Hi, Neighbors! I know you all are aware, but it has been COLD!!!? I hope you all have weathered this cold snap well.
With all of the snow we?ve been getting, our aquifers should be filling nicely! A few months ago we had developed a problem with our water. It started to smell like bad eggs. That odor is a naturally occurring compound called sulphur. When this happens, you may want to have your well checked by a professional. Wells should be checked annually, and if you haven?t already started, you should be keeping a well file and a septic file logging all of the care and maintenance of each.
There are a few things that can cause your water to start to smell. You need to determine where the odor is coming from.? You need to be away from your home for a few hours and upon returning, turn your taps on one at a time.? If the odor comes from the hot water or is in softened water, your water heater or water softener could be where the odor originates. However, if it comes from both faucets but dissipates after a minute or two, you probably have sulfur bacteria in your water or your pipes. If the odor becomes constant, then it most likely is due to gas in your groundwater.
Recently we had issues, so my husband removed the anode rod, or the magnesium corrosion control rod, from our hot water heater and replaced it with a new one. He then cleaned the heater out with a chlorine bleach to remove any of the sulfur bacteria residues. After that, he turned the water temperature up ? just temporarily ? to approximately 160 degrees to kill of any remaining bacteria in the heater. After he did all of this, we had no water odor at all, and our water tastes so very sweet now! He recommends changing the anode rod out about every three years. The anode rods are available usually at True Value in Fairplay and generally run around $18 – $20. Not a bad investment for oh-so-good water!
There are many websites available that can walk you through maintenance of your well, but as I suggested before, if you aren?t handy around the house, or you just don?t want to be bothered with the maintenance, you really should look into a professional who can take care of your well.
That?s about it for this time. Be sure to look at the website: www.rotr.org for updates from your Board of Directors and questions, answers and other interesting things in the forums. If you haven?t heard, you can now pay your dues through the website! Leave us suggestions for topics you would like to hear about. Come and visit one of our monthly board meetings and definitely come to the Ranch events. It?s always good to get to know your neighbors. We have a great community here thanks to all of you!
Brenda J. Whelan
Treasurer, RORA BOD
