The water from the water heater smells: what to do?

Household appliances make a person’s life more comfortable and comfortable. The life of a modern person can no longer be imagined without home equipment: a water heater, a washing machine, a boiler and other household appliances. Sometimes the water flowing from the water heater acquires an unpleasant putrid odor. Let's look at the reasons for this problem and how to fix it.

Why does the water from the water heater smell?

A water heater consists of a container and a heating element located inside. A special feature of this device is its ability to maintain the temperature at a certain, predetermined level.

There are instantaneous and storage type water heaters. A bad smell can only appear in storage devices that have a heating capacity. When heated, raw tap water is a good environment for the growth of mold, bacteria and various microorganisms.

The cause of an unpleasant odor is always microorganisms of plant or animal origin. You need to understand what types of microorganisms are inside the boiler and how to get rid of them.

There may be several reasons for an unpleasant odor:

• stagnant processes inside the container occur when the device is rarely used;
• internal chemical reactions that occur when the magnesium anode interacts with sulfides contained in tap water;
• low temperatures often lead to the proliferation of microorganisms;
• high heating temperatures lead to the appearance of scale, which gives an unpleasant odor;
• failure of the filter leads to contamination of the tank and the appearance of a bad aroma;
• a worn-out pipeline promotes the active proliferation of bacteria, including pathogens;
• poor composition of water, which contains a high concentration of hydrogen sulfide.

How to eliminate the smell of water from a boiler

Before you begin drastic measures to eliminate the smell, you must clean the tank reservoir from dirt and scale. It's easy to do it yourself. To do this, unscrew the lid and drain the dirty water. You can simply call a specialist to carry out cleaning and maintenance of the unit.

Next, you need to find out the reasons for the bad smell from hot water flowing from the water heater and try to completely eliminate them.

1. In case of putrefactive stagnation caused by infrequent use of the boiler, you just need to thoroughly drain the contents several times during the day. A clean boiling stream will wash the container from mucus and microorganisms, and the stench will completely disappear.
2. At low or very high temperatures, it is necessary to adjust the maximum comfortable temperature so that the water does not boil, but is not barely warm. Experience shows that a temperature level of 80° - 90° C is the optimal indicator that prevents the proliferation of harmful microorganisms.
3. If the filter element has become unusable, then you simply need to replace it by installing a new one.

You can try to eliminate the smell yourself, but it is better to contact the appropriate utility services. If the main pipeline is worn out or the water is of poor quality, then you must contact the utility company to request replacement of pipes or improvement of the composition of drinking water.

IMPORTANT! If an odor occurs in a private water supply connected to a well, it is enough to simply deepen the well to a clean aquifer.

Preventing unpleasant water odor from the water heater

Any water heating device must be maintained regularly.

Boiler care means that it is necessary to promptly check and replace worn parts:

• inspect thermostats to check their performance and degree of wear (a worn thermostat cannot provide the necessary heating of water in the tank);
• clean and rinse the tank at least once every six months (scale, dirt and rust can corrode the metal tank from the inside, which will lead to its leakage);
• regularly replace the anode (scale often forms on the element, which impairs its performance and can also cause a bad odor);
• promptly replace worn filters;
• replace the explosion valve.

IMPORTANT! An electric water heater is a device of increased danger to human life. This device combines two incompatible substances - water and electric current. Therefore, any breakdown can lead to an emergency or injury.

When using water heating devices in everyday life, it is necessary to treat their operation responsibly, doing regular cleaning of the tank and preventive inspection of each element.