Rotten smell from electric geyser

nRiTeCh

So we were out of town for almost an entire month.

Returned and the next day switched on the geyser. No heating issues but as soon as hot water started coming in about 2 mins some rotten smell started coming.

I checked all bathroom taps, removed the bottom aerator ring like thing having filter net and no clogging or anything found. The overall water force is also ultra-fast so issues.

I ignored the smell but my wife was worrying a lot as the same pattern continued everyday.

Finally called our plumber to remove the geyser to give it to an electrician if some insect etc. somehow got stuck inside causing such a smell.

But the plumber was confident as nothing might be inside as the water is flowing freely and no smell. It smells only when the water heats up.

If from the same tap normal water flows no such smell.

Now, today I googled and was linked to this..sulphate-reducing bacteria!

Why Does My Water Heater Smell Like Rotten Eggs?| Thornton & Grooms

Are you noticing a gross sewer smell coming from your water heater? In this article, one of our plumbers will explain what's causing that and how to fix it. Learn more here.

thorntonandgrooms.com

Sulfur Smell In Hot Water? Here's 4 Ways To Fix It.

How to get rid of Sulfur Smell in Hot Water? Our Step-by-Step Guide will allow you to get rid of the Sulfur Smell in your Hot Water in only 15 minutes.

www.corroprotec.com

And many such pages ask to replace magnesium rods with aluminum etc.

Details:
Water type: City Municipal water.
Water force pressure: Full-on
Geyser: Bajaj Flora Instant 3 Litre Vertical Water Heater, 3KW

I'm unsure if I should run to an electrician or open the geyser myself.

Any DIY at home which can cleanse the geyser?

blr_p

If there was a temperature regulator on the geyser. you could set it to the max closer to 70 degrees and that will kill the bacteria that has grown in the tank.

Looking up your geyser there is no such way. That is the simplest way I can think of to fix it. this. Hot water kills the bacteria but it needs to be hot enough or it won't work

The next way is to get some bleach solution into the geyser and flush it with that. I don't know how you do that. without dismounting it, flushing it, then filling it with the bleach solution, let it sit for half an hour and then drain and flush it with lots of water.

If from the same tap normal water flows no such smell.

This means there was no accident like sewer pipe contamination

But the plumber was confident as nothing might be inside as the water is flowing freely and no smell. It smells only when the water heats up.

Right, so the geyser has to be disinfected somehow. It's the lack of use over a month that led to the bacteria buildup.

How does this geyser work? I'm used to the thing heating up and then going off. It seems this one is instant on kind

How long can you run it in that case?

nRiTeCh

blr_p said:
The next way is to get some bleach solution into the geyser and flush it with that. I don't know how you do that. without dismounting it, flushing it, then filling it with the bleach solution, let it sit for half an hour and then drain and flush it with lots of water.

I'm looking for such diy thing only. I read chlorine can do the job but the question is if I need to manually inject chlorine water into the geyser and if the water needs to be hot or cold?
Secondly, the geyser is not attached as of now and flushing the water from it is a tedious tasks as even if we tilt the geyser or shake it, water drips in small or tiny quantities.
I think to flush it fully I might need to attach it to a water source/tap and flush out the entire chlorine solution.

blr_p said:
This means there was no accident like sewer pipe contamination

Right, if ever there was such contamination the entire society would have been affected.

blr_p said:
Right, so the geyser has to be disinfected somehow. It's the lack of use over a month that led to the bacteria buildup.

I sense so as this is the first time we have been out of home for 4 weeks else its usually 2 weeks max. And I read somewhere that if water in geyser gets boiled and if not flushed out then too. such issue might happen and this happens few times a week that excess heated water isn't flushed out.

blr_p said:
How does this geyser work? I'm used to the thing heating up and then going off. It seems this one is instant on kind

How long can you run it in that case?

Green light goes off and then we start the water flow on medium to low level depending how hot we need the water. And then it doesn't matter if the light stays green or goes off as that's how it works and almost many geysers work these days as once the inside coil is heated its all good to go.

Lozil

Don't worry, This is normal. What you need to do is Drain your geyser from cold water side completely, Then fill it fully Heat it and run it out from hot side till cold water comes and drain again completely to get rid of smell.

Why this happens? Microbes and anerobic digestion converting sulfate getting converted to Hydrogen Sulfide gas when you had left it totally Idle for a month.

When I come back after leaving the geyser for week or month, I just drain a bucket or two of water without heating it. Then I start heating.

Hope this helps, The smell will go away eventually as you use it over a week.

nRiTeCh

Lozil said:
When I come back after leaving the geyser for week or month, I just drain a bucket or two of water without heating it. Then I start heating.

WE did that on 3rd day or so both with cold water and hot water too.

Lozil said:
Hope this helps, The smell will go away eventually as you use it over a week.

Been 3 weeks now smell is as is..

blr_p

nRiTeCh said:
Been 3 weeks now smell is as is..

You need to do it repeatedly. Heat the water up. Let it sit like that for twenty minutes. Sitting is important, that is the dwell time that kills the bacteria or at least reduces it somewhat. Now drain. Then refill.

