Sewerage/sulphur smell in house?

[DL]

Hello,

I am renting a house in Homestead, FL while I am working on a project here.

The house stinks like sewerage or sulphur? I have poured bleach down all the drains, didn't work. I had a water softner and whole house water filteration system installed, that didn't work ?

I've had the water system for about a week, still stinks in the house.

What do you guys think I should do next?

Thanks

[jadnashua]

Do you smell anything outside in the yard? Where is the vent on the roof and how much sticks out above it? Do you have city sewer or a septic system?

[DL]

Sorry, been out of town.

I am on city sewerage. I don't smell anything outside. Vent pipes look good as far as I can tell, from ground viewing.

House is a single story home.

Contacted a local plumbing company today. They said they can do a smoke test through the vents on the roof to find the source of the smell.

Cost is $300.00 to do the test?? Sound good?

Thanks

[Redwood]

Not really yet. You may have and issue with Sulfate Reducing Bacteria in your water supply. If that is your problem smoke testing will do nothing for your problem. http://www.google.com/search?q=sulphur+reducing+bacteria++well+water&btnG=Search&hl=en&sa=2

[DL]

I don't know.. I have smelled the water from the faucet outside, It doesn't have a bad smell to it.

[Redwood]

Its possible that its in the water heater. I'd say test for it any way.

[patrick88]

Hello,

I am renting a house in Homestead, FL while I am working on a project here.

The house stinks like sewerage or sulphur? I have poured bleach down all the drains, didn't work. I had a water softner and whole house water filteration system installed, that didn't work ?

I've had the water system for about a week, still stinks in the house.

What do you guys think I should do next?

Thanks

I had a faucet smell of sulphur once. Does the house smell all the time or only when you run water or something else.

[orfeo]

i remember going up to my friends farm which used well water and the sulphur smell there was pretty bad and you had to clear the taps for a bit each time you went up there. I spoke to my lecturer about it and he said it was a bacteria solution, basically you have a thing of sulphate down in the well and the bacteria love the stuff and eat it and make sulphur dioxide and up your pipes it goes. But the bad bacteria remain in the well and don't come up the pipe.

Anyway, a bit off topic and probably doesn't relate to your case :)

[DL]

Have a whole house water filter and softner installed on water line entering house. I don't smell it in the water.

As soon as I walk into the house every day, it has an odor.

I figure tub drains, washing machine drain, toilet wax rings ?( tile on all floors in bathrooms, no stains around toilet where tile meets toilet?) All sinks have p-traps installed?

I don't know? :confused:

[Redwood]

Well the reason we are having trouble with this is a suphur smell usually is a water problem, and a sewage problem usually smells like poop.

the two never seem to meet unless someone is poopin and burning matches thinking it covers the stench.:rolleyes:

[DL]

Well the reason we are having trouble with this is a suphur smell usually is a water problem, and a sewage problem usually smells like poop.

the two never seem to meet unless someone is poopin and burning matches thinking it covers the stench.:rolleyes:


.. A friend in my neighborhood a few houses down, doesn't have the smell in his house. Another person I know on the same side of the street as me, doesn't smell in his house. It may be the water may not? I'm going to find out soon, if its the shitter or the water...lol

[FloridaOrange]

Could the smell be coming from the hot water side of your faucets only?

[DL]

Could the smell be coming from the hot water side of your faucets only?

I don't see how since I have the water going into the hot water heater filtered and softened. I drained the hot water heater when I had the softner and filter put in.

[Redwood]

Have your water tested for SRB's

[Mikey]

I don't see how since I have the water going into the hot water heater filtered and softened.
I also filter and soften my water, but quickly determined it was in the hot water only. It's a very common problem.

First, verify this suspicion by smelling both the hot (only) and cold (only) in a shower, sink, or wherever. Oddly, results may differ at different fixtures. If it is in fact the hot water,

1) try pouring a quart or so of hydrogen peroxide into the water heater. Let it sit for a while and see what happens over the next day or 2. No need to drain the WH. If the smell goes away, you've found the source but fixed it only temporarily.

2) for a permanent fix, replace the anode rod with either an aluminum or aluminum/zinc/tin rod specially-designed to combat this problem. Google "anode rod smell" to find a number of sites that explain the problem and sell these rods, which are usually hard to find locally. I use an aluminum rod (which some sites say won't work -- they're wrong) that I bought for about $20, plus a couple bucks for shipping. Since you soften your water, the anode rod will have to be replaced more often. How old is your WH?

3) and/or raise the WH temperature to above 140F. This has the positive side-effect of preventing growth of legionella bacteria, but it produces scalding water, and raises your electric/gas bill.

[jadnashua]

Having the WH thermostat up high has several other functional benefits...you get more hot water for the same sized tank at typical uses. It is a good idea to install a tempering valve to limit the outlet temperature. This mixes cold water to bring the outlet temp down to where you set it (typically around 119-degrees, but they're adjustable). In a climate like FL, especially in the southern parts, the energy loss wouldn't be as great because standby losses are less when the temperature differential isn't great. Put one in an unheated garage, or basement in Maine, and that's a different story!

[DL]

I talked to the plumber today. I called him earlier this week and we both agreed to check the house out today before doing a smoke test. He stopped by this morning, Came inside the house and noticed the sulphur smell I was describing. He said it wasn't a septic /sewerage problem. Said he didn't have any idea where the smell was coming from and said he would talk to some other people to see what idea they may have. Didn't charge me anything for stopping by, nice guy.

