That Rotten Egg Smell Isn't What You Think

Jim is passionate about this topic. If you have a rotten egg smell in your home’s hot water then watch this video to get rid of that smell.
Thanks for watching! We hope this video helps you with your rotten egg smell in your hot water.
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#plumbing #waterheater
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[@ksolo1960]

Hey Grump, I'm a grumpy retired plumber from a major air force and we would get emergency service calls every day for a sulphur smell. What we found in commerical buildings was the battery backup batteries for fire alarm panels were were bad, gives off sulphur smell! Same with big computer systems. Gave us an easy service call, call the alarm shop, done! Lol have a good day!

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

Really interesting!

[@Radar120155]

Gas fired water heater!

[@davesauerzopf6980]

Had that sulphur issue from well water. Switched to an aluminum rod and it solved the problem. Unfortunately, some water company talked me into a sulphur filter prior to learning well water is different from city water. Sulphur filter system never worked. Great advice. Cheers

[@peacefrog0521]

“Oooo-oooo, That Smell…Can’t you smell that smell…”

[@samiam830]

Great song

[@wyattsdad8561]

KZbin hasn’t been putting your vids on my page for months. I’m glad to see a new vid

[@srobeck77]

Idk out of 100 times how "common" this is, but in my house the smell was from something different. They previous owners had installed a large sink in the basement livingroom that we never used. Water had been going into a dead end there for about a decade. One day we cleared all the storage boxes off the sink and I turn it on. The water was all black and I almost gagged. Cut the line out and ripped out that nasty sink. Never smelt that rotten egg smell again in the water.

[@brittblanton8342]

Great information thanks Jim 👍

[@phillyfathead]

We love the grumpy plumber, tells it like it is!!!

[@13tco]

I have well water, but the smell is only coming from the cold water? Hot water smells normal. Any suggestions what could be causing it? I should add the well is very deep just over 300’ so we don’t have iron deposits in our water, we do get some magnesium though (I think that’s what it is)

[@warmblood8016]

I have that rotten egg smell coming from my sink faucet, but not my shower. The shower seems fine. How is that possible?

[@stephanoutten3185]

Same thing here

[@clodu2008]

So it works without that rod? Awesome. Good to know.

[@AuntLALA]

Mine doesnt smell like rotten egg, but sewage. This started AFTER there was a sewage leak and only for a few seconds only through the cold water.

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

@@AuntLALA are you saying the sewage leaked into the cold water supply? Wow! That’s a problem. Is there a way to flush Clorox through the water supply? That will sanitize the pipes. This is just a suggestion as I have never heard of this problem.

[@robinski64]

I have a different question, kind of. The sulfur smell ONLY comes from our bathroom sink faucet. I read somewhere to turn water heater up to 160 degrees for a couple hours, run the hot water through the faucet to kill the bacteria. It worked, the smell is gone, but only from the hot water tap. How can i get the smell out of the cold water tap? We are on a el, and a septic system.

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

A green sand filter system might work for you, but not a guarantee. It’s hard to fix that problem.

[@Mk101T]

For all the requests for beer , I would swear you are a painter . Hehe lol ... which I know cuz I am a jack of all trades ;)

[@LearnPlumbing]

If you smell the rotten egg smell from the cold water only in any faucet then its definetly not coming from the magnesium anode rod in your water heater. If you smell the sulfur gas from the hot water side of the faucet and not the cold then its the anode rod in the water heater. You can then look to replace the anode rod with a Alluminum/zinc rod. Still get the tank protection.

[@bambilynn1957]

Where can I get an alluminum/zinc rod and are they universal for any hot water tank?

[@curtisp8648]

I removed the magnesium rod, and replaced with an aluminum rod. I also chlorinated the hot water heater and flushed it... a few weeks later, the same rotten egg smell coming (only) from the hot water tank again. I just removed the aluminum rod, had grey slime build-up on it... now I drained and super-chlorinated the tank (assuming sulfur-eating bacteria, in an attempt to kill the bacteria), hoping for the best...

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

Good luck. I hope that works.

[@traditionsportsrec6047]

I had the same issue. 2 month old tank Removed rod, water smelled better for a week now its smelling again. Ive shocked well and now im going to try bleaching the tank.

