Hey everyone! My partner and I just welcomed our first daughter in December and have only recently moved into our new place. Last night, we noticed an unusual issue with our hot water: it came out foamy and seemed to have some sort of substance mixed in, not just regular air bubbles. The smell is pretty concerning; it's reminiscent of kerosene or those candles that are meant to ward off mosquitoes, almost like some sort of chemical or interior house paint. We checked with our landlord, who suggested we run the hot water for a while and it should clear up, but even after running it for quite a bit last night, the problem persists. With a 5-month-old baby and having just moved in, we're unsure what our next steps should be. Any insights?
2 Answers
Try heating up a pot of cold water on your stove. If you get the same smell, it might mean there's an issue with your water supply or service lines. If the smell disappears, then it could be something going on with your water heater.
Where are you located? If you're in the US, your local agricultural extension agencies might offer water testing or points on where to get it done. In the meantime, I’d stick with bottled water just to be safe. If the smell is more like rotten eggs, it could indicate an issue with the hot water heater's anode rod needing replacement.
Thanks for the tip! We're in Tumwater, Washington (isn’t that a funny name?), so I’ll check into local water testing.
Great idea! We’re planning to test that out when we get home later. And wow, our landlord seems to be cutting corners too; we’ve noticed black mold around the windows and pet fur embedded in the supposed new carpet. Just feels like we rushed into this place!