Whether we are at The Cottage Life Show, or talking to clients at our store, people always ask us, “How do I get rid of the rotten egg smell in my well water?”

Nobody likes it. It stinks and nobody wants to take a shower or drink a glass of water from your cottage.

Everyone wants this smell gone and they want to know the cheapest way to get rid of it. However, the cheapest solution is not always the best one when you look at the big picture. So, this blog will take a look at both the cheapest and the best solutions to stinky water.

Before You Look at Any Solutions, Ask Yourself These Questions

You can save yourself a lot of time and money by asking …

Question 1: Is the Smell Only Coming From One Sink?

This is really a best-case scenario because the fix is cheap and easy.

In this situation, what's happening is that the water is flowing into your drain and it's reacting with whatever's in the drain. That’s what’s giving off the smell, not the water coming from your faucet.

So, all you need to do is disinfect that P-TRAP by taking half a cup of bleach and slowly pouring it down the drain. Do it just before you go to bed and let it sit overnight without using any water. It's going to disinfect the drain and get rid of that nasty smell.

Problem solved! And all it cost you was half a cup of bleach.

Question 2: Is the Smell Coming From Both Hot and Cold Water?

If you only smell rotten eggs when you use hot water, the problem could be with your hot water tank, and not the water.

The easiest way to test that is to connect a hose to the base of your pressure tank and run the other end of the hose into a five-gallon water jug, then run some water into your jug. When it's about half full, smell the water at the neck of the jug. If it smells like rotten eggs, that means that you have sulphur in both your cold water and your hot water. But if you don't smell any sulphur, shut the water off and then go to a hot water faucet anywhere in the house to run the water. If you smell sulphur, that means it's definitely just in your hot water. The smell is coming from your hot water heater.

The easiest way to fix that problem is to remove your hot water tank’s anode. That’s another cheap and effective solution that will keep you from spending money on a new water system.

The Cheapest Solution: Degassing the Water

If you’re on a shoestring budget, and you’re just looking to get a glass or two of water for yourself or a pet, there is a very simple solution.

Simply pour the water into a glass and let it sit for 24 hours. The air will oxidize the sulphur out of the water and then the smell will be gone.

Now, obviously, if you want more than a glass or two of water a day, you’re going to want a whole-house solution.

The Best Solution: Air Over Media Sulfur and Iron Filters

These systems use air to oxidize the sulphur smell out of your water, much like degassing it. But your system degasses it within the tank and it does it on an ongoing basis. Whenever you run your water, it's removing the sulphur from your water.

How do they work? They create a big air bubble at the top of the tank. Whenever you run your water, your water is sprayed through that air bubble and the oxidizer brings out any sulphur and any iron in your water. Next, your water passes down through the tank through a media that traps that oxidized iron and sulphur and stores it in place for about three days. After three days, it backwashes it out and blows out that air bubble, and expands the media while flushing all the debris into the drain. And finally, it sucks in air to recreate that air bubble and put it back into service.

Shop Sulphut Filters here https://waterestore.com/search?type=product&q=foc* 

There are a number of different types of these systems available. If you want to know which one will work best for your family, check out this video.

These systems are more expensive, but they are also the best solution to ensure your family has stink-free and drinkable water from your well.

Other Solutions

If you’re not ready to invest in a whole-house solution, here are some other options.

Carbon Taste and Odour Filters

These are under $20.00 and they can work really well. The problem is that they don’t work very well for very long. The sulphur smell will return in a few days, so it’s not a permanent solution. But, if you’re renting a cottage for a few days, or you’re only at your cabin for a few days a year, it might be worth exploring.

Chemical Injection Systems

These systems basically inject chlorine or hydrogen peroxide (or some other chemical) into your water to chemically oxidize that sulphur out of the water.

This will get the smell out, but the problem is that those systems are very big and they have a lot of moving parts with a lot of maintenance involved. At the same time, the chemicals that you're injecting into your water have to go somewhere. Guess where they go? You're right! They end up in your septic system or in your dry well. This can be a deal-breaker for a lot of people.

But, if you have a bad smell and other problems (i.e. iron, bacteria, or slime in your water), then a chemical injection system might be the only route that you can go.

Let’s Talk About Your Well Water!

If you want to learn more about water filtration systems, check out my YouTube channel. Or, you can contact me by clicking here