Strange water smell and taste

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Southx10

Southx10

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Joined
Dec 19, 2015
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61
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Recently installed a new KUUMA water heater. Now my water has a strange smell and taste. Not sure how to describe it, not quite e li electrical but not aluminum. No other changes, remove old install new. Does anyone else have a KUUMA or any other brand with this issue.
 
Greetings,
Mr. S. Might it be residual material out gassing in the tank? Perhaps put a couple of gallons of vinegar in the tank and let it sit for a day or so then flush well. I would NOT suggest bleach.
 
The Kuuma has an aluminum tank. I’m thinking that might be the source of the taste. If it is the source, I’m surprised it showed up so fast. Aluminum water tanks get pretty gross over time but it usually doesn’t happen over night.

Is there a high chlorine content in the water? That will react with aluminum.

Is it only the hot water that tastes bad?
 
There is an optional Anode you can install and this will stop the smell/taste issue
 
Are you losing any engine coolant? Hopefully that is not what you are tasting.
Your hot water pressure tank should be higher than your engine coolant pressure, so any leak in the hot water heat exchanger should leak water into the engine coolant but it depends how your system is set up.
 
Last edited:
Southx10 said:
It was on both until I re-installed a check valve in hot water supply.
Click to expand...

So now it’s only in the hot water?

In a household water heater, which I think are all glass lined steel, if the anode wears out, the water tastes and smells of sulfur.
 
I just replaced the 30+ years old Atwood with the same brand, I did go to a 11 gallon over the 6 gallon. No problems whatsoever, the anode replaces the drain valve but I have no idea how that could affect the taste. Good luck on getting it sorted out.
 
Welcome South. Have you called the manufacture?
 
Check the temperature. If tank is too cool, some bacteria can thrive in there, causing stink and other problems. Had that happen on my dirt house with new water heater. Noticed hot water was not that hot, and after a few months I detected stink in the shower. Turned thermostats up and problem went away.

Edit: Do you drink your hot water? If you are drinking cold water and it smells/tastes funny, that is not your water heater. You probably have skunk in your fresh water tank.
 
Last edited:
Manufacturer probably should have been one of the first things but wanted to see if it was a common problem.
 
I can't see how the water heater can explain stink in the cold water, unless your plumbing is run in a way where thermal expansion in heater can drive water backward into the cold piping.

Do this: Get water heater up to temp. Draw some cold and check for stink. Then run a few gallons through cold, then draw another glass and check for stink. If the second glass has stink, sounds like your fresh water tank has the skunk and water heater is not responsible.
 
As bad as it sounds, it is worse than that...

When you're not using your food grade water hose, make sure to screw the ends together to keep critters out. One time, I found a frog skeleton in the water line, after we had a horrid smell (and taste) in the water... Drain everything, chlorine everything and wash out the frog bits...

and remember to screw the hose ends to each other to seal the hose EVERY time. :)
 
That sounds delightful. How long did you frog. Screwing the ends together has been a standard for years.
 
That frog story is NASTY. Yuk.

I always run the the hose free a bit before filling the tank, flushes bugs, stink, amphibians, stale water, etc out of hose.

I filled my tank (only once) from the marina next to mine. A week later my water stunk. Talked to the locals there and they said the well water sucked and so did whatever treatment system they use. I had to manually clean out my tank. Now I fill with known good water and no problem since.
 
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