Using a water heater makes life easier for residents of apartments and houses. You can get hot water around the clock in the kitchen or in the bathroom. But what to do if there is an unpleasant smell of water from the boiler? Why does the contents of the tank stink? This does not mean that the boiler is bad, the reason may be in the water itself. Consider possible options and ways to eliminate them.
Why does water smell bad?
It happens that users complain about the smell of hydrogen sulfide from the boiler. It looks like the water is rotten. Before you start looking for causes and eliminating them, think about:
- What temperature setting are you using.
- How often is the boiler used?
- How long has the filter content been changed?
- Has the water been tested for bacteria?
The findings will help determine the cause of unpleasant phenomena. Here are the main ones:
- Chemical reaction. Tap water contains sulfides. Once in the tank, where the magnesium anode is installed, they react. As a result, hydrogen sulfide is produced, and the water goes out.
- Infrequent use of the water heater. If the device is installed in a country house or in another room where it is rarely used, the liquid stagnates, bacteria begin to develop – legionella. During their life, an unpleasant odor appears.
- Poor heating of content. If you set the temperature to less than 30-40 degrees to get hot water, microorganisms develop even more actively.
- The initial content of hydrogen sulfide in water. You can check this at home. Open the faucet and let it flow for a few minutes. Fill the bottle with water, shake and smell. Hydrogen sulfide gives off rotten eggs.
If you are getting your water from a well and a well, try deepening the hole to get away from the gas layer. If a similar problem arose in the apartment, you need to write a complaint to the municipal institution.
- Excessive scale formation also contributes to the development of microorganisms.
A problem area can be not only an indirect or electric heating boiler, but also pipes.
How to fix the problem
If you rarely use the device, then drain the water from the tank during your absence – it will not stagnate. How to drain water from a boiler, read in a separate article.
Periodically, set the highest temperature, let the contents warm up well. The high temperature will kill the bacteria.
If the contents are still rotten, you need to clean the inner walls and body parts from scale. For this:
- Disconnect the device from the mains.
- Drain the liquid.
- Unscrew the fasteners of the heating element flange (at the bottom location).
- Pull out the heating element. With a strong coating, clean it with a knife, then dip it in a solution of citric acid until it is completely clean.
- How to wash the case? The walls of the tank are washed with a soft sponge, cleaned with a shower. In advanced cases, you need to buy a special anti-scale agent. Pour it in the indicated ratio with the tank for a while. Then rinse.
It is important to replace the magnesium anode in a timely manner. Modern models have indicators that tell you when it’s time to replace. Otherwise, once every six months, you should look under the cover and check the condition of the rod.
For hard water with a high content of impurities, install a filter. How to choose a filter for a boiler, read in a separate publication. They come in different types and principles of operation. Periodically, the contents of the flask are replaced.
To completely disinfect the system, an anti-mold agent is added to the filter flask. This cleans both the heater and the pipes. After such cleaning, rinse the device several times with warm water.
Proper operation of the equipment can avoid many problems. Therefore, do not be lazy to look at the instructions before turning on the heater. The video will help you keep the device in order: