Do you ever find your kitchen sometimes has a rotten smell? At times, the odor can be so pungent that it makes simple tasks like cooking or washing dishes unbearable. Often, what you’re sniffing isn’t the overfilled garbage it’s hydrogen sulfide gas, which is produced by bacteria from contaminated water and sewage.
But even though the smell can be downright putrid, it’s actually easy to eliminate the problem. The remedy in many cases can be as easy as disinfecting the site of the problem or conducting a simple drain cleaning. Want to learn more? Here’s what you’ll need to know when it comes to finding and eliminating household plumbing smells.
Is There Bacteria in the Drain?
Before you apply any solution, you must first determine the source of the problem. These odors often come from either a contaminated water supply or they can be restricted to one drain.
You can figure out which it is pretty quick. Start by filling a cup with cold water from the smelly sink, bringing it outside then smelling it. Next, fill another glass with hot water from the same tap, and sniff it once again.
Finally, do the same process from other sinks in your home. If the water in each glass had a horrible stench, it’s your water supply that is contaminated. If only the hot water gave an odor, then you’ll be looking at water heater issues. If you didn’t smell anything at all, it’s possible the problem lies deep within one drain.
After conducting these tests, if you find out the problem is probably from one sink, a little drain cleaning is all you need to do. Pour a half cup of bleach down the drain to eliminate the odor. If you’d prefer not to use something as strong as bleach, you can drop a half cup of baking soda and then a cup of vinegar instead. Let that react for a few minutes before rinsing the mixture away with hot water from the tap.
What If the Water Is Contaminated With Sulfur?
On the other hand, if you’ve determined your water supply is to blame, there are several solutions you can apply. If your water heater is at the root of the contamination, it’s likely due to sulfur in the anode rod reacting to bacteria.
This situation can be fixed by replacing the current rod with an aluminum one and then pouring in hydrogen peroxide to disinfect the water.
If all of the water in your home smells contaminated, and you source your water from a well, it’s possible the pressure tank has bacteria. It’s possible to sanitize the water by pouring in bleach, one gallon per every 1,000 gallons of water.
We also recommend disinfecting the well itself. One thing you should also know is water softeners are a frequent offender concerning contamination. If you suspect this could be true in your case, you should replace your filters.
What Should You Do If It Still Smells?
If none of these solutions are working for you and the smell lingers, you should contact a Fredericksburg, VA professional plumbing service.
Your plumber will have the expertise and equipment to decontaminate your water supply, replace plumbing components, or carry out a drain cleaning.
