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Why does my hot water smell like rotten eggs?

less than a minute readJun 04Lyle Weischwill
image of water-treatment

Certain water conditions cause a reaction between a water heater's anode rod and supply water, causing hydrogen sulfide gas to dissolve in the tank water. The hydrogen sulfide gas gives the water a rotten-egg smell. Installing a less-reactive aluminum alloy anode rod and chlorinating the water supply system eliminates the rotten-egg smell in hot water.


These repairs may help solve your water-treatment problem

JC-WH-Replace-the-anode-rod

Replace the water heater anode rod

The anode rod protects the tank from corrosion. A chemical reaction between the supply water and the anode rod can produce hydrogen sulfide gas and cause the hot water to smell like rotten eggs in some conditions. Replace the anode rod with a less-reactive zinc-aluminum anode rod to combat the rotten-egg smell.

Water heater anode rod

Find the required part specific to your product.
Jul 01
By Lyle Weischwill
How to replace an electric water heater anode rod

Does your hot water smell like rotten eggs? This repair guide and video show how to fix the smell by…

Repair time and Difficulty

 15 minutes or less