Replaced water heater, still smelling sulfur in hot water & Low water pressure

aminus21

Hey all, we recently bought our first house, it's small old, but it's home
(1953, 900 sq ft, southern california)

The house was unoccupied for 5 years, everything works so far. There's a rotten egg sulfur smell from the hot water. I tried flushing the old heater to no avail, so last weekend I installed a 40 gal gas water heater. (tankless was too much hassle).

The smell has gone down, but I still smell it in the hot water. The pipes going above the water heater are steel, I haven't been under the house so not sure about the rest of the house. (I guess if those are steel, then the others should be too?)

Any ideas on what to do in regards to the smell? is a copper re-pipe due?

Also, I've noticed a very big decrease in water pressure if I'm using multiple fixtures. for example, if the sprinklers are on, the water pressure in the bathroom faucet is significantly lowered..any ideas?

currently there's only 1 bathroom, in the future we plan on adding two more..

Thanks all

Mike Swearingen

The house apparently still has the old obsolete galvanized steel water supply pipes. These are notorious for scaling up inside until they eventually plug up completely.
The average "useful age" for old galvanized before it starts giving you trouble is about 40 years. Your old house is due for a replumbing. The sulpher odor is absorbed into the scale of the pipes, and the scale has built up until it is giving you pressure problems.
I would replace it with PEX.
If you want to replace it all at once, that is best. If you want to replace it piecemeal, start nearest the end-of-the-line fixtures and work your way back toward the main water supply line. The scale builds up near the end of the run the worst.
Good Luck!
Mike

aminus21

I went under the house and the lines are indeed steel. I think I'm going to try and the re-piping a shot this weekend. I guess I'll start where the water goes into the house from the main shutoff and go from there. There's only 1 bathroom and a kitchen, so it doesn't look like too much to do.

since we plan on adding 2 more bathrooms in the future, I guess I'll install some T's instead of 90's and put on a 3/4 shutoff, good idea?

tips greatly appreciated..