Repeat at least 3-5 times in a row

This is the simplest fix I can think of without messing around with bleach

nRiTeCh

blr_p said:
You need to do it repeatedly. Heat the water up. Let it sit like that for twenty minutes. Sitting is important, that is the dwell time. Now drain. Then refill.

Repeat at least 3-5 times in a row

This is the simplest fix I can think of without messing around with bleach

Using bleach powder you mean?

blr_p

nRiTeCh said:
Using bleach powder you mean?

no bleach. just water

nRiTeCh

blr_p said:
no bleach. just water

OK so have to reattach /install geyser back in the bathroom then.. But what if the issue persists thereafter?

indy1811

Try Hydrogen peroxide if you don't want the odour from bleach. Easily available in most pharmacies.

blr_p

nRiTeCh said:
I'm looking for such diy thing only. I read chlorine can do the job but the question is if I need to manually inject chlorine water into the geyser and if the water needs to be hot or cold?

Warm water is fine does not need to be hot

nRiTeCh said:
Secondly, the geyser is not attached as of now and flushing the water from it is a tedious tasks as even if we tilt the geyser or shake it, water drips in small or tiny quantities.
I think to flush it fully I might need to attach it to a water source/tap and flush out the entire chlorine solution.

Exactly, harder to get the water in and out without some pressure. I don't know how to do that unless a plumber assists.

nRiTeCh said:
OK so have to reattach /install geyser back in the bathroom then.. But what if the issue persists thereafter?

First, try it and then we will see. Five times.

indy1811 said:
Try Hydrogen peroxide if you don't want the odour from bleach. Easily available in most pharmacies.

That will work but must test for viability.

Pour a capful into the kitchen sink. Full of germs. It should bubble and foam a little. If it does then it is viable otherwise it is expired.

Where have you been ? I've haven't seen you post here in ages

nRiTeCh · Mar 21, 2023

blr_p said:
Pour a capful into the kitchen sink. Full of germs. It should bubble and foam a little. If it does then it is viable otherwise it is expired.

Why will a pharmacy sell an expired one? My friends work in pharmacy so no issues getting a genuine one.

blr_p said:
First, try it and then we will see. Five times.

Will inject hot water inside and let it settle inside for a good 15-20 mins and repeat few times.
But also thinking of directly using hydrogen peroxide but unsure if go with hot water, warm or even cold will do the trick.

blr_p

nRiTeCh said:
Why will a pharmacy sell an expired one? My friends work in pharmacy so no issues getting a genuine one.

H2O2 is light-sensitive. Abroad it is sold in opaque colour bottles. Here it is sold in translucent bottles and nobody seems to care.

Always good to know how to test

nRiTeCh said:
Will inject hot water inside and let it settle inside for a good 15-20 mins and repeat few times.
But also thinking of directly using hydrogen peroxide but unsure if go with hot water, warm or even cold will do the trick.

H2O2 benefits from hotter temperatures, it makes everything work faster. It would be easier & safer to just use it at room temperature in your case

The thing about H2O2 from what I know is it takes longer.

Instead of bleach, I would use Suma tabs. That will be useful even to clean the machine later.

200 ppm is considered sanitising so dose accordingly.

Lozil

nRiTeCh said:
WE did that on 3rd day or so both with cold water and hot water too.

Been 3 weeks now smell is as is..

When I mean Cold Water = Geyser Cold Water Inlet, Water will not flow back due to safety valve, You have to lift usually a black tab on the safety valve for water to flow out of your geyser, you may have to open the hot water end also for air to flow In.

H2S is smellable in even small ppm, So it would take some time to clear out.

LaatSahab

Had a similar smell coming from my geyser last week. Turns out it was emanating from the wire and plug which were burning due to the electric load. Replaced them and it fixed the issue.

ch@ts

We have the same issues with geysers in our house. We don't use two of our bathrooms regularly, and there's a rotten egg smell in the hot water, which goes away if we let the water run for about 10 minutes.
We've had the heaters cleaned chemically by the AO Smith guys, but that didn't help. We used to use those bathrooms about once or twice a year, when we had guests, but lately I've begun taking my showers in them once a week, and that seems to have cleared up the smell.

nRiTeCh

ch@ts said:
We have the same issues with geysers in our house. We don't use two of our bathrooms regularly, and there's a rotten egg smell in the hot water, which goes away if we let the water run for about 10 minutes.

Yes it goes after 5 mins or so but not permanently. The next day its the same story...

blr_p

nRiTeCh said:
Yes it goes after 5 mins or so but not permanently. The next day its the same story...

did you try what I said with the water five times?

I don't think you need any chemicals for a geyser that was left idle for just one month

nRiTeCh · Thursday at 3:58 PM

blr_p said:
did you try what I said with the water five times?

I don't think you need any chemicals for a geyser that was left idle for just one month

This weekend..

Got this today.

@blr_p now do I need to mix it in 1ltr or 500ml warm or hot water before putting that water into the geyser?

blr_p

nRiTeCh said:
@blr_p now do I need to mix it in 1ltr or 500ml warm or hot water before putting that water into the geyser?

Do what i said without this. Five times. Save it for something else.