Rotten Egg Smell Coming From Sink

RE: Rotten Egg Smell Coming From Sink Post By Peggy (Guest Post) (07/07/2008) Check the vent pipes coming out of your roof. I started getting this very unpleasant smell in my back bathroom and could not get rid of it, same odor, smelled like rotten eggs. I took barbed wire and twisted it at the end to form a small 'ball' and went on the roof and worked it down the vent pipe. I thought maybe something, a small bird or small squirrel might have gotten down that pipe somehow. I know, this was a long shot, I really couldn't see how anything could have fell in and gotten stuck, but I tried this anyway. I just kept working the wire down the vent. At one point, it balked, like it was blocked. So, I had to just make jabbing motions with it and all of a sudden, it started going again. When I felt that I had used enough wire to remove any object that might be blocking the vent I stopped, climbed back off the roof and went inside to check the bathroom. The odor was gone! I was one happy camper! I then went back on the roof and pulled the wire out. I was going to get some fine mesh wire and make 'covers' for all my vents, but never got around to it. I haven't had this problem since however. I'm sure there are better objects to use instead of barbed wire. I would have used a snake (plumber's snake) if I had had one, but I didn't, so I used what I had at hand. I still don't know what was blocking that vent, but it got it pushed on down to where it went out into the septic tank and I was rid of the odor and very happy about it. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Rotten Egg Smell Coming From Sink Post By Kathy (Guest Post) (03/25/2008) I have the same problem but only in two sinks upstairs, it doesn't go away and it smells no matter what temp the water is. I contacted the county zoning and they subsidize water testing for bacteria and nitrates. It cost me $10 per test, I am having 2 tests run ( 1 smelly and 1 non-smelly) to see what the problem is. I will post what the results are but the treatments I have found at the University of Minnesota are easy enough to do by myself. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Rotten Egg Smell Coming From Sink Post By KERRI (Guest Post) (03/11/2008) I have the same thing happening to me. I just bought my first house and I can't even show off my bathroom cause it smells so bad. The smell is coming from in the sink, not the water. I don't believe I have a trap or whatever. We had some problems with the guy that was putting the sink, toilet and bathtub in and I believe he left this part off. So what do I do now? Report Spam or Abuse No trap under sink - methane poisoning Post By Cynthia (Guest Post) (01/26/2008) Hello. I have a serious issue regarding a bathroom sink that had no trap in it to my knowledge. A plumber came to our home for another issue and I asked him to check the sinks and shower head. He immediately instructed me to open all windows and was highly alarmed that no trap was under the sink in the bathroom. This bathroom also had no ventilation fan. I have been very sick and read reports on methane poisoning. He told me that METHANE GAS was coming directly in through the sewer pipes. Has anyone gotten severely ill and ever lived in a home with no trap under the bathroom sink. I bought this home 2 ys. ago, had an engineer do the home inspection and all ... he never picked this up. Very frustrating, yet thankful that some"one" found the cause of illness since I have lived here. Any feedback, let me know. -Cynthia Report Spam or Abuse RE: Rotten Egg Smell Coming From Sink Post By (Guest Post) (11/13/2007) I also have a really horrible rotten egg smell in my house, which occurs every now and then, i am not sure what this like is and find it really hard to locate where its coming from, but i know it's coming from my kitchen. Does anyone know what it could be? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Rotten Egg Smell Coming From Sink Post by jen green (1) | (09/11/2007) Contact I too have a similar problem. I live in the country and I'm on a cistern which comes from the city. I notice the smell real bad after it rains. I don't even have to turn my water on its just all through the house. I was wondering if anyone else has had this same problem? Thanks Report Spam or Abuse RE: Rotten Egg Smell Coming From Sink Post By Guest (Guest Post) (07/24/2007) I'm having the same problem. My house is fairly new so I'm surprised to find out that it's gunk built up in the drain. Every time I turned the water on, I'd get a whif. The first time it happened, I actually blamed my husband for passing gas! :) Report Spam or Abuse RE: Rotten Egg Smell Coming From Sink Post By Wazza (Guest Post) (05/03/2007) All the above answers could be correct. If it is a build up of gunk in the trap ("S" bend) then there is a products in Australia that I have used and found very useful (but you must follow the directions very carefully). The product I have used is called "Draino" which is very strongly alkaline. It should kill any germs as well as clearing and obstruction. Another possible consideration is if the plumbing has been modified or not installed correctly, you may not have a trap ( S Bend), if this is the case the smells from the main sewer pipes will be coming directly up into your sink. This is unlikely but I have seen this in a Do It Yourself (DIY) installation once. If you are not sure if you have the correct trap get some one in to check; no drain should be connected with straight pipe directly to the sewer pipes there must be a loop of pipe which holds some water to prevent the smells from passing up the pipe. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Rotten Egg Smell Coming From Sink Post By (Guest Post) (04/09/2007) I am having the same exact problem in my kitchen sink. It is horrible and embarrasing to have people over because my house smells like poop! I keep getting the run around from my water company and plumbing compaines no one knows how to fix it. We have tried flushing the pipes, changing pipes nothing works. Please help with any suggestions oneone might have. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Rotten Egg Smell Coming From Sink Post by ThriftyFun (3737) | (03/21/2007) Profile | Blog! | Contact (sent in by email) This odor is caused by chemicals or bacteria in the water supply that are attacking the magnesium rod in the hot water heater It is usually associated with well water but is also found in municipal water. I have had the problem in both well water and city water. If the odor is only in the hot water, the source is the hot water heater. If it is in both the hot and cold water, then the water supply is the source. In the case of city water, if more than one home has the problem, the source is the water supply. It is often recommended that the magnesium rod be replaced with an aluminium or zinc rod to get rid of the odor. This may get rid of the odor, but it does not get rid of the bacteria, and replacing the rod with a different rod defeats the purpose of the rod in the first place. This is becoming a serious problem in this country, due to the lack of information and government regulation. Bottled water sales have skyrocketed here in the US. People are not going to buy water if the water coming out of the faucet is good. There is too much involved to put it all in this email. I would be glad to share any information with anyone who is interested. Frank S Newkirk III Report Spam or Abuse RE: Rotten Egg Smell Coming From Sink Post By Doggy. (Guest Post) (10/07/2006) sulphur smell is probably coliform bacteria or hydrogen sulphide. If you are on a well please research "Superchlorination" and follow directions yourself. It's simple, and the pros will likely overcharge for doing it. If you are on city water, contact your water company immediately. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Rotten Egg Smell Coming From Sink Post by mef1957 (260) | (09/25/2006) Profile | Blog! | Contact Yep, I would say it is probably a build up of gunk in the trap. You really need to pull it off and check but be sure to shut off your water valve under and put a small bucket or plastic container underneath the drain it before you remove it to catch any loose water. Report Spam or Abuse RE: Rotten Egg Smell Coming From Sink Post by Alph (209) | (09/24/2006) Contact First I'd check the drain trap... the 'J' shaped curve in the drain pipe under the sink. Make sure it isn't leaking. Then sniff around to be sure the odor is coming from the sink itself and not perhaps from the bathtub drain, behind a wall, etc. If it is certain that it's coming from the sink itself you could have something unpleasant growing in the overflow drain in the sink. If that seems likely I would try the following, but only if I was certain no ammonia could be lurking in there: I'd pour some clorine bleach through the overflow system from the highest point accessable. For instance my sink has an indentation to hold a bar of soap and there is a small drain hole there. If you can get the bleach to it this should kill anything that might be making a home in there. Be sure there is no ammonia present though, before you add bleach. If the two are mixed together the fumes are highly toxic. Good luck! Report Spam or Abuse