why does hot water smell different than cold water?
In: Biology
The water itself has no smell at any temperature, however water can contain any number of things that do, like minerals and gases.
You’re smelling the minerals from your hot water heater dissolved into the water. It’s a major reason why you shouldn’t use hot water when preparing to boil something – use tap instead.
If it’s not distilled, 100% pure H20, (which tap water is not), then it’s going to have impurities. Some of those impurities have a smell. The hotter the water is, the faster those impurities evaporate into the air, making their concentration greater, and therefore easier to smell. But, since not every impurity evaporates at the same relative rate at different temperatures, the ratio of those impurities you’re smelling also changes. In short, hotter water gives you more things to smell and a slightly different ratio of things to smell.
Your hot water picks up stuff from your water heater, which your cold water doesn’t. This is why it’s recommended to cook and drink using cold water from the tap, and use hot water for stuff where taste/smell doesn’t matter like cleaning and showering.
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