Paint thinner smell while flushing water heater???

[Terry 3]

i was flushing the water heater and am noticing the smell of paint thinner.

what causes that?

it doesn't smell like gas, no rotten eggs, but i have turned off the gas to the water heater just in case

was not smelling anything coming from the hot or cold water out of the faucet either.

 

[Terry]

I think you're over reacting.
Nothing about flushing a water heater changes the gas settings.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Terry 3]

the entire room smells strongly like paint thinner and it's carried into adjacent rooms in the house

it started when i began to flush the water heater....didn't touch anything else in the room before the smell started

not sure how i'm "overreacting" to the fact that the smell is there, caused my wife to get nauseous, and i'm not sure where it's coming from

 

[DonL]

Are you storing paint thinner anywhere ?

That does sound a bit strange.

How are you "Flushing" it ?


Good Luck on your project.

 

[Terry 3]

Are you storing paint thinner anywhere ?

That does sound a bit strange.


Good Luck on your project.

Hi DonL,

No...not storing any paint thinner or paint in the house.

I'm reading elsewhere something about incomplete combustion and water dripping onto the water heater burners causing a gas/paint thinner smell

Does that sound possible??

that's the closest thing I have to go on right now, so I'll start researching that idea

 

[Reach4]

Natural gas and paint thinner are pretty different smells. Perhaps somebody you know will be more experienced with natural gas smell and could distinguish it for you. If you smell natural gas, you could inspect the flex gas line and the fittings with a solution of dish detergent and water. Look for bubbles.

Maybe sniff your drain when your nose has been away from the smell for a while. Sewer gas?

Is it feasible to take everything out of the room, and inspecting when you put it back?

I was wondering about something like finger polish remover getting tipped over. Dry-erase marker getting the cover knocked off. Lighter fluid can tipped. Aerosol with no cap getting the top bumped intermittently or rusting through?

 

[Terry 3]

the reason i mentioned gas in my original post was to alert everyone that i had already ruled out natural gas. I'm familiar with what natural gas smells like.

As i mentioned above nothing else in the room was touched before i started the water heater flush and there are no other stored cans/liquids/aerosols/markers etc. in this room that might cause a similar aroma

Once i started it, water started to flow from the hose connected to the water heater, into the main floor drain, and i instantly smelled strong paint thinner

Natural gas and paint thinner are pretty different smells. Perhaps somebody you know will be more experienced with natural gas smell and could distinguish it for you. If you smell natural gas, you could inspect the flex gas line and the fittings with a solution of dish detergent and water. Look for bubbles.

Maybe sniff your drain when your nose has been away from the smell for a while. Sewer gas?

Is it feasible to take everything out of the room, and inspecting when you put it back?

I was wondering about something like finger polish remover getting tipped over. Dry-erase marker getting the cover knocked off. Lighter fluid can tipped. Aerosol with no cap getting the top bumped intermittently or rusting through?

 

[Reach4]

Once i started it, water started to flow from the hose connected to the water heater, into the main floor drain, and i instantly smelled strong paint thinner

Interesting. It would have been interesting if you had caught the first sediment in a bucket to see what settled out. It sure does sound like the smell came from the sediment in the water heater. You have already done a lot of searching. My search would be maybe sediment "water heater" smell

If you saw much black, it would probably be from sulfur in the water. Yet I would have figured you would have noted sulfur smell previously. It is possible that the water source changed or somebody added a sulfur filter before you moved in, but a lot of sediment sat on the bottom of the water heater. Still, I have a hard time picturing some kind of strong smell at the bottom of your WH without a smell in the hot water. It's a mystery.

In flushing a water heater, you want to drain it, and then suddenly turn the water back on (but don't fill). Repeat several times. That makes turbulence from the dip tube spraying water at the bottom to stir up more sediment. The valve on the side of the WH can be unscrewed and temporarily replaced with a 3/4 NPT nipple if you want a bigger hole. If you have a pressure washer, you might even be able to get the nozzle in there. I did not do that.

You did not say if you have been there as long as the water heater. You did not say if you were on a well-- even a community well.

