The Simplest, Cheapest Solution to Stinky Water In Water Heaters

Years and years ago, before I dove deep into the mysteries of water heaters, this simple plumbing device kept odor at bay for my tenants, in the house where I myself now live. Connected to the bottom part of the tee was a plastic-lined steel nipple that went into the hot port of the water heater (which is still out there, by the way, well-maintained and now 29 years old). The plumbing to the house went out the side port. The way it worked was that when the smell returned, the tenants would shut off the cold-water valve, let a gallon out the drain valve, and then open the top valve (yellow handle here) and pour in hydrogen peroxide with a funnel. No more odor.

Simple, Cheap, But Not as Easy as an Anode

It's really nice when I can recommend a different anode to solve a problem. Not only do you only have to monkey with it once, I also make a sale :-) . But I have a very strong belief that no single sale is as important as being useful to the person who needs a solution. The rest takes care of itself.

Anyway, a number of people have come seeking a solution to smelly water in cabins and vacation homes, and from what we've seen, changing the anode is not going to help. It makes more sense to just rig a plumbing assembly, like the one above, onto the water heater, and pour a couple of pints of hydrogen peroxide into the tank when you go there for a sojourn.

Use a couple of pints of drugstore peroxide poured into the top of the heater (you can find directions for how to open up the tank in Know-How). Soon the smell will vanish. You can use and drink the water immediately. The peroxide is already a low concentration and it's then diluted in gallons of hot water.

Even a powered anode is probably not going to stop stagnant water from reeking to high heaven, but the peroxide will, until you go home. Then next trip, same thing.

-- Randy Schuyler

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