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(03-16-2020, 05:55 PM)Snipe Hunter Wrote: It's the sulfur bacteria/sulfur dioxide from decomposing iron in the well water. It gasses out when it hits oxygen. Heating water in a water heater accelerates it because there's both heat and oxygen in a water heater. The perfect storm. Certain anodes can help the smell but not address the iron problem. To really treat it, you need to what form the iron is in. It can be in one of three forms and all require a different treatment. If it has a real low iron content, a softener with iron reducing salt can help but then you're screwing with the mineral content too. You don't want the water too soft. Some iron treatment systems actually harden the water so a softener is needed to get it right again.
At times like this I am glad I have town water.
My house does have a well and all the hardware but it was retired well before I bought the house 23 years ago. I suppose if water gets really expensive I can use the well water for washing the car.
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(03-17-2020, 09:26 AM)Cooler Wrote: At times like this I am glad I have town water.
It isn't nearly as complicated as it sounds. Test the water, apply the proper treatment. I think the biggest problem is that people think water can be treated by simply installing a filter or a water softener. I think this is because we've been conditioned to think this way by water softener and filter manufacturers. Real iron treatment systems aren't marketed to consumers, they're marketed to well water treatment companies and plumbers. So "we" are less familiar with them. The only reason I know anything about this stuff is because I don't like paying people to do what I can do myself so I learned about it so I can deal with it. We've had two homes with wells and both had completely different issues, both also had iron problems but have different forms of iron.
Our current home has major iron issues and a PH imbalance.. To the point that the water comes out clear but turns brown/red when it's exposed to oxygen. But after it runs through the system, it's perfectly fine and tastes great. It does take some maintenance but not much different than a softener would.
The issue with iron is that it can be in several different forms and each form is treated differently. People try to eliminate the odor, which is fine if they don't mind iron in the water. Iron slime can clog fixtures, stain tubs and showers, stain exterior surfaces of the home, stain laundry etc. Men, shouldn't consume too much iron, it isn't as big a deal for women. It can cause liver and heart problems in men. But some iron is necessary for the blood to carry oxygen. so imho, getting it right is important for lots of reasons. Getting it right is pretty simple once a water test is done.
