Why does my water smell like rotten eggs / hydrogen sulfide?
If the smell is in the hot water only this can be one of two things. The magnesium anode rod may need replacement in the water heater. Note: Magnesium works better than aluminum with BWL water. The other possibility is the water heater has sat stagnant and not been used for a while. It is best to drain and refill the water heater.
To check the cold water, run the water for 3 minutes, fill a clean glass, walk away from the sink and smell the cold water. Rotten egg smell is not expected in our system. If the cold water does smell, call our customer service at 517-702-6006.
Why does my water have an earthy smell?
Odors may be coming from your sink drain. Turning your faucet on may displace sewer gas. One way to determine if the smell is from the water or your drain is to get a clean glass and fill it with cold water. Walk away from the room it was filled in and smell the water in the glass.
If there is no smell in the cold-water glass then the drain is the issue. If the cold water does smell, call our customer service at 517-702-6006.
You can do the same test with the hot water. If there is no smell in the hot-water glass then the drain is the issue. If the hot water does smell, this is a water heater issue, call your local plumber.
Why does my water smell like chlorine?
The BWL uses chloramines to disinfect the water to ensure the best, safest water is being delivered to you. Typically, chloramines do not have much of an odor if any. Some people can be more sensitive to the smells in the water and at other times slight increases in the chloramines can cause people to detect the smell. BWL’s chloramine levels are always below State and Federal regulations and are monitored daily.