How To Tell If Odors Are Coming From Your Well Water Or Inside Your Home

Bad odor in and around your home can disturb your quality of life. But, it can be difficult to determine their source and how to resolve them. If you have a well water system, your well, pipes, or water heater could be the source of the odor. Once the odor is identified, a water treatment company can help resolve this issue and take steps to prevent the odor from returning. If you are struggling with bad odors in your water system, call North Florida Water Systems Inc or schedule an appointment with our water well company today!

Check For Water Smells In Cold & Hot Water

The hot and cold water test is the first way to tell where the smell comes from. If you smell the bad odor when only the hot water is running, the source is likely your hot water heater. If you notice the odor is coming from your hot and cold water or just cold water, the source is likely your well water.

Identify The Odor

How the odor smells can help you determine the cause of it. If the water smells like sulfur or rotten eggs, this is hydrogen sulfide gas. This occurs when iron and sulfur bacteria are present in low-oxygen environments, such as water wells. In low concentrations, hydrogen sulfide gas is not harmful to a person’s health, but it does cause this bad odor. If you don’t recognize the smell, contact us today, so we can help identify the source and the cause of the odor.

Test Your Water

Conducting a water test can help identify the cause of the smell by determining what chemicals and minerals are present in the water. It will tell you the pH level of the water, iron and manganese levels, and the hardness and total dissolved solids in the water. Knowing the minerals in the water is crucial to water treatment and resolving the bad odor. If you have a public water system, contact your local water utility.  If you have well water, contact a professional water treatment company to test your water. They will take a sample from the well and complete a comprehensive test for minerals, metals, bad bacteria, and chemicals.

Water Odor Solutions

If the water heater is the cause of the odor, the anode rod in the tank may need to be changed to an aluminum-zinc rod to solve the problem. You can also help prevent odor-causing substances from entering the water in your tank by draining your water heater once a year to flush out any sediments in the tank.  For bad-smelling well water, there are many professional water treatment solutions available. Not only are odors unpleasant, but the smell could also indicate the water has substances harmful to your health. An experienced water treatment company can resolve the cause of bad odors and ensure your water is safe.