Cold Water Smell

[ronnie_jones]

Hey guys, I'm all out of answers so I'm coming here.

Facts:
250 well
water starts at about 120 feet or so but volume required further digging
well & house are just over 2 years old

So, the issue is our cold water only, smells like rotten eggs. It smells this way after it as sit any length of time and goes away once the storage tank has been emptied and fresh water comes from the well.

So, in my mind, I need to get some bleach in the system in the house. So, 1 gallon, nothing, 2.. until two weeks ago I dropped 5 gallons of bleach in my well. No bleach ever reaches the house, no smell of bleach or anything. When we first dug the well and we chlorinated it, 3 gallons and we had to run it for 6 hours. Now 5 gallons and nothing... never have smelled bleach in the house.

I just don't know what to do, do I continue up on the bleach... 7 gallons, etc. All local plumbers have told me that 1 should have been sufficient. This smell is horrible, and I have to waste a ton of water to make it stop every morning or if we've been out for any length of time. Any help would be most appreciated!

 

[LiQuId]

what you are smelling is hydrogen sulfide, it is present in some wells where i am and in some locations the gas makes its way to the finish fixtures where ( no joke ) you can light the tap on fire.

although i am NOT a well expert by any means, i am a fairly learned plumber and as such I would advise to have your well water tested.

other than this, We can together Wait for the well experts on here to offer their wisdom and together we can learn.

 

[speedbump]

I agree, have the water tested. Otherwise you don't know what your smell really is.

Hydrogen Sulfide gas does not materialize until the water comes out of the tap. Then the gas is free to go up your nose. I have never heard of a well with the gas that didn't smell no matter how much water you run, so your problem is unique in that regard.

Dumping chlorine down the well wouldn't be anything but a very temporary solution and I hope you chased the chlorine down with some fresh water to wash it off your pipes and wire.

There are a couple ways of dealing with Hydrogen Sulfide. One is to inject chlorine into the water stream and let it go through a retention tank so the bleach can do it's job. The other is air. I prefer the air. It's not hard on your system as is chlorine. You can see such a system here: - PumpsAndTanks.com