True, raising the temperature to 140-F (medium setting on most heaters) can kill bacteria but whenever I give this as a treatment, I append it with a very strong caution against scalding. Without this warning, one must assume that a very dangerous situation can be created.
Furthermore, to avoid disaster, this should only be done with a heater that has a functioning pressure release valve. After about eight to ten hours, the heater should be drained and temperature setting returned to normal. This should always be included when giving instructions in raising temperature as a method of treatment to prevent injury.
The odor will temporarily go away but can quickly return unless more permanent measures are taken. Removing the anode rod will eliminate the problem but can shorten the life of the heater. Zinc or aluminum rods can be used with better results than magnesium rods.
A prefilter housing can be installed before the heater and, occasionally, a small amount of bleach or hydrogen peroxide can be supplied. This makes the treatment easy and can be very effective.
Please be careful with handling this in half-way measures.
Andy Christensen, CWS-II
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