Fixing Your Plumbing To Fix Your Life

3 Things To Try When Your Plumbing Smells Like Rotten Eggs

If you keep smelling an odor like rotten eggs in your bathroom or kitchen, it might be coming from your plumbing. Plumbing problems sometimes give off a sewer odor, and other times, the odors smell like rotten eggs due to hydrogen sulfide produced by bacteria somewhere in the plumbing. Here's a look at how to get rid of the sulfur odor coming from your drains or faucets.

1. Run Water And Flush Toilets

You might be able to flush out the source of the odor by opening up your faucets in the house and by flushing all the toilets. Doing this fills the traps in the sinks and toilets with fresh water so sewer gases can't waft out of drains.

Running the faucets moves water through all the pipes to flush them out and hopefully eliminate odors coming from the pipes. Let the water run a few minutes then check for odors again.

3. Flush The Hot Water Heater

If it seems like the odor is only coming from the hot water side, then the problem might be with the water heater. There might be a buildup of bacterial slime that's creating the odor. By flushing out the heater, you'll wash out the slime and get rid of the odor.

Flushing out a water heater is not too difficult, and you should be able to do it yourself, but if you don't feel comfortable doing it, call a plumber. A plumber will pinpoint the source of the odor and if it's in the water heater, the plumber may flush and disinfect the heater and plumbing.

3. Clean Dirty Drains

If the odor is only in the kitchen, your problem might be dirty drains. When grease coats the sides of a drain, the drain gets sticky and catches food bits that cling to the sides and decay. The rotting food and bacteria release a rotten egg odor. You might be able to solve this problem with vinegar, baking soda, and hot water poured down the drain, but if your smelly drain won't clear up, call a plumber.

After checking the situation, the plumber might clean the drain with a hydro jet to knock all the grease and food from the sides so the drains are clean and clear of odor-producing bacteria.

If you have foul-smelling water or drains, you'll probably be in a hurry to find a solution. The situation usually isn't serious unless there's a sewer backup involved, but if simple DIY attempts to clear the odor don't work, call professional help so your home isn't fouled with the smell of rotten eggs.

Reach out to a local plumbing service today for more information.


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