Mikey
Aspiring Old Fart, EE, computer & networking geek
I recently installed a solar domestic water heater, which involved removing the old Whirlpool 50 gal electric water heater and replacing it with an 80 gal State tank designed for the solar system. Everything works great, except that the hot water at the kitchen sink stinks.
I had this problem when I originally installed the Whirlpool tank. Hot water at all fixtures had the rotten-egg, sulfur smell that is usually caused by anerobic bacteria in the water heater. I solved it at that time by treating the system with H2O2 and replacing the magnesium anode rod with aluminum. At that time, the entire house was plumbed with copper beneath the slab.
Now the problem is back, but only appears at the kitchen sink, which has been re-plumbed with CPVC overhead to bypass an under-slab leak. The 2nd bath is still plumbed with copper under-slab, and the hot water there doesn't smell.
My question should be obvious -- why does the smell only appear at one fixture? I'm reluctant to blame the CPVC, since everything plumbed with copper stank in the past, but that's the only difference I can think of between the kitchen and the other bath. I should have saved the aluminum anode rod from the old WH, obviously, but forgot about it when I gave it away. A new one should arrive Friday.
I had this problem when I originally installed the Whirlpool tank. Hot water at all fixtures had the rotten-egg, sulfur smell that is usually caused by anerobic bacteria in the water heater. I solved it at that time by treating the system with H2O2 and replacing the magnesium anode rod with aluminum. At that time, the entire house was plumbed with copper beneath the slab.
Now the problem is back, but only appears at the kitchen sink, which has been re-plumbed with CPVC overhead to bypass an under-slab leak. The 2nd bath is still plumbed with copper under-slab, and the hot water there doesn't smell.
My question should be obvious -- why does the smell only appear at one fixture? I'm reluctant to blame the CPVC, since everything plumbed with copper stank in the past, but that's the only difference I can think of between the kitchen and the other bath. I should have saved the aluminum anode rod from the old WH, obviously, but forgot about it when I gave it away. A new one should arrive Friday.