Whole house water filter for sulfur smell

[bassboy1]

We just bought a house on the Al gulf coast, and the wife is making it clear that I need to do something about the sulfur smell/taste in the water. The smell from showers, laundry, dishwashing, etc, is a problem as well as the taste, so I'm definitely needing whole house, not point of use.

I'm finding units claiming to take care of hydrogen sulfide ranging from a few hundred bucks up to a couple thousand, so I'm needing some guidance on what direction to start looking.

What I know:
-House is in the county, well outside of town, but is on municipal water (Fairhope Utilities).
-Smell is present both in hot and cold water - stronger in hot water, but she says it's still very noticeable in cold (wife moved down ahead of me due to job change - I've only yet stayed in the house on 2 nonconsecutive nights, so I haven't really experienced it much).
-2 bath house occupied by 2 people plus occasional weekend guests. No children - probably lower than average total water use.

What should I be looking at in a whole house filter?

 

[gobbleinwoods]

It could be the build up in the water lines and has nothing to do with the water supply itself.

 

[dwhee87]

We just bought a house on the Al gulf coast, and the wife is making it clear that I need to do something about the sulfur smell/taste in the water. The smell from showers, laundry, dishwashing, etc, is a problem as well as the taste, so I'm definitely needing whole house, not point of use.

I'm finding units claiming to take care of hydrogen sulfide ranging from a few hundred bucks up to a couple thousand, so I'm needing some guidance on what direction to start looking.

What I know:
-House is in the county, well outside of town, but is on municipal water (Fairhope Utilities).
-Smell is present both in hot and cold water - stronger in hot water, but she says it's still very noticeable in cold (wife moved down ahead of me due to job change - I've only yet stayed in the house on 2 nonconsecutive nights, so I haven't really experienced it much).
-2 bath house occupied by 2 people plus occasional weekend guests. No children - probably lower than average total water use.

What should I be looking at in a whole house filter?

Is it in both hot and cold water? There's an iron bacteria that grows in hot water heaters that is sulfur smelling. You can often get rid of it by flushing the water heater out a couple times. It usually build up with low use (like at deer camp, or a house that's sat empty on the market for a while). Once flushed and in regular use, the smell goes away.

 

[bassboy1]

Is it in both hot and cold water? There's an iron bacteria that grows in hot water heaters that is sulfur smelling. You can often get rid of it by flushing the water heater out a couple times. It usually build up with low use (like at deer camp, or a house that's sat empty on the market for a while). Once flushed and in regular use, the smell goes away.

She says it's there in both hot and cold, with it more noticeable in hot, but I'll check that next time I'm down there to be sure that's really the case. The 'more noticeable in hot' makes me think you might be on the right track, especially considering the house was vacant for the better part of a year.

 

[Dbender]

Whole house filter will work if you get the correct one. Probably not a buildup in the pipes or water heater. Sulfur smell is usually more noticeable in the hot water, it's the gas you are smelling. Here is a number of a big pump and filter supplier. They can steer you in the right direction. CMC Supply 478 745-5866.

 

[glynr329]

When you get it figured out let us know.

 

[GoldDot40]

I'm thinking you may flush the water heater tank and open every spigot and faucet on the property and just let it run for a bit....see if/how much better it is.

 

[Ray357]

We just bought a house on the Al gulf coast, and the wife is making it clear that I need to do something about the sulfur smell/taste in the water. The smell from showers, laundry, dishwashing, etc, is a problem as well as the taste, so I'm definitely needing whole house, not point of use.

I'm finding units claiming to take care of hydrogen sulfide ranging from a few hundred bucks up to a couple thousand, so I'm needing some guidance on what direction to start looking.

What I know:
-House is in the county, well outside of town, but is on municipal water (Fairhope Utilities).
-Smell is present both in hot and cold water - stronger in hot water, but she says it's still very noticeable in cold (wife moved down ahead of me due to job change - I've only yet stayed in the house on 2 nonconsecutive nights, so I haven't really experienced it much).
-2 bath house occupied by 2 people plus occasional weekend guests. No children - probably lower than average total water use.

What should I be looking at in a whole house filter?

Get the water tested.
Try flushing your system with a gallon of liquid pool chlorine. Pretty easy to do.

 

[turkeykirk]

You can also try a different anode rod in the water heater.

https://www.cityofpayette.com/verti...}/uploads/The_Cause_of_Rotten_Egg_Odor(1).pdf

 

[ebryant]

I own a 2nd home in Fl. with the same issue. The smell was coming from the hot water heater. I had a flushing system put in. I ran a PVC pipe from the water heater to the outside of the house. When I go there I flush the water heater for about 20 minutes.
I no longer have the smell.

 

[mguthrie]

When I lived in Florida there was sulphur in the municipal supply. Most folks were used to it. Jax beach eventually built a giant aerator to get most of it out. I had a neighbor that had an aerator at his house. When it was running you could smell the sulphur

 

[Kev]

Pore hydrogen peroxide in the water heater.

 

[Lukikus2]

As stated, could be the anode in the water heater. The cold could smell like it because it's going through the same fixture. You could try turning the water heater all the way up for a few days after flushing and see if it cooks out. Or pull the anode completely out. Municipal water shouldn't smell like that even if it is from a well. A whole house system wouldn't hurt. A 20 micron pleated filter before a 5 micron carbon filter would work well.

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

Maybe check with the neighbors to see if they deal with the same thing. That would tell you if it’s a supply problem or your plumbing.

 

[bassboy1]

Maybe check with the neighbors to see if they deal with the same thing. That would tell you if it’s a supply problem or your plumbing.

So far the only neighbors she's talked to are on wells, but she'll keep an eye out for some of the neighbors from the newer houses to see what they say.

She is noticing the same smell from the water at work, at a medical office in town, so it's sounding like it's in the municipal supply. She insists flushing toilets has the same smell, so it does sound like it's in the cold water as well.

Having been spoiled by the water in the mountains and foothills, I've always thought the water anywhere we've visited on the Gulf or Atlantic coast (almost always municipal supplied) tasted and smelled bad, despite the locals not having a problem with it. We'd always bring enough water from home to cover us the entirety of the trip, and I'd usually add lemon juice to water at restaurants, but I've never thought the smell to be debilitating.

That's making me wonder if the water is actually fine, and it's an acclimation issue. Kinda surprises me, as she grew up within spitting distance of the water in Central Florida, but I guess 15 years with mountain water changes things.

 

[Lukikus2]

How old is the water heater and does it have a expansion tank on it?

 

[bassboy1]

How old is the water heater and does it have a expansion tank on it?

I haven't found the date sticker, but definitely up there in years, and no expansion tank. Electric 50 gal.

 

[DannyW]

Don't know why everyone is fixating on the hot water heater. Okay...so you fix that. Still doesn't change the water coming into the house, and in a few weeks/months the smell returns.

He needs a solution between his house and the main.

 

[Scott Rogers]

Don't know why everyone is fixating on the hot water heater. Okay...so you fix that. Still doesn't change the water coming into the house, and in a few weeks/months the smell returns.

He needs a solution between his house and the main.

Everyone is fixated on the Hot Water heater because the anode rod in the hot water heater is known to cause this exact issue.

 

[Dbender]

Anode rod causing an odor in a house with average water consumption is extremely rare despite what google may claim. Water heater is not the issue especially with city water.