Odor in cold water NOT the hot - Whats up and How do I fix it?

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tomluoma

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We've got a problem that has shown up in a six month old installation.
We are getting the "rotten egg" smell from the cold water faucets but not the hot.
It took two to three months before we even noticed the smell.

The odor is only there for about the first pint or quart of water.

This is well water, very soft (Bicarb - kind of tastes like Alka-Sletzer), no iron. High TDS at about 900ppm and conductivity at about 1800 MMHOS/CM.

The well is shocked once or twice a year. It is about 6 years old. Casing is steel for the first twenty feet and PVC down to 165ft. WellMate fiberglass pressure tank. Brass/chrome pipe and valves at well house. PVC pipe from there on.

It should be noted that the water does NOT smell at the yard hydrants which are steel. But I believe the hydrants are rusting internally - we get a lot of dark rust-like flakes and have since not too long after they were installed.

The house plumbing is a mix of brass, copper and PEX.

It seems to be entirely a reaction of the water to the brass (the PEX fittings seem most reactive" but I don't know why it does not show up in the hot water (the anode neutralizes it? The temperature?)

Note the water from the cold faucets comes out clear but the hot water is full of very small air bubbles that clear fairly quickly.

If it is the anode that helps the hot side maybe I could put a water tank with anode to the cold side?

Any ideas on the cause or fixes would be very helpful.
 

Terry

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If it doesn't smell from the tub or shower, and only from the sink faucets, then I would guess the supplies to the faucet.
Are there any faucets that don't have the smell?
 

tomluoma

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Once the main enters the house all of the cold water faucets smell but none of the hot -- only for a short time each. The smell is stronger the long the faucet, bibb or valve has been closed.
Additional to my main post -- Water Heater is a new Richmond LPG Powervent set to 120F. Well water Ph is 8.4
The main in the house has not yet been bonded to ground.
 
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