. We will NOT be going that route again. My three choices are Tile with grout, Acrylic with Innovex or solid surface. Which one of these materials will be the easiest to clean the orange stains off of?

Any help is GREATLY appreciated!! Greatly!!

Also, Our well is 15 years old as far as I can remember this has always been a problem but I'm now fed up cleaning after it and smelling it and we have the money now to try and fix it properly so I need expert advice, but of course a lot of local experts here only want to sell their products so I thought I'd check in here first!

 

[Tom Sawyer]

It sounds like you have a couple issues. The smell and an iron problem too. 1st thing to do is have the water tested and then get back to us with the results.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[aces]

Where would be the best place to get it tested? Can a pool place do it or what???

 

[Reach4]

Red is normally iron. People report good experience with
http://www.watercheck.com/ AKA http://www.ntllabs.com/index.html

A pool place might be able to do it.

Shocking your well will help. Look it up.

Get the water tested. The test you want should include levels of iron, manganese, sulfate, hardeness but it is not clear to me what test you should select.

If the sulfur smell is mainly from hot water, you could get some relief from putting in a powered anode into the water heater. Many will just remove the anode, but that will hasten the corrosion of the water heater.

 

[Gary Slusser]

Tell us more about how the water in the well is blown up and where the air comes from.

Then about the holding tank.... what is it made of, how large is it, is it buried or on the surface/ground, in a building/shade or sun?

When was that tank cleaned last?

What type pump is used to get water out of that tank into the house?

Do you have any clear to black snotty/slippery/slimey build up in any of the toilet tanks (not the bowl, the tank) at on or below the water line? You flush the toilet and as the water goes down you wipe the palm on a hand on the side of the tank from the water line down to find it. The surface should feel somewhat rough and if it is slippery/snotty you have a harmless group of aerobic and anaerobic reducing bacteria called IRB or SRB (iron or sulfate). the inside of your holding tank can have the same snotty build up and both types of bacteria can cause a 'sulfur' (H2S) type ordor.

Shocking a well can cause seriuos water quality and pump/pressure tank type problems so I don;t think it should be done without a proven need, and then it has to be done correctly but, it is at best a temporary solution to any problem bcause iron and bacteria comes back into the well with the well recovery water and in time the problem is as bad or worse than it was before shocking.

Orange stains is caused by soluble/clear water/ferrous iron, not lead and lead can be a very serious health issue where iron is not.

For water tests, you need total hardness, pH, iron, TDS at least and then if possible, manganese, sulfates, nitrates/nitrites, coliform bacteria, chlorides... Water softener guys, plumbing and well pump supply houses do those tests and so do labs but not pool or aquarium guys. Big box and hardware stores have test kits also.