Sulfer smell in water........ Iron Curtain Water System

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ridindirty800

Active member
So I just closed on a house Friday and while cleaning over the weekend have noticed that the water has a sulfer smell to it. We have well water that has a water softner that the old owners where useing salt w/ rust remover in it. I have heard that Iron Curtains will clear the smell up?? Anybody have one? What is the estimated cost of a system like this? If not any other idea's to try to clear the smell? And its not the drains, and the water has the same smell in any water in the house. Any input would be great, thanks
 
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ezra

Well-known member
at my cabin the watter blows and I don't drink it it is a 3 season so I don't have a softener so I dump bleach down the well every spring let it sit for a week .I know it smells better after I do that some people around my house do that 2 times a yr in there homes That is where I got it from.
 
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dcsnomo

Moderator
ezra said:
at my cabin the watter blows and I don't drink it it is a 3 season so I don't have a softener so I dump bleach down the well every spring let it sit for a week .I know it smells better after I do that some people around my house do that 2 times a yr in there homes That is where I got it from.
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X2. Try that first.
 
S

snake

Member
dcsnomo said:
X2. Try that first.
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I know exactly what you're dealing with. I had to get one and it takes care of the problem 100%. its not cheap. I was able to rent mine for a year,then apply that money towards the purchase. I have septic,so bleach is a big no-no! it will kill the enzymes that you need!
 
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hothyfax

New member
We also fought this problem for alot of years.Used double charcoal filters that needed changed every 2 weeks and had our well shocked twice.$$$.4 years ago I said to heck with this and called a guy I know that has had units up and down our road for years.He sells "Hellenbrand" Iron curtains that are made in Wis.Mine ran around $900.It is a twin tank unit so when one tank needs flushed it just switches tanks.The day he put it in the water that came out in the first minute was perfect 100%.No more smell,no more iron rings in toilet and tub and the water over time will clean out your pipes and water heater Ect.
 
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MZEMS2

New member
I for one love a good cold glass of water, so $900 would be worth it to me. Was the water tested before your closing? Perhaps some of your cost of the system could be put back in the seller's hand..??.. I rented a house that had bad water, so bad it would eventually turn clothes orange. It was an iron/sulfur problem there too. Not much we could do as renters...it was nice to leave. I feel your pain, so I would check on some sort of financing for the system if cost is an issue.
 
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doospunk

Active member
If the lines have been sitting for a while with little use, the odor will be more dominant than after it's been run a while, but can still smell. We've got a similar issue. Just as everyone else mentions above those are the recommendations.

However...., if your noticing the sulphur smell primarily with hot water vs the cold, then get the water heater cleaned or pull the anode out for good. THe corrosive build up on that anode rod is a primary suspect for the bad smell when it's mainly coming from the hot water, as I understand.
 
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booondocker

New member
Doo is on to what is happening.

Most box stores sell hot water heaters that have anodes that are designed for chlorine water. Well water has a different anode and once you switch it out, the smell goes away. Clean the tank out while you are at it.

Iron filters are not too expensive and don't require anything other than a good cleaning once in awhile. They get rid of iron in most cases, and then a second run thru a softener will get the rest of it. It is a one two punch.

Clean them periodically with stone masons acid (out doors...it stinks pretty good but does the job) and you will have years of good service from this setup.

oh, and bleach used in some moderation won't hurt the septic tank, and contrary to popular belief, you can use a garbage disposit in MODERATION with a septic. If you shock your well, as others have done, head to the hardware and get some septic treatment which will reinvigorate the bacteria that thrives in the tank.

There is nothing quite as good as a cold drink of water in the heat of the summer from a deep water well.
 
