Posted by tlc june 14 2018 faq water heaters wondering why your hot water smells like rotten eggs.
Marine hot water heater smell.
Almost all water heaters have anode rods which in a cathode anode reaction produce excess ions that wear off the anode rod and adhere to the inside glass lining of the water heater preventing corrosion.
If you get a sewage smell with cold water or only some faucets it could be a problem with piping or a sewer vent.
Burning rubber or plastic if you smell burning rubber or burning plastic turn off the power source at the breaker first before trying to pinpoint the smell.
Smell gone never had the problem again for the next several years.
Unfortunately it also voided the warranty on the water heater and shortened its life.
Foul smell from hot water heater.
Checking your hot water heaters anode rod.
Carefully check for leaks and don t turn on the electricity to the water heater until it s full of water.
Each water heater is equipped with a magnesium anode rod in order to temporarily limit corrosion within the tank.
Verify this by running the water until there s a steady stream coming from the hot water faucet.
In most cases the smell of sulfur will be caused by high magnesium content water that comes into contact with the original anode already present within the water heater.
The most common odor problem from water heaters is a rotten egg smell that comes out of your faucets and fixtures when running water.
To remove smell from water tank or when hot water heater smells like sulfur consider sanitizing the tank using hydrogen peroxide.
Rectifying this reaction within your water heater.
No anode no problem.
Water heater smells like.
I have a sear ray 330 and i believe it is and attwood ehm series.
To be sure unscrew the anode from the hot water heater with a ratchet and inspect it.
I did use a additive west marine sells for the portable water system afterwards.
If the water heater is working fine and only a few years old i d recommend checking the anode rod s condition and replacing it.
The first way to check is if only the hot water on your boat is foul smelling.
I believe it is coming from the engine hot water as i did not turn on the electric to water heater and when i run the hot water while underway the smell is terrible.
If thats the case chances are the anode has gone bad and needs to be replaced.
My hot water has a foul smell to it.
The hot water heater is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria hot stagnant water that sits for weeks at a time with little or no use.
But to answer your question yes a tankless water heater won t have issues with smelly hot water.
Enough science talk how to know if this is the root cause.
If the electrical contacts on the thermostat mounted outside the water heater are overheating the plastic parts around the switch may overheat and burn.
Why does my water heater smell.
If the specialist had known more he could have offered a more elegant solution.