Once in a while, as a homeowner, you might detect a putrid smell coming from your plumbing. These rotten scents, which can smell like sulfur, are often due to hydrogen sulfide gas. It’s produced by bacteria from contaminated water and sewage and can make cooking, cleaning or going to the bathroom rather unpleasant.
But on the bright side, eliminating the problem is an easy task. How can you make sure your sink stops stinking? In this article, we detail how to find the source of the smell and a few solutions. Sometimes it’s as easy as disinfecting the problem area or drain cleaning. Here’s what you need to know.
THE WATER SUPPLY MIGHT BE CONTAMINATED
The first thing you’ll need to do is determine whether it’s your home’s water supply or just one drain that has the bacteria. All it takes is a few simple tests.
Start by filling a cup with cold water from the rancid sink, bringing it outside and taking a whiff. Next, fill another glass with hot water from the same sink, and smell the water as before.
Finally, conduct the same two tests with water from a different sink in your home. If each glass of water you smelled had a bad odor, it’s likely the water supply is contaminated.
If only glasses with hot water were stinky, the problem might be related to the water heater. If you couldn’t smell anything from either glass of water, it’s possible the bacteria is limited to a single drain. The solution to your stinky water problem depends on its source.
If the problem exists in your water heater, it may be caused by magnesium in the anode rod reacting to the bacteria. Fix this by replacing the rod with an aluminum one and disinfecting the water using hydrogen peroxide.
If all of your home’s water is smelly, and you use well water, it’s possible the pressure tank could be contaminated. Disinfecting the water by adding bleach, at a ratio of one gallon for every 1,000 gallons of water, may do the trick.
Cleaning and disinfecting the well itself should also be helpful. Water softeners are a common source of contamination, and in such cases, you would need to replace your filter.
THERE MIGHT BE SULFUR IN THE DRAIN
If you’re lucky and the smell only comes from one drain in your home, a simple drain cleaning may be all you need. To rid your kitchen or bathroom of the scent, pour half a cup of bleach down the drain.
If you’re uncomfortable with handling bleach, you can instead pour half a cup of baking soda and then a cup of vinegar into the pipe.
After this, let it fizz for a few minutes, and then flush with hot water.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
If not one of these solutions works and the stench persists, you should contact an Ocala, FL professional plumbing company.
They will have the diagnostic and cleaning equipment to find the source of the small.
Plumbers can also decontaminate your water supply or conduct a proper drain cleaning.