I guess the next thing to do is what Mikey said.

I am renting the house, the landlord said he had a water heater put in sometime last year.

Rheem Fury Water Heater
Mfg date 02/2007
Model 82MV52-2 50 gallon
Upper & Lower Element 4500/3380

When I first got to FL, I stayed with a friend who owns a house close by to where I am right now. He had a house with a detached mother in-law suite that I stayed in for a month. It had the same smell in it, I thought it was the water. I was in his house several times but I didn't notice the smell. Water & HVAC came from his house. I thought it was the water? I guess it wasn't??
What else could it be????

Anyone know a name of a Company that specializes in air/ground anaylsis to find my problem in my area? Should I start with county/city municipal depts to help? Could it be the ground the house is built on? The house is on a slab, could the concrete slab be absorbing the ground water underneath the house and passing along the smell in the water into the conrete foundation? Smell is in the whole house bathrooms, bedrooms, garage.


Man this is a wierd problem to solve or maybe I'm over looking something that is an easy fix?

[Redwood]

Yes, You are so way overthinking this!
The smell is SRB's!
Have a look see at this link!
http://waterheating.rheem.com/content/resources/documents/tech%20bulletins/1200%20Series/1206.pdf

Even though you are in Florida...
This ain't "Rocket Science!"

[DL]

Yes, You are so way overthinking this!
The smell is SRB's!
Have a look see at this link!
http://waterheating.rheem.com/content/resources/documents/tech%20bulletins/1200%20Series/1206.pdf

Even though you are in Florida...
This ain't "Rocket Science!"

You don't have to scream your words..lol

I got good eyesight.. I'll try it...Thanks

[Redwood]

I just figured since the answer to your smell had been given 13 posts & 10 days ago it was time to say it louder...:D

[DL]

I just figured since the answer to your smell had been given 13 posts & 10 days ago it was time to say it louder...:D

I got it. It's all good..

Thanks

[DL]

Hey.

With the cold water inlet valve shut off to the water heater . How is there going to be any pressure to push the hot water out of the tank? Then I have to open the cold water inlet valve and turn all the hot water faucets, tub , etc on for 10 minutes or less to run bleach through lines, then drain water heater and fill with cold water only, then repeat draining?

Thanks

[Redwood]

Open the drain and use the inlet valve to apply pressure to start the flow. The drain is frequently blocked by mineral deposits and the pressure will usually clear it. Then turn off the inlet valve and open a hot tap to allow air in for gravity drainage.

Follow the instructions in the service bulletin for chlorination.

[DL]

Hey Redwood,

I opened the pressure relief valve to vent the tank to allow the water to drain faster out of the bottom drain valve. It says after about an hour, open up the hot water going to each hot water side outlet on the faucets, tub valves, etc to let the bleached water in the tank drain out of the fixtures. With the cold water valve shut, there is no pressure to push the water out of the tank into the lines to the fixtures? So I had to open the cold water inlet into the tank to get pressure. The water heater is located in the garage on the same level, house is a single story ranch.

I did just as the posted instructions. We'll see how the house smells tomorrow when I get back home from work? Is that enough time to wait or how much time should I wait?

The R-Tech Anode I ordered is to long, it is 44 inches.The one I removed from my tank was 33 inches long. I need to send the 44 inch one back and get the right one. The site I ordeed it from said the one I ordered would fit the 33 long tank, the one I got is 44 inches? So I will have to wait about a week or two before I change out the anode. I'm going out of town this week.

Thanks

[Redwood]

Hopefully that kills it off!
There was another post recently where the stuff was residing in one of the faucets and sink overflow...
When you find its residence and kill it the smell will be gone.

[Mikey]

I had a water softner and whole house water filteration system installed, that didn't work ?
Does this system include a chlorinator?

[DL]

OK,

Smell is the same today. I did call the people I bought the anode from, they said I could cut it to fit? Is this OK to do right?

Mikey, No chlorinator installed. Do I need one even though I am on city water/sewerage? Doesn't the city water have plenty of chlorine in it to make it safe to drink?

Thanks

[Mikey]

Sorry, I didn't realize you had city water, but I guess I should have expected that, given that you were on a sewer. Yes, city water should be good enough out of the tap, but OTOH, if you've got a bacteria problem, those bacteria have to come from somewhere.

Should be OK to cut the new rod back to the same length as the old one. How much did Rheem want for that rod?

[DL]

Sorry, I didn't realize you had city water, but I guess I should have expected that, given that you were on a sewer. Yes, city water should be good enough out of the tap, but OTOH, if you've got a bacteria problem, those bacteria have to come from somewhere.

Should be OK to cut the new rod back to the same length as the old one. How much did Rheem want for that rod?

I paid $31.00. I guess the next thing to do is call a home inspector or environmental inspector?

[Redwood]

You can trim the anode.

I said this earlier...

There was another post recently where the stuff was residing in one of the faucets and sink overflow...
When you find its residence and kill it the smell will be gone.

Is there anything you can do to isolate where the smell is coming from?
It would really help!

[DL]

You can trim the anode.

I said this earlier...


Is there anything you can do to isolate where the smell is coming from?
It would really help!

I don't know. Smell is everywhere in house???

[DL]

Update, I know it's been a while. It turns out that the house was built wtih Chinese drywall and thats where the odor was coming from. The owner of the house tore out all the drywall and installed all new drywall, which fixed the problem with the odor. Thanks for everyone's help.