[@Curtis-q4s]

@@traditionsportsrec6047 this is curtisp following up. The super-chlorination of the tank worked. I believe I put at least 6 jugs (6x 4 Liters) of liquid bleach (the Great Value brand from Walmart) and then immediately filled the tank and left the tank full with the bleach mixture overnight (i.e. at least 8 hours), then I flushed the tank, and it has been 3 months now and everything is fine. I think there must have been sulfur bacteria or something in the tank that didn't get killed the first time when I only used a few bottles of bleach and had only left it for about 4 hours instead of overnight. Using more bleach seems to be the trick to kill the bacteria. Also I am planning to drain the tank prior to leaving on long vacations to avoid stagnant water in there.

[@DoneInformation]

The control valve tank holds resin, u might have to replace the resin, or check if u have any resin in there. And if the smell came back after 3 days, ur either use very little water, and need to do a cleaning regeneration cycle. Hope this helps

[@cenoviavillegas8757]

Hey Grumpy, I live Florida, I don’t have a well and my house is only 3 years old and so is my water heater. Since I moved in I’ve had this awful stinky hot water problem. How much does it cause to replace the magnesium pipe for something else that will still preserve the life of my water heater?

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

The rod itself is less than $50. You need an inch and 1/16 socket and a two foot breaker bar….$30. Turn water off to heater, relieve the pressure on a hot water faucet, turn electric off to heater ( rod is located in the top of the heater). The anode rod replacement should cost around $100 if you do it yourself. If you hire it done, cost would be around $500.

[@inthekitchen8842]

Hello. Our ice smells like eggs. Yuck! We put in a new water heater and my hubbie removed the anode first. Do I need to clean the icemaker line? I now have another bladder infection. I think its coming from the ice??

[@Skirtchaser26ft]

So I have two master bathroom sinks. The one on the left ,the cold water has a rotten smell only fore the first 8 oz or so then gone for a couple hours. The hot water from that faucet has no smell and the sink on the right has no smell with either hot or cold water. have put Clorox solution into faucet and let it set. that makes it go away for a few days then it starts coming back. I am on public water. just replaced the valve cartridge and water cutoff valve today to see if that helps. Any other ideas???

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

I am sorry but I have no idea why you’re having this problem. What you might try is to turn off the cold water supply side to that faucet. See if the smell shows up anywhere else. If not, there must be something wrong with the faucet.

[@Skirtchaser26ft]

So It appears that I have found the culprit. Thought I'd share so you would have an answer to this bizarre problem. I replaced the valve cartridge and it got slightly better. This made me think the problem was farther upstream. The feed line from the valve to the faucet is of the braided clear hose. It was completely opaque at one end. Fortunately I had a spare line so I replaced it. So far( couple days now), the smell is gone. Hope this can help someone else in the future. @@TheGrumpyPlumber

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

Good job! Great discovery. Never ran into that myself.

[@hyacinthdibley2420]

Thank you ​@@Skirtchaser26ft

[@bethanynelson2678]

What if I’m only smelling the sulfur smell from one sink in my home and it’s a brand new sink with a brand new faucet. Non of the older faucets/sinks in the house have the smell. Just the one. Is that normal ?

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

This is not normal and very strange. I honestly have no idea.

[@ds.m.1731]

Hello, I just had plumber put in new water heater on an old farmhouse with a well. At first no problem, but now the hot water smells like rotten eggs. Thank you for your video, I'm hoping the plumber will know what to do? Its brand new, so I don't understand. Only been installed for a couple months, and now last week it smells.

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

Good luck. I’m sure your plumber will know what to do.

[@BryanKali]

I am on a well and have a Rheem electric water heater (no magnesium rod) and on my cold side i have a smell (smells like someone just got a perm) are you saying this is my well that needs cleaning?

[@brandonwhited4402]

What if it's only in two sinks in one bathroom. rest of the house is fine. Still the rod?

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

@@brandonwhited4402 it could be the water heater causing the smell. Drain the heater and replace the rod or simply leave it out. Fill the heater back up. Are you on a well? If so, you might want to chlorinate the well. Also check the overflows on the sinks. See if the smell is coming from there. If it is, fill the sink until the water is flowing into the overflow holes. Take a small brush and clean the holes as water is running through them.

[@billy2bob63]

Thanks guys! 👍💯♥️🇺🇸😎

[@LaLa-vj5ei]

I just moved into a newly renovated home with a brand new tankless water heater. The rotten egg smell only comes from the bathroom sink and shower. Is there still a rod to be remove with a tankless water heater?

