Water From A Bore

[prakhonchai nick]

I recently had a bore drilled to provide water. This is 44 metres deep and provides all my domestic needs which is circulated from the pump through the conventional plastic pipes

The water is clean and tasteless at all outlets except one.

In the bathroom, when I turn on the shower, for the first few seconds, whilst the water that has been left standing within the copper shower pot, is expelled there is a most unpleasant smell, sometimes resembling ammonia,

Could it be that the minerals in the water are reacting with the copper pot of the shower?

Any chemists out there care to comment please?

[candoman89]

You sure its an ammonia smell and not sulphide (beer fart aroma?).

Sounds like the water has gone anoxic (no oxygen) and then some chemical has been reduced............highly unlikely it is ammonia (nitrate gets reduced to ammonia).

If it is ammonia then you have a HUGE problem since it will come from either ammonia (sewage-highly unlikely since everywhere else it is clean and tasteless) or very high concentrations of nitrate (too high to be consumed....10 mg/L and again highly unlikely). My bet is its something else but probably easily rectified.

What is a copper shower pot (a pot made out of copper to hold water for the shower?????). Never heard of that.

Anyway the solution is to either let the shower run before you step in; or buy a small aquarium air pump and stick it in the copper shower pot to keep the water aerated. Or get rid of the copper pot.

Edited March 26, 2008 by candoman89

[prakhonchai nick]

You sure its an ammonia smell and not sulphide (beer fart aroma?).

Sounds like the water has gone anoxic (no oxygen) and then some chemical has been reduced............highly unlikely it is ammonia (nitrate gets reduced to ammonia).

If it is ammonia then you have a HUGE problem since it will come from either ammonia (sewage-highly unlikely since everywhere else it is clean and tasteless) or very high concentrations of nitrate (too high to be consumed....10 mg/L and again highly unlikely). My bet is its something else but probably easily rectified.

What is a copper shower pot (a pot made out of copper to hold water for the shower?????). Never heard of that.

Anyway the solution is to either let the shower run before you step in; or buy a small aquarium air pump and stick it in the copper shower pot to keep the water aerated. Or get rid of the copper pot.

The shower is a standard Sanyo unit. I believe the water to be heated is contained in a small copper cylinder within the plastic casing. The smell for the first few seconds does sometimes remind me of sewage, but clears once the water is running. Clearly it is the water that is stored within the shower unit, and which is then displaced by water from the PVC pipe once the tap is opened.

[Marvo]

Funny you should mention this smell you're getting. When I turn my (electrically heated) shower on, I'm sometimes getting exactly the same Rotten Eggs smell which suggests hydrogen sulphide. It only lasts a few seconds and then goes away.

Maybe the answer to your question is in the title you gave your thread nick - Water From a Bore. The "Mrs" is always telling me not to pi$ in the shower .

//Edit//typo

Edited March 26, 2008 by Marvo

[llso]

Probably high Sulfur content in water. smell more in shower because it is less frequently used than other taps. Not much you can do maybe buy a water filter from Home Pro Charcoal should remove some of it.

[andyadam]

I have a 25kg charcoal filter outside the house, I had the sulphide problem before but this seems to have solved it.

[prakhonchai nick]

Many thanks for the feedback.

It would appear to be Hydrogen Sulphide, and having googled, I have found much info.

As suggested, probably the best solution is to run the water for a few seconds before showering, problem not too great to consider a more drastic (and expensive) remedy.

I will have a look at charcoal filters when I next go shopping somewhere large

[PadThaiGuy]

It appears the heating of the water caused the smell since your other outlets seem fine?

[astral]

Are you showering direct from the bore, or via a storage tank?

If you have a tank, then I suggest a filter on the input to the tank to remove any nasties.

[prakhonchai nick]

Are you showering direct from the bore, or via a storage tank?

If you have a tank, then I suggest a filter on the input to the tank to remove any nasties.

Straight from the bore. No real problem now that I understand what it is. I can live with it. Just have to remember to run the water for 10 seconds before showering.

[mickba]

If you're considering a filter then you may be interested in the topic "Slow Sand Filter" - with or without charcoal.

[JetsetBkk]

It appears the heating of the water caused the smell since your other outlets seem fine?

I just changed one of my showers - it stopped heating.

The water from this shower used to smell for a minute or so after it was switched on. It was so bad that I used to point the shower head so the water ran down the wall until it was odourless.

After changing the shower unit, there is no smell.

So I reckon it's a combination of an old (internally corroded?) shower unit reacting with something in the water to generate the smell.

[begsaresponse]

For almost a week now we have water that smells. The smell is not overpowering. Kind of a dank water smell that you might get in the woods. Yes and slight sulphur.

In the shower and kitchen. Does not matter how long you run it for. And we have a tank.

Never had this before!

Any suggestions would be helpful

[ozzydom]

Are you sure the smell is coming from the hot water unit,a mate had a similar pong but we traced it to coming up from the water drain ,the foul air in the drain pipe was being displaced by the initial water and forced back up the pipe .

Most shower outlets do not employ water traps in Los.

[begsaresponse]

If you pour cold water from our kitchen tap into a mug you can smell it.

[candoman89]

Okay; back to first principles.

Sulfur smell is caused by BACTERIA converting sulfate (sulphate) to sulphide when there is NO oxygen in the water. When the water is heated the sulphide is released from the water.

There are two ways to get rid of the smell (prevention)............remove the sulphate (sulfate) or remove the bacteria.

Charcoal filter will remove the sulphates and lots of organics (grouped together they are known as dissolved organic carbon--DOC) thus you won't have any bad smell but you will have to change the filter occasionally (when you start to get the smell back). Charcoal filters will remove MOST (but not all) musty smells as well as sulphide smells.

Kill the bacteria by adding chlorine (what you put in swimming pools) to the system. This will have to be done periodically as the bacteria are naturally occurring and are coming from the bore. This should be done occasionally anyway as preventative maintenance since your pipes will be building up a coating of bacteria in them anyway.