If you are living within city limits, even once must have faced smelly tap water. Various smells like rotten egg odour, earthy smell, and chemical odour appear in tap water over almost every area of the United state, and it is one of the most common complaints. Are you dealing with the problem, and asking yourself why does my sink water smell like rotten eggs recently? Then this is a must-read for you!
It is a rule-like thing to get in touch with the water you consume if you even sometimes drink the tap water directly. Polluted water can cause serious health issues and lead you to have intolerable bed rest for several days. The polluted water problem has been a rising devil in the US since the 19th century.
If you consume water with a bad odour, there is a long line of diseases that follow it. Starting from gastrointestinal diseases, it will be continued up to problems of the nervous system and even cancer.
Therefore, realizing the problem at the very beginning and taking the necessary measures or remedies will save your precious health as well as time. We try to give you a complete guide on the fact along with the precautions and aftermaths to follow when this kind of problem is detected in your household.
Why Does My Sink Water Smell Like Rotten Eggs?
If you find there is a bad odour like rotten eggs coming from your faucet, while you start making the family breakfast in a refreshing morning, all your day will mix up within seconds. This is not a simple issue to ignore unless you know the reason. Bad odour from the sink is a headache that all of us have faced.
Why does my sink water smell like rotten eggs? This is a common question people ask that has multiple reasons. Let’s check through those, one by one.
- Issues with your home’s water supply
If the problem is with your cold-water tap, then it can be assumed that the problem is within the lines that bring water to your household. Sometimes sulphur bacteria grow and multiply inside tap lines, and sometimes hydrogen sulphide gas may form inside those.
-
Malfunctioning of the water heater
When the smell appears when you are using your hot water tap, it can be assumed that the issue is with your water heater. If the heater does not work properly and maintain a lower temperature, some bacterias like sulphur bacteria and Legionella establish their dwells in your lines and gives a smell of rotten eggs to the flowing water. Thus, this is not a problem with the supply lines.
This may also occur when you are out of the house for a few days and has also switched off the hot water heater.
-
Chemicals in water
It has been identified that currently, tap water in the United States contains over three hundred chemicals. Sometimes this may be the reason. Anyway, to identify the real issue, you will have to call for a professional certified laboratory to check the water quality.
-
Problems with the sink
Whether you feel like it is the flowing water that comes from the tap that makes this awful smell, sometimes it may be coming from the sink. If so, it could be a problem in the wastewater-carrying drainage system.
This happens when the pipes are blocked with the residuals of washing that flow inside and deposit on the walls of the pipe. Sulphide bacterias multiply easily in this media and emit a gas that smells like rotten eggs.
You can simply fill a glass with tap water and smell it. Make sure to go far from the sink area to avoid misleads. If the water does not smell bad, then the problem is with the underground waste pipes.
-
Issues in water treatment methods
We use water softeners to remove calcium, magnesium and other metals in the water to improve the water quality. This reduces the amount of soap used for a cleaning turn. But sometimes, when sulphur bacteria come into the system with the water which was brought to the house via external pipes, there will be a rotten egg smell.
Water filters are also a piece of equipment we use to improve the safety of the water we consume. If the system is filled with dirt and residuals, you will have a bad odour. The same happens with water softeners too.
These are instances where you must avoid self-inspections unless you have sound knowledge of the things. It is the wisest option to call for a plumber to fix this as soon as possible.
How to Get Rid of Smelly Sink Water?
- Contact the professionals in the field for inspections.
- Replacing the water softener.
- Call for a plumber and do the maintenance on time. This step will help you to solve problems with the drainage water system.
VIDEO CREDITS: Clean My Space YouTube Channel
FAQ
Is Rotten Egg-smelling Water Harmful?
Fewer amounts of sulphur are not always a problem. If you say it in exact values, 250 milligrams per litre (250 parts per million) is not harmful. But if your tap water exceeds this level, it is an instance where you need to take the necessary treatments.
Can Sulphur Water Make You Sick?
Sulphur is a needed component of the human body. But if it exceeds the required amount, it will lead to diarrhea, dehydration and various gastrointestinal diseases etc.
Why Does Cold Water Smell Like Rotten Eggs?
This is probably an issue that will find sulphur bacteria deposited in the lines that bring water to your households. This can be a threat to the pipes as corrosion occurs in metals due to high levels of sulphur bacteria. Therefore, it must be treated immediately.
Conclusion
The rotten egg smell may occur due to many reasons. We have covered those in this article together with the aftermaths you must take when such an issue is detected in your house.
In most instances, it is better to call for the help of a professional service. We thoroughly recommend that you perform regular cleanings of your drainage to avoid similar cases in future.
Discover More: Related Articles You Can’t-Miss
Porcelain vs Ceramic Sink : Which Reigns Supreme?
Resolving No Hot Water in the Kitchen Sink: No More Cold Showers
