Unpleasant Smell in Hot Water (Megaflo System)

Great update,very useful.

 

Shame they dont make that offer to everyone. Anyway ours is not a broken baffle but bacteria that has somehow lodged itself on top of the baffle which is the most difficult place to access. Heatrae Sadia suggested removing the cylinder, filling it with disinfectant and reinstalling afterwards. Expensive job if the problem reoccurs. After chasing everyone from Heatrae Sadia, Thames Water and the Consumer Council for Water for over a year with no definitive answer as to how to cure the problem, nor an answer as to how it got there in the first place, we have today given up and replaced the cylinder.

 

Hi. I have moved into a property in Nottingham 3 weeks ago. I have exactly the same Heatrae Sadia (BAXI) Unvented Indirect Cylinder CL145HE. It seems like the cylinder is 10-11 years old. I have exactly the same problem. The unpleasant smell appears only while the hot water is running. The hot water itself doesn't smell. It brings out some gas I believe. This happens in the bathroom and kitchen sinks as well as the shower. I push myself to stay in the shower while smelling this. Cold water doesn't have the smell. I asked to two plumbers about the smell. One said, it is ok and he can drink it to prove it is healthy. The other plumber checked 2 other flats in the building and told me that they have exactly the same cylinder and same smell and they don't complain about it. So useless efforts. Next time I will ask them to read this post. I guess I will either try to get someone for endoscope/boroscope or a MEGAFlo expert as suggested here if my landlord will be happy. Beucase the plumbers have underestimated the problem as well as reporting their thoughts to the landlord, it is getting harder for me to get the support from landlord. I will keep this post updated.

 

I think the manufacturers of the cylinders know exactly what the issue is but are not letting on. It is clearly a design fault but one that relatively rarely crops up and is most likely a combination of factors that all have to be present to cause the stink.

I installed a second hand stainless steel Megaflow tank recently (it didn't cost me anything so I'm not complaining) and it has the same problem - nor flexipipes, mix of plastic and copper pipe (mostly copper) and very soft water, here. I can't be bothered to swap it out again (it's a rented house) so I'll probably live with it. At least this thread has reassured me that the water isn't doing me any harm.

It would be very interesting to understand what is causing the smell even if it can only be fixed by replacing the cylinder. It's a shame as I am hugely impressed with the Megaflow, otherwise. Compared to the complete joke of a hot water system I had before (where the HW tank was gravity fed from a header tank whose centre was roughly level with the centre of the HW cylinder - ie utterly pidling water upstairs and not much better down) the Megaflow is fantastic.

It's insulation is vasty superior to the old tank (despite the old one having apparently good lagging) and the immersion elements are next to silent where as the old ones were deafening. So the spare room is now usable for visitors - the old one made it next to impossible to sleep in due to the kettling racket from the emersion elements all night long. A real shame but there it is!

Martin
Isle of Colonsay
Scotland

 

I know this is an old thread but has anyone had this problem since. We are having the same experience at present and cannot get any help

 

Hi Kiab

Have you heard any more about this we are currently having the same problem

 

Hi Rscr86
Where are the vents to look in as we have the same problem but our landlord wants to drain the tank rather than spend any money

 

Is it an unvented cylinder.....if so the tanks needs replacing due to the sacrificial anodes have failed due to poor servicing of the system....that why it smells the interior of the tank has corroded and the smell is iron oxide and has contaminated the water, that's why it is only the hot water outlets, had the same happen to me 2 years ago.....new indirect tank ....problem sorted.

 

Thanks Astramax
Someone mentioned that earlier in the thread but apparently megaflows don't have a sacrificiial anode. It's a sweet type of smell and only on the hot water I've spoken with Baxi and they said it could be a baffle problem?
Think this is a direct tank

 

Oh well, may have been relevant!

PS, KIAB has unfortunately has been taken from us.

 

Cheers anyway more help than our landlord

 

I am having the same problem. Megaflow cylinder. Has anyone found the cause of the smell. My landlord will never replace this megaflow. And I refuse to shower in this smelly water. I don't want to waste my money testing the water as other users have said the water was fine. How can it be ok when it smells so bad?! PLease help! I am just outside London.