I want to preface this by saying that I understand the purpose of traps and how traps can be compromised. This problem developed in a single story house that has not been occupied full time for about 5 months. We have been paying attention to running water periodically in all the sinks and tubs. We have started getting a very strong sulphur smell coming out the drains when running water now. Tried cleaning out the piping before the p-traps and tried running stuff through the garbage disposal to clean it out. I have changed toilets out before and this smell seems different (and much stronger) than sewer gas I would smell when changing a toilet if that makes any sense. I am not hearing any gurgling in traps when flushing the toilets which would lead me to think a vent could be plugged. This house is on a slab, about 3 years old, but my GF's sister went into a nursing home about 5 months ago. Any ideas or help would be greatly appreciated!
Baffled by smell
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Fitter30
Well-Known Member
Sure it's not coming from the hot water. Bathroom sink the overflow. They drain above the trap. Floor drain in basement. Clothes washer drain if it hasn't been used.
Houses that sit fall apart.
How to clean your disposal. Fill it with ice and turn it on. Let the disposal grind away at the ice till she makes snow. Run water at the end of the ice crushing stage.
Your hot water tank is making the sulfur smell most likely. The electric sacrificial anodes are said to remove the sulfur smell. Most likely a tank replacement. Those suckers are terrible smelling.
How to clean your disposal. Fill it with ice and turn it on. Let the disposal grind away at the ice till she makes snow. Run water at the end of the ice crushing stage.
Your hot water tank is making the sulfur smell most likely. The electric sacrificial anodes are said to remove the sulfur smell. Most likely a tank replacement. Those suckers are terrible smelling.
Thanks for all the prompt replies, and ideas of things to try. The smell permeates the house. It is an open plan house and the smell is strongest at the kitchen but is present in all rooms with fixtures. House is on city sewers. House is on a slab so no floor drain. Next time we are there we will test by running only cold water, but I would be surprised if the anode was expired since the house is only 3 years old. We will run the washer to make sure that trap is full.
Jeff H Young
In the Trades
wash machine trap a very strong possibility is dry. plenty of suggestions to rack your brain sometimes it takes a smoke test could be bad bowl seal wax too
I had a toilet where the floor was cut too much and the flange was loose on one side where the screws never caught so the slight movement of the toilet over time opened a leak in the wax ring. You could smell sulphur throughout the house every time that bath got used. Took me awhile to figure it out. The sewer system gets a positive air pressure in it which forces the odor into the house through any air leak.
One could, remove the inlet pipe from the top. Or pull the blow off valve. Drain some water out. Pour some bleach in the tank. Let that percolate a bit. Drain and replace the anode........
If you smell rotten eggs, I'm betting on the hot water tank.
If it is the traps as in sewer gas, that smells different.
If you smell rotten eggs, I'm betting on the hot water tank.
If it is the traps as in sewer gas, that smells different.
More things to check, thanks to all. I am stressing the difference in the smell; I am familiar with what I would call a sewerage smell (like when changing a toilet bowl), and this seems totally different, a pure sulfurous smell like rotten eggs.
Fitter30
Well-Known Member
Hydrogen peroxcide 3 - qt bottles pour into the water heater let set for 24 hours then flush the tank. Can pull the relief valve, drain some water out of it and pour it in.
It was odd too that we were smelling a sulfur smell and it's partly why it took so long to figure out. I've done plenty of sewer work and the smell threw me off but since I fixed that flange and wax ring the smell totally disappeared, well over a year now.
If you hang, or drape, some cheap thin plastic dropcloths above or between areas, you may be able to more easily be able to sniff out the source of the smell.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Husky-Plastic-Drop-Cloth-0-7-Mil-3-Pack/17217856
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Husky-0-7-Mil-Clear-Plastic-Drop-Cloth-9-Width-x-12-Length/17217855
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Husky-Plastic-Drop-Cloth-0-7-Mil-3-Pack/17217856
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Husky-0-7-Mil-Clear-Plastic-Drop-Cloth-9-Width-x-12-Length/17217855
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The winner!! When we went today, we started by running cold water only in all the fixtures and had no smell at all anywhere in the house. Turned on the hot water in the kitchen sink and within 30 seconds the entire house was overwhelmed. We are so relieved that there is not something more serious in the plumbing.
We are going to pull the anode rod as an access point to pour in bleach or hydrogen peroxide, drain out enough water to add the solution and let it sit for 24 hours. I do have some questions. You showed a pic of an electric anode rod; we don't have electric in the utility room where the WH is. Since the house is going to be sold in a few months we'd prefer not to run an outlet there. Is there some reason that the electric outlet would be superior in this situation? Would an anode rod wear out more quickly when hot water wasn't being used? This house is 3 years old. I just changed the one in our house serviced by the same water company at 5 years; it was pretty mottled up but not completely consumed. Thanks!
You will want to avoid a magnesium anode.
Some put in a brass plug instead of an anode, to not generate H2S. That should have a negative effect on the life of the WH.
So put in an "aluminum" rod, which is a combo of aluminum 90% and zinc 10%.
Your plumbing has not had chlorine reach far into the plumbing of late. The chlorine got consumed.
Some put in a brass plug instead of an anode, to not generate H2S. That should have a negative effect on the life of the WH.
So put in an "aluminum" rod, which is a combo of aluminum 90% and zinc 10%.
Your plumbing has not had chlorine reach far into the plumbing of late. The chlorine got consumed.
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