Stainless Steel Water Tank Has A Strong Synthetic Smell - Help?

[blacksuitdandruff]

I have a 1000L stainless steel TOP brand (logo of a red elephant) tank.

Been using it for about 2 months or less. It houses the drinking water that is used for the restaurant and home. The water comes from a municipal source in Isaan and is filter by an under-the-counter type filter systems - ceramic, carbon, resin, RO. Been great at keeping the water fresh and clean but now it has a very strong smell - almost like a synthetic smell - plastic, resin, epoxy?? I cannot put my nose on it.

Drained and washed it out a few times with a mild soap detergent regularly before the smell with good results. But now washed it out twice since the smell was detected and it's still there. I change the filters weekly and test the water quality daily with a TDS (no abnormality). Checked the outside and inside of the tank - no rust or wearing of the weld joint that runs down half of the tank.

The water in the tank is drained/used every day (average 70%) and the filtration system runs a minimum of 10 hours a day and sometimes 24/7 depending on usage.

Have not used bleach yet, but might try doing so even though it does not smell like bacteria or algae. Could it be a brass or blue plastic fitting or teflon tape?

Any suggestions or ideas on getting rid of or determining the source of the smell? Thanks!

[bankruatsteve]

What kind of filtration system do you have? Changing filters weekly doesn't seem right to me. I doubt the ss tank is the culprit. In any case and given your usage, adding 2-3 capfulls of bleach to the tank every day couldn't hurt.

[Colin Yai]

Steve,The water here often has a strange odour ,something like sulphur I am informed by many who live here in Issan (Ban Kruat area),maybe this is something to do with ages old volcanic action in the area.??

Edited March 14, 2012 by Colin Yai

[Kwasaki]

Your new stainless steel water tank will need time to, for want of better words mold in.

I have the the same problem at first, maybe yours is the same, don't know.

I have a storage tank for drinking water but before l put the water from the filter into it, I run it through the filter unit to my second storage tank by transparent hosepipe so as not to waste water for about 20 - 30 mins, on checking the taste of the water, which by then is excellent, I proceed to store it.

The filters are good but I find they take time with water running through then to take the synthetic smell as you say or as for me the twangy taste away let alone the smell.

Try it hope it works for you.

[blacksuitdandruff]

bankruatsteve - the filtration system is two 3 stage filtration system (2x ceramic, 2x resin, 2x carbon) linked together with one RO filter from one of the systems at the end. The brand name of both is Filtex by Hager Brothers bought from Tesco Lotus. It's your standard 10" filter sized counter-top or under-the-sink variety. About the bleach, are you suggesting we drink that solution?

Colin - yes, there is a strong sulfur smell/taste in the tap water. Sometimes worse and sometimes not noticeable. I always thought it had to do with the red soil or the muncipal pipes.

Kwasaki - not sure what you meant by "mold in" - bacteria-wise or shape-wise or another meaning? I do run the filters for about 15L before putting the hose directly in the tank, but at my flow rate, 30L sounds like your suggestion.

Additionally...

The smell is very strong. When I put my nose over the top of the tank, the smell is strong, I'd say 6/10 pungency, which I think is much more than filters initially "washing out" or even the filters being old (in the latter, usually the water tastes sour, not in this case).

Also, I do keep the tank indoors away from the sun though not in a temperature controlled room.

[Kwasaki]

Kwasaki - not sure what you meant by "mold in" - bacteria-wise or shape-wise or another meaning? I do run the filters for about 15L before putting the hose directly in the tank, but at my flow rate, 30L sounds like your suggestion.

Additionally...

The smell is very strong. When I put my nose over the top of the tank, the smell is strong, I'd say 6/10 pungency, which I think is much more than filters initially "washing out" or even the filters being old (in the latter, usually the water tastes sour, not in this case).

Also, I do keep the tank indoors away from the sun though not in a temperature controlled room.

Yeah !! sorry, just joking, new things like elect kettles, plastic containers, plastic tanks etc tend to have a twany taste or funny smell to me at first until ther run in so to speak but we haven't had any problems with stainless containers with taste or smell, that said our drinking water supply is filtered and stored in a large ceramic jar.

1. If you have not already done so, have you ran through an elimination process. ??

2. Incoming water tap supply does that have the same odour and taste as the tank. ??

3. When you have ran the water through your filters is it odour free & good to taste. ??

5. The hose used from your filters to fill your stainless tank when ready to fill is this water odour free & good to taste. ??

6. What I believe maybe suspect, do you stop water supply from filters once the tank is filled. ??

[blacksuitdandruff]

1. If you have not already done so, have you ran through an elimination process. ??

You mean to let the filters for a while before storing the filtered water? Yes. Every time I re-start the water.

2. Incoming water tap supply does that have the same odour and taste as the tank. ??

The incoming water has a more metallic smell to it. This smell is a very strong synthetic smell. Almost like a oil-based smell.

3. When you have ran the water through your filters is it odour free & good to taste. ??

The water tastes great and is order free from the filters.

What happened to #4?

5. The hose used from your filters to fill your stainless tank when ready to fill is this water odour free & good to taste. ??

The hoses are clean(ed).

6. What I believe maybe suspect, do you stop water supply from filters once the tank is filled. ??

Yes, I do stop the water. I know what you might suggest - get a small submersible pump like the kind for a fish tank.

Thanks for the words so far.

[bankruatsteve]

bankruatsteve - the filtration system is two 3 stage filtration system (2x ceramic, 2x resin, 2x carbon) linked together with one RO filter from one of the systems at the end. The brand name of both is Filtex by Hager Brothers bought from Tesco Lotus. It's your standard 10" filter sized counter-top or under-the-sink variety. About the bleach, are you suggesting we drink that solution?

Can't say much about the filters except that if you have to change every week, it just seems expensive and perhaps unnecessary to me.

For the bleach, I'll just say that yah, I would drink it. It should take care of the smell and help purify the water. Anyway, your filters will take out anyting the bleach cooks up.

[Kwasaki]

1. If you have not already done so, have you ran through an elimination process. ??

You mean to let the filters for a while before storing the filtered water? Yes. Every time I re-start the water.

2. Incoming water tap supply does that have the same odour and taste as the tank. ??

The incoming water has a more metallic smell to it. This smell is a very strong synthetic smell. Almost like a oil-based smell.

3. When you have ran the water through your filters is it odour free & good to taste. ??

The water tastes great and is order free from the filters.

What happened to #4?

5. The hose used from your filters to fill your stainless tank when ready to fill is this water odour free & good to taste. ??

The hoses are clean(ed).

6. What I believe maybe suspect, do you stop water supply from filters once the tank is filled. ??

Yes, I do stop the water. I know what you might suggest - get a small submersible pump like the kind for a fish tank.

Thanks for the words so far.

Reading back to your original post no.4 was answered so I deleted.

I'm sorry I'm lost, because after filtration my storage drinking water is fine for 2 months or maybe more I would say but as said previously my storage is not in a stainless tank, water in our stainless containers is for short periods only but so is yours.

Try an experiment with the large plastic water bottle you see in restaurants and see whether after time the water starts taste and smelling the same.

If it's the same I would say something beyond me in filtration methods needs to be done.

Regards K.