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smelly hot tap water

46 replies

SmileItsSunny · 01/06/2012 22:41

It started with the shower, and has now become apparent in the hot tap downstairs. Have chucked Mr Muscle down the drain (literally!) to no avail. Any ideas?

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SmileItsSunny · 01/06/2012 22:43

Sorry I lost the title. Haven.t quite got to grips with phone yet!

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PigletJohn · 01/06/2012 23:31

It started with the shower

What did?

EdgarAllenPimms · 01/06/2012 23:41

blockage? smell? leak?

Devora · 02/06/2012 00:12

It started with a kiss...

Devora · 02/06/2012 00:12

I never knew that it could end like this.

Devora · 02/06/2012 00:12

Go on, tell us! My guess is: "Whiffy smell".

SmileItsSunny · 02/06/2012 07:56

Oh - oops. The title was even more important than I thought! Sorry Blush

Every time I turn the hot water on, it smells of sewage. Not the cold water, mind, just the hot.

DH was convinced it was a drain problem - Mr Muscle hasn't fixed if if so!

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SmileItsSunny · 02/06/2012 07:58

I have a horrible suspicion re: previous problem of cluster flies, in loft, ?near hot water tank?.... am sending DH up to investigate.

We've already found a dead mouse in an electrical cupboard this weekend Sad

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PigletJohn · 02/06/2012 08:16

the hot water comes out of the tap, not out of the drains.

It has been quite hot this week. If you have a water tank in the loft, and some wildlife has drowned in it, then its rotting corpse will taint the water.

If this is the case you need to do a few things

  1. get the bits of body out of the tank
  2. rinse the dirty water out. If the cold tank feeds the cold bath tap, use that
  3. turn off the mains water supply at the stopcock, or tie up the ballcock and scrub out the tank. A soft sweeping brush as some household cleaner will do
  4. rinse it thoroughly, out of the bath tap again
  5. Refill it, add some Milton to sterilise, leaver a couple of hours, run the hot tap until (1) the milton water comes out (2) milton-free clean water comes out
  6. FFS FIT A TIGHT FITTING PLASTIC COVER TO THE TANK - you can measure it and buy one in a DIY shed. It is intended to keep dirt and wildife out of the tank
  7. Fit an insulating water-tank jacket to the tank. You might think it is to keep it warm in winter, but in fact it is to stop it getting hot in summer and encouraging bacteria and algae to grow in the warm pond.
PigletJohn · 02/06/2012 08:20

oh, and adjust the cylinder thermostat and the boiler stat so that the hot water is at least 60C, preferably 70C for the moment, leave it set to 24hr/constant. That will pasteurise the hot water it and prevent bacterial growth in the cylinder.

You might like to brush your teeth at the kitchen sink for the next week or so.

SmileItsSunny · 02/06/2012 08:29

Thanks pigletjohn you made me smile. A really helpful list. Thanks

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NeedaClearout · 02/06/2012 11:00

We had what we thought was a very smelly sink at work, it went on for weeks, we eventually realised it was the water (hot and cold) man went up to tank in roof space and found a rotting pigeon. WARNING - only use mains tap for filling kettle, we didn't, but we do now.

Devora · 02/06/2012 20:59

I wish I was married to PigletJohn.

I think I've told him that before, but funnily enough middle-aged lesbian mothers don't seem to float his boat. He made up some pathetic excuse about Mrs PJ not being keen on the idea...

QuintessentialShadows · 02/06/2012 21:03

note to self: dont have a bath tonight.

thisisyesterday · 02/06/2012 21:07

if it's the water that smells then putting stuff down the drain won't help!

my guess is that something has fallen into your tank and is decomposing.

Mmmmm

MrsTrellisOfSouthWales · 02/06/2012 21:10

Yumm .... squirrel water ....

SmileItsSunny · 02/06/2012 21:45

Ewww. DH and I are delaying the inevitable.... neither of us has been into the loft yet.
To be fair, he is currently installing a new oven (well, an oven that has been in the shed for the last 4 years) in the kitchen, as the last one broke a month ago.

We're not fast on jobs over here, but we get them done eventually.

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Devora · 02/06/2012 22:42

I just cannot bear decomposing animal corpses - shudder.

I have locked our cat out in the rain tonight, because I cannot cope with her bringing in one more mouse or baby bird and dropping it lovingly at my feet. Yuck yuck. (Before you all start hurling abuse at me, she can get into the utility room which is warm and dry and where her food is.)

PigletJohn · 02/06/2012 22:47

Devora and QS

You wouldn't like it.

You would grumble discontentedly while you rummaged about in the loft, listening to me shout instructions from my comfy chair.

QuintessentialShadows · 02/06/2012 22:53

Oh believe me I would not be in the loft, but with a plunger down my outside drain, while you bounce on the kids trampoline away from the bathfoam overflow....

Tinkerisdead · 02/06/2012 22:54

Urghhh i'm ashamed to say i'm marking my place as i just have to know whats dead in there now!

QuintessentialShadows · 02/06/2012 23:34

Pigletjohn , could you take a look at this thread ?

SmileItsSunny · 02/06/2012 23:36

Ohhh Drs Wife - I don't!

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SmileItsSunny · 02/06/2012 23:37

hey, how did someone get a title up there? Awesome, thanks!

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PigletJohn · 02/06/2012 23:39

I think a Good Fairy spoke to MN Towers.