Sulfer-y smelling water with new boiler---problem?

Tom R.

Sounds like you disturbed some bacteria that were hiding in the cooler spots of the "gravity" system. Pumping the water now has heated everywhere in the piping, and killed them. When things die, they give of a gas that smells bad. Could be that is the cause of the smell and the "air". Clean that system, and leave it treated.

Mike James

Devils own farts come out of my radiator bleed valves...problem?

Hello!

I had a gravity hot-water system converted this fall. It was already closed, but had no pump and was a 70 year old cast iron boiler.

A new slantfin was installed. Single zone, round thermostat, real simple. Big ol radiators.

My question is this:

When I bled the system before the new boiler I never noticed much smell to the air (and then water) coming out of the bleed valves. Now, as my wife says, it smells like the farts of satan. (How does she know?)

The water itself is pretty clear...some black crud but not much.

Soooo--is this a symptom of anything more serious? Our water is quite decent city water, neither very hard nor very soft.

The installation company isnt very responsive and tells me not to worry (but really just doesnt want to be bothered), but I also wonder why I keep getting slight amounts of air in the system (but thats another topic!).

thank you all!

Bob W._3

Very descriptive. Does this thread apply:

http://forums.invision.net/Thread.cfm?CFApp=2&Thread_ID=31818&mc=3

kevin coppinger_4

well it is a.....

old system. The old water that was in there probbably was older than dirt....unless the system is flushed out w/ a good cleaner the old "sludge" will give of some smell...The water content of these gravity systems is huge it would take A LOT of water to really flush it out at higher velocity (very hard to do with those size pipes). The fact you have to bleed out air points this out. How often do you add water? Was the old expansion tank removed? If you are still adding water 1 month into the heting season you might start looking around to see if the system is still open to the atmosphere....kpc

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