tacocat99
New Member
Hello,
I moved into my house a few years ago. After like a year I reduced the temperature of the water heater from 140 to 120 due to scalding showers. After a few months this weird smell started cropping up in the house, it smelled like someone vomited in a dumpster. I changed the anode rod to an electric titanium anode, but this didn't fix the issue. The only thing that solved the problem was cranking the temperature back up to 140+. The smell would stop getting worse and each time I used the hot water the smell would gradually go away.
My plumber said it was probably caused by bacteria from lowering the heat so we installed a mixing valve and I left the water heat on high. He flushed the tank and then sanitized my pipes/heater with bleach for 24 hours. This has removed 95% of the smell. I no longer have issues taking showers but anytime I have standing hot water (from bathtub or filling up pots), the smell will slowly start to come back. Also if I wash laundry in hot water, whatever room I place the laundry in will start to smell after a couple days. I drained the tank again but the smell is still lingering.
The only thing that has successfully removed the smell out of my clothes is baking soda and dawn dish soap. Fill up a 5 gallon bucket and just letting them soak for 2-3 hours removed the smell. Vinegar and air drying in the sun does absolutely nothing to help.
Would it be safe to dissolve 2 cups of baking soda into the water heater for a few hours, drain the heater, then flush it out again with some vinegar? I tried draining the tank again but the smell still lingers. Its less bad each time I drain it but its still noticible after a few days when the smell gets into the clothes.
I moved into my house a few years ago. After like a year I reduced the temperature of the water heater from 140 to 120 due to scalding showers. After a few months this weird smell started cropping up in the house, it smelled like someone vomited in a dumpster. I changed the anode rod to an electric titanium anode, but this didn't fix the issue. The only thing that solved the problem was cranking the temperature back up to 140+. The smell would stop getting worse and each time I used the hot water the smell would gradually go away.
My plumber said it was probably caused by bacteria from lowering the heat so we installed a mixing valve and I left the water heat on high. He flushed the tank and then sanitized my pipes/heater with bleach for 24 hours. This has removed 95% of the smell. I no longer have issues taking showers but anytime I have standing hot water (from bathtub or filling up pots), the smell will slowly start to come back. Also if I wash laundry in hot water, whatever room I place the laundry in will start to smell after a couple days. I drained the tank again but the smell is still lingering.
The only thing that has successfully removed the smell out of my clothes is baking soda and dawn dish soap. Fill up a 5 gallon bucket and just letting them soak for 2-3 hours removed the smell. Vinegar and air drying in the sun does absolutely nothing to help.
Would it be safe to dissolve 2 cups of baking soda into the water heater for a few hours, drain the heater, then flush it out again with some vinegar? I tried draining the tank again but the smell still lingers. Its less bad each time I drain it but its still noticible after a few days when the smell gets into the clothes.