It looks like a good idea that you cleaned your water heater. I am a fan of inspecting and changing the anode. That is often much more difficult than it should be, requiring a big-enough impact wrench with a 1-1/8 impact socket. I bought a powered anode (not cheap) and put it into the old water heater after I moved in. But I ended up putting a backwashing sulfur filter which probably made the powered anode overkill after I gotten the powered anode delivered. Still it was good to pull out the old eaten-away anode. I figure that the powered anode could be moved to my next water heater anyway.

 

[DonL]

the reason i mentioned gas in my original post was to alert everyone that i had already ruled out natural gas. I'm familiar with what natural gas smells like.

As i mentioned above nothing else in the room was touched before i started the water heater flush and there are no other stored cans/liquids/aerosols/markers etc. in this room that might cause a similar aroma

Once i started it, water started to flow from the hose connected to the water heater, into the main floor drain, and i instantly smelled strong paint thinner

Are you using a Hose that is not made for Hot water ?

 

[Terry 3]

thanks for the reply Reach4
yeah i made the mistake of not catching some of the water as i was flushing it...i watched the water initially and didn't see anything but i know there's a good chance i won't see it at that point.

I installed the water heater about 3 years ago and have always flushed it about every 8 months or so, never had this problem

not on well water

i did create turbulence in the tank a couple of times to stir up sediment

I'm leaning towards the hose that i connected to drain the water heater....not sure where it came from, might have been here when i bought the place 6 years ago...but the hose for draining is simply a cut off garden hose

i went and got a water heater connector hose which i think will handle the hot water better and i'll try that and see what happens

Interesting. It would have been interesting if you had caught the first sediment in a bucket to see what settled out. It sure does sound like the smell came from the sediment in the water heater. You have already done a lot of searching. My search would be maybe sediment "water heater" smell

If you saw much black, it would probably be from sulfur in the water. Yet I would have figured you would have noted sulfur smell previously. It is possible that the water source changed or somebody added a sulfur filter before you moved in, but a lot of sediment sat on the bottom of the water heater. Still, I have a hard time picturing some kind of strong smell at the bottom of your WH without a smell in the hot water. It's a mystery.

In flushing a water heater, you want to drain it, and then suddenly turn the water back on (but don't fill). Repeat several times. That makes turbulence from the dip tube spraying water at the bottom to stir up more sediment. The valve on the side of the WH can be unscrewed and temporarily replaced with a 3/4 NPT nipple if you want a bigger hole. If you have a pressure washer, you might even be able to get the nozzle in there. I did not do that.

You did not say if you have been there as long as the water heater. You did not say if you were on a well-- even a community well.

It looks like a good idea that you cleaned your water heater. I am a fan of inspecting and changing the anode. That is often much more difficult than it should be, requiring a big-enough impact wrench with a 1-1/8 impact socket. I bought a powered anode (not cheap) and put it into the old water heater after I moved in. But I ended up putting a backwashing sulfur filter which probably made the powered anode overkill after I gotten the powered anode delivered. Still it was good to pull out the old eaten-away anode. I figure that the powered anode could be moved to my next water heater anyway.

 

[Terry 3]

Are you using a Hose that is not made for Hot water ?

i was but went and bought a proper hose this morning ....we'll see if that solve the problem

 

[DonL]

Outgassing / Offgassing from a hose made for cold water could be what you are smelling.

That is if the water was Hot. Or in a Vacuum.


Good Luck on your project.

 

[Houptee]

Are they fracking in your neighborhood?

 

[DonL]

Are they fracking in your neighborhood?

We have Flammable Water in Texas.

 

[Jasonmatton]

Hi Terry 3,

So what was the reason finally for the smell? Im getting the same and dont know what it is. My water heater and washer are in the same small room (5 feet X 5 feet size).

 

[lourna]

Should I worry about this Paint thinner/ nail polish smell? I started smelling it yesterday and can't figure out where it's coming from. This morning I figured out the smell is stronger at the corner where my water heater is at. What should I do?

 

[DonL]

Should I worry about this Paint thinner/ nail polish smell? I started smelling it yesterday and can't figure out where it's coming from. This morning I figured out the smell is stronger at the corner where my water heater is at. What should I do?

Look for a container with the bottom rusted out or one that has a plastic cap neck that is broke.

Good Luck.