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lenny

Guest
I had that bad rotten egg smell in Illinois and I also had black water. It is actually a gas, hydrogen sulfide. Depending on the level of gas it can be treated a few different ways. My levels fluctuated and I had to use a potassium injection with media filters. Mine was real bad with the slime (bacteria.) Here is a link that brings back some memories from Illinois. There is a lot of good info here and you can determine yourself what you got going on.

http://www.uldrinkwell.com/drinkwell/rotten_egg_smell.html
 
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lenny

Guest
Keep in mind that my problem was a gas produced by minerals in rock, so they said. We tried everything to get ride of it and it was a brand new drilled well, new house, new everything, 225 ft deep. If I were to wash my car my neighbor would walk over and ask me if I crapped my shorts. He was 1/8 mile away, it was an ongoing joke. The horrible smell was in the cold water but the bacterial formed in all my plumbing lines and would look like a milky slime suspended in the water. 2 times a year I shocked the well and all the plumbing in the house. When you shock the well, draw all that treated water into your plumbing and let it sit to kill the bacteria if you have any. Probably not a bad idea to do it anyways just for piece of mind. Good luck and let us know what you learn!
 
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Chicago Boy

New member
ridindirty800 said:
So I just closed on a house Friday and while cleaning over the weekend have noticed that the water has a sulfer smell to it. We have well water that has a water softner that the old owners where useing salt w/ rust remover in it. I have heard that Iron Curtains will clear the smell up?? Anybody have one? What is the estimated cost of a system like this? If not any other idea's to try to clear the smell? And its not the drains, and the water has the same smell in any water in the house. Any input would be great, thanks
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Try changing the anoid rod , I think that's how u spell it lol
The made one for well water
 
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frnash

Active member
"Sulfer" … "useing" … "Ect." … "garbage disposit" … "piece of mind" … "anoid"?
Yup, English is a dying language!
"Sulfur" … "using" … "etc." … (What is a "garbage disposit"?) … (Which would you rather have, a "piece of my mind" or "peace of mind"? :)) … anode"!

Sulfur dioxide: a gas produced by minerals in rock. Yes indeedy!
Some years ago, on a cross-country flight from Phoenix to Denver, I stopped at Las Vegas, New Mexico (LVS) for a combined fuel and pit stop. It was a handy fuel stop, but the water in the airport rest room was enough to gag a maggot! I'm not sure whether they were on a municipal water supply or a well, but that was the nature of their water supply.
 
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ridindirty800

Active member
Thanks for all the info and ideas guys! I did have the water tested before closing and it tested fine. I contacted my buddy who is a plumber and he is going to do a different test on the water to see if it needs a Iron Curtain. He said if it does you can do a intrest free lease to own on one for about $35 a month. They cost about 1,500 - 1,900$ depending on which one you need! SO i will see what he says. He did say bleaching the well may help, and you dont run it into you septic field just run the lines on the outside of the house till the bleach smell is out of the water.
 
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toddspolaris

Member
around where I live in ohio we have very bad sulfer and we use hydrogen peroxide systems. they work great. gp thru about 25gals of peroxide a yr. costs me about $75 a year.
 
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anonomoose

New member
Actually you might be on to something there....note that all the diesel trucks now carry "urea" tanks to treat the exhaust from those smelly machines. Maybe we should all pee in a bottle and save it for the big jets that fly all over the place...and just think, Mr. Nash....you suggested the whole thing...who would have thunk it??? What shall we call the stuff....Jetpeefuel?.....I know, JPF....dats dah ticket! Ah liven dah dream.....!!!
 
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anonomoose

New member
frnash said:
JP4? … Oh that's right, we already have that!
In fact we're up to JP8 now (since 1996!).
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Dats dah ticket...JP8....isn't "8" the symbol for recycled waste?

You pretty crafty Nash.....who would have thunk that you can reduce the emissions from jet fuel by zippin down.

Hey, if it does turn out to reduce sulfur smell, want take this to Wushingtun....and sell those bone heads on it?

We would make a fortune....maybe!
 
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gogebictodd

New member
We have the Iron Curtain in SE WI. We rent ours $30.00/mo do to to the very high iron content in the water. We where told it would get rid of any sulfer smell. Been very happy with it for the last 10 years, never a sulfur smell and good quality water. The nice thing about renting it has been the service from the Co. They have replaced parts due to iron build up that have would cost several hundred $. Since it is rented all service calls are NO COST, including parts and labor.

My office Neighbor had his tenants complaining about a sulfur odor and he had the Iron Curtain installed recently. No more complaints.
 
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