I just had a pipe to my hot water heater replaced. There's a weird smell when I run the water. Is it normal?

Question

Is it because the pipe is new? Will the smell go away in a few days?

It smells sort of "plasticy."

Answer 1

If the pipe that was replaced was PVC (plastic), you could be smelling trace amounts of the glue they used to join the pipes. If it's copper, it might be residue from the soldering paste they use to join the pipes.

In either case, you should run the hot water until it's cold (all existing hot water in the water heater is gone) and then a few minutes more to flush out the pipes and the water heater. Then let the water heater heat back up and check to see if the smell went away. If not, call the person who did the work and ask them what's going on.

Answer 2

I've found that after doing any work that involves turning off and on or cutting plumbing lines (especially in older homes) all sorts of build-up inside the pipes gets loose and will work it's way into your faucets.
Also electric water heaters tend to build up crud in the bottom and should be partially drained once a year. Maybe this junk got stirred up too.
Try hooking a garden hose to the bottom of the heater and opening the valve for a few minutes. The smell should eventually go away.

Answer 3

Can you describe the smell? Is it sulfer? Your water should not smell at all, especially not from a new pipe.

Was the pipe that was replaced a pipe that supplies the water to the water heater? One way to tell is feel it...if it's hot, it's not a supply line.

Answer 4

you want to have a minimum of 16" of metal exiting the heater before replacing to %. i do not comprehend if versatile metal calls for the same offset or no longer. with slightly of success a plumber solutions.

Answer 5

I don't know.... you may have to call the water people. I just had mines changed 2 or 3 weeks ago and that didn't happen