Hot water has odor

TPUC - this is a residential electric hot water heater, is there a way to adjust the temp ?

Follow up....
When I drain the water heater before using, the smell is greatly reduced, I will try to introduce bleach into the system. I will have to first remove the "whole unit filter" since I'm not sure if the filter with be damaged or reduce the effectiveness of the bleac. Stay tuned for results.

PS - spoke to the dealer and they suggested draining when not in use or adding bleach - they didn't have an answer as to wether the bleach would damage the filter.

Moved to Tech Issues forum from DIY.

OK Let me state that I am a Water System Operator and have seen this happen in several homes. It happens when the water heater is not turned up hot enough allowing BacT to grow. People usually turn down the Tstat so as to not burn small kids. Your water heater needs to be hot enough so you can not hold your hand under it for but just a quick second. Drain and flush several times and turn the temp up.

Another possibility is the RV antifreeze was introduced to the water heater, bypass valve not fully closed, and then the water was heated.
Don't ask me how I know.
Seemed to take forever to get the taste and smell out.

Rotten egg smell is a classic sulphur indicator.

I'm guessing the water supply is well water, not treated (chlorinated and filtered) water. The reason it's most noticeable in the hot water is that when it's warmed up it increases the off-gassing.

If you install a simple filter like the cartridge type with the cartridge intended for sulphur removal it will help a lot.

Sunnybrook Steve wrote:
Does anyone know the cause of smelly water - similar to rotten eggs - on the warm water side. We have a residential 110 volt hot water heater - 2014 Cedar Creek Cottage. There is no slave anode, we are on well water which is pretty mild and we also have a whole unit water filter.

In the past I drained the hot water heater , ran cold water through it and refilled it and this lasted a few weeks. We use the rig on weekends 3-4 per month.

For what it is worth, here is a quote from the Atwood Water Heater manual:

"FLUSHING TO REMOVE UNPLEASANT ODOR

A rotten egg odor (hydrogen sulfide) may be produced when the electro
galvanic action of the cladding material releases hydrogen from the
water. if sulfur is present in the water supply the two will combine and produce an unpleasant smell.

1. Turn off main water supply. Drain the water heater tank and reinstall drain plug. Remove the pressure-temperature relief valve. Mix solution of 4 parts white vinegar to two parts water. With a funnel, carefully pour solution into tank.

2. Cycle water heater with the above solution, letting it run under normal operation 4-5 times.

3. Remove the drain plug and thoroughly drain all water from the tank.
Flush the water heater to remove any sediment. You may flush the tank
with air pressure or fresh water. pressure may be applied through either the inlet or outlet valves on the rear of the tank or through the pressure temperature relief valve coupling located on the front of the unit."

All of the above are possible causes, bad water, bacteria or anode. My call is bacteria is the most common.

X2 bacteria.... Very likely bacteria. Drain the fresh water system, including the water heater, and sanitize with a bleach solution. Many folks neglect to open the WH bypass in spring when they sanitize thir systems, so the tank never benefits from that.

Draining it when not in use is the answer.