On Friday, March 15, 2019 at 6:14:05 PM UTC-4, The Right Answer Always wrote:
replying to clare, The Right Answer Always wrote:
Remember: you will always smell the rotten egg smell with the igniter is first
trying to kick on. That's the gas being deployed so the spark can cause a
flame to heat your water. Only when you are not trying to heat your water
should you never smell the rotten egg smell. When it's idling it should not
smell. When it's active you will definitely smell it.

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BS. I've had many water heaters and never had one where it was normal to smell gas. The igniter or pilot sets the first gas to come out on fire and if there was any odor it should be going out the exhaust, not into the building. C