Eggy smell from taps

[scr0che]

I've started to get an eggy smell from the heads tap, and the galley foot pump outlet only - not from the galley tap. So the smell isn't everywhere. Never had this before in 8 years, but have always put a chlorine tablet in when filling up. I'm now using a watermaker. The heads and galley are now used every day as we're live aboard.

I had a broken sender in the water tank under the cabin sole letting air in which is now fixed. The pipework is over 8 years old from when I bought the boat.

Should I look at replacing pipes? I'm reading about flushing with a bleach solution to kill bacteria in pipes, but I have a watermaker and don't want the flush cycle which uses tank water to damage the membrane.

Is there an off the shelf product I can put in the water system to flush it through?

 

[Clancy Moped]

When did last do a back flush on the water maker? And when did you last do a service, changing the filters etc?

 

[scr0che]

Watermaker is new, installed in November last year and pickled. Commissioned it in the last 2 weeks. Checked with supplier and carbon filter is replaced one year after wet, so this November, and micron filter per 100 hrs use unless eggy smell from testing tap, which I don't have the smell there. The water is 40ppm from the watermaker at the moment.

 

[Clancy Moped]

How often do you make water, or do a back flush since it's been re-commissioned?

 

[scr0che]

Every 3 days give or take, for at least 2 hours, we flush it with fresh after each usage.

 

[Clancy Moped]

Every 3 days give or take, for at least 2 hours, we flush it with fresh after each usage.

More than enough IMO. Over to someone else.....

 

[Slowboat35]

Easy. The problem is bacteria (yeasts) in the water lines. As you don't have it everywhere assume it's only in some of the lines not the tank. proceed as follows.
Get 2 gallon bucket/canister and fill it with the purple pipe cleaner solution at the proper dilution that you can ofen blag from a friendly pub.

Arrange pipes for your waterpump to suck this up directly.
Run each outlet in turn until the purple fluid or whatever flows out.

Leave an hour.

Repeat.

Replace the fluid with clean water and flush all outlets through thoroughly (for many minutes)

Wait weeks to see if the problem re-occurs.

If that doesn't help it sounds as if the problem is a yeasty water tank. The solution is similar but on a much larger scale and takes many changes of rinsing water to clear the taste.

It isn't difficult, just rather tedious but it's the only way I know.

Bleach works fine too - but try flushing the flavour out of your tank!! Six-seven tankfulls of rinse and there's still a chlorine taste. Beer-line cleaner is the way to go. It's designed for the purpose and doesn't leave a flavour.

 

[geem]

Easy. The problem is bacteria (yeasts) in the water lines. As you don't have it everywhere assume it's only in some of the lines not the tank. proceed as follows.
Get 2 gallon bucket/canister and fill it with the purple pipe cleaner solution at the proper dilution that you can ofen blag from a friendly pub.

Arrange pipes for your waterpump to suck this up directly.
Run each outlet in turn until the purple fluid or whatever flows out.

Leave an hour.

Repeat.

Replace the fluid with clean water and flush all outlets through thoroughly (for many minutes)

Wait weeks to see if the problem re-occurs.

If that doesn't help it sounds as if the problem is a yeasty water tank. The solution is similar but on a much larger scale and takes many changes of rinsing water to clear the taste.

It isn't difficult, just rather tedious but it's the only way I know.

Bleach works fine too - but try flushing the flavour out of your tank!! Six-seven tankfulls of rinse and there's still a chlorine taste. Beer-line cleaner is the way to go. It's designed for the purpose and doesn't leave a flavour.

A simple carbon block filter will remove chlorine taste after only a couple of tank flushes. I did that last summer.

 

[Bilgediver]

Is there an off the shelf product I can put in the water system to flush it through?

I used to have this problem and cured it by regular use of Milton tablets. It does not affect the taste of tea and coffee.

 

[Bouba]

When it happens to me, I empty the tank, and refill using a mega dose of Miltons..empty the tank again, always using every tap, including any deck showers...then refill. Don’t forget to empty the hot water as well (switch it off)

 

[lektran]

Curious about marina etiquette on shock dosing tanks, is it ok to drain the tanks in a marina or should you leave to drain them?

 

[mattonthesea]

Easy. The problem is bacteria (yeasts) in the water lines. As you don't have it everywhere assume it's only in some of the lines not the tank. proceed as follows.
Get 2 gallon bucket/canister and fill it with the purple pipe cleaner solution at the proper dilution that you can ofen blag from a friendly pub.

Arrange pipes for your waterpump to suck this up directly.
Run each outlet in turn until the purple fluid or whatever flows out.

Leave an hour.

Repeat.

Replace the fluid with clean water and flush all outlets through thoroughly (for many minutes)

Wait weeks to see if the problem re-occurs.

If that doesn't help it sounds as if the problem is a yeasty water tank. The solution is similar but on a much larger scale and takes many changes of rinsing water to clear the taste.

It isn't difficult, just rather tedious but it's the only way I know.

Bleach works fine too - but try flushing the flavour out of your tank!! Six-seven tankfulls of rinse and there's still a chlorine taste. Beer-line cleaner is the way to go. It's designed for the purpose and doesn't leave a flavour.

Have just, yesterday, done this with bleach for the heads cold tap. Took two flushes to remove smell of bleach but we have a carbon filter for drinking water; that removes the flavour.

We think it's caused by organisms growing in a pipe junction sitting on top of the calorifier. Easier to flush once a year than move the pipes!

 

[Refueler]

I bought a big box of Sterilisation tabs ..... ex army ... on eBay

For sterilising river water etc. to drink.

Why so many ? My house was on a well water system ... and I used to dose the well. Having seen how good they worked ... used them on the boat. (House is now on town water).

This last winter - I decided to blitz the boat system ..... Chlorox plain bleach mix .... half fill tank ... let fumes do their work ... pump through pipes a bit ... leave for 24hrs .... pump all out .... then multiple water flushes.
The plan was then to revert to my 'Army tabs' .... but the spine fracture of course has put paid to boating.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Curious about marina etiquette on shock dosing tanks, is it ok to drain the tanks in a marina or should you leave to drain them?

Milton's public friendly website says that in normal concentrations its products have 'no impact on the environment'...

Compositions EN | Milton

However, Milton's safety data sheet contradicts that and says that it is a chronic aquatic environmental hazard and 'Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects'...

Milton tablet COSHH

This is the active ingredient...

Sodium dichloroisocyanurate - Wikipedia

There's lots more information here...

Sodium dichloroisocyanurate

which says...

H400 (99.3%): Very toxic to aquatic life [Warning Hazardous to the aquatic environment, acute hazard]

H410 (96.05%): Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects [Warning Hazardous to the aquatic environment, long-term hazard]

That of course does not give what amount or concentrations are hazardous.

 

[simonfraser]

Clean the grid at the end of the faucet too, black mould in mine ….

 

[Bouba]

Clean the grid at the end of the faucet too, black mould in mine ….

Replace them...very cheap and it should be a regular maintenance job

 

[scr0che]

But what impact will the use of any chemicals have on the watermaker fresh water flush?

 

[geem]

But what impact will the use of any chemicals have on the watermaker fresh water flush?

They may killl it. Turn it off. Do the dose and clean, rinse, drain rinse and refill. Carbon filter the water then turn the fresh water flush back on

 

[scr0che]

Ok. Seems like I need to clean my pipes and taps out to start with (watermaker has a carbon filter on the fresh water flush), failing that, replace the problematic ones.

 

[Refueler]

Just a comment :

Eggy or bad egg smell usually indicates Hydrogen Sulphide ... which is deadly. The Threshold Limit for inhalation is extremely low. It also has the dangerous characteristic of deadening the sense of smell - creating a false sense of safety.

As a Cadet - I nearly lost my life from H2S fumes .... luckily the Ch Off with me recognised the effects and shoved me into clear air.

Yes I accept I am talking higher levels - but I caution all ..... H2S is not a casual matter. If you can smell it - you already exceed Threshold Limits. You need to clean all pipes / tanks / connections / items ....