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

@@LaLa-vj5ei I’m sorry you are experiencing this problem but I’ve never heard of that happening. I suggest you call the manufacturer. There is no storage tank in a tankless water heater so there is no rod. The manufacturer is probably going to ask you if there is a big blue filter or water softener in your setup. It should have one. That might help with the smell.

[@TheLakesAtRabbitRunBrokenArrow]

After living in our NEW house for about 8 months we started noticing a smell in the bathroom skinks in the master bath. The builder has replaced the "P" traps 5 times finally making them longer, replaced the sinks, ran cameras, looked at venting all seems to be fine. How could the smell be coming from the hot water because we really smell it mostly in these two sinks ..it can get so bad it makes the entire room smell. WE have tried enzyme treatments, bleach, baking soda and vinegar down the drains only to have the smell come back in 3-6 days. NO ONE can figure it out. My question is if it is the hot water can the hot water mixed with cold water setting in the "P" trap cause maybe a gas that when you turn on the water it pushes the gas up into the sink? Our hot water heater is NEW because it is a new build there is a "comfort pump" on the water heater that is set to run 6am-10pm. We are on city water. Please any thoughts will be greatly appreciated.

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

@@TheLakesAtRabbitRunBrokenArrow do you have an electric water heater? New or old electric water heaters can create a rotten egg smell caused by the anode rod. Replace the rod with an aluminum rod. If I was at your house, the first thing I would do is lay down on the floor and put my nose right up to the base of the toilet to see if the smell is coming from there. Plumbers do not always raise the closet flange to sit on the finished floor. If they installed more than two wax rings, it doesn’t give a good seal. If that is the problem, raise the flange or use a repair flange that goes inside the pipe. Another thing it could be is that you’re getting a down draft from the plumbing vents going through the roof. To solve that problem use studor vents that can be attached to the vent pipes. If your house sits on a hill, that could cause that problem. Another thing….if you have air conditioning and they attached the drains from your air conditioner to the bathroom sink drain above the trap, I found that to cause a smell. The drains must be attached after the traps. Sometimes you can get a smell from the overflow holes on the bathroom sinks but with your new house, I’d rule that out. Have the plumber check to make sure the all the traps are properly vented so when you flush a toilet it doesn’t siphon the trap dry. That might make the plumber mad but I have seen that done more than once. I hope these suggestions help. Don’t give up. I believe the plumber has made a mistake somewhere even though you have had an inspection on the plumbing. Changing the P-traps is not solving the problem.

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

@@TheLakesAtRabbitRunBrokenArrow P.S. check the p-traps with a flashlight and see if you have water in them when you get the smell.

[@mcanally5940]

Hi there, my problem is is the rotten egg smell coming from my cold water. I always have to run an empty load in my washer first before I do my laundry. This did not start until after I bought a new washing machine my old washing machine I never had this nasty smell. What could be the difference? I hope you can help. Thank you.

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

Your problem is unusual. Do you have a front load wash machine? Sometimes you get standing water in the door rubber that needs to be cleaned. Otherwise, I don’t know why you would have that smell only at the cold water at the wash machine.

[@mcanally5940]

@@TheGrumpyPlumber it’s not just the cold water. I just mostly do cold water washes. No I do not have a front loader. I had another washing machine and I didn’t get this odor. But it is definitely coming from the water.

[@Jeremy-vb6tv]

What if smell is in cold water. I don't see how messing with the water heater is going to affect cold water?

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

If the smell is in the cold water, it is coming from either your well or your water source. You can buy a Holehouse water system with a breather valve but it’s not a guarantee to work.

[@PristineT13]

What do you do if a 20 gallon water heater doesn’t have a rod?

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

If you have a 20 gallon gas water heater, they quit making those about 20 years ago. If you do, replace with a 30 gallon gas water heater. I’m almost positive your heater has an anode rod if it’s an electric heater. There is a plastic cover and insulated foam that you have to dig out to get to the rod on most heaters. There is also a rod connected to the hot water supply nipple. If you can’t find it, you can buy one on Amazon and install it. Hope this helps.

[@shaneinfinity4597]

Just built a brand new house with new everything inside, I get a weird smell from my water and have no idea what it is. Smells almost like some sort of gas or chemical. My neighbors all around me do not have this smell in any of their water. Any idea on what can be causing this. I am using a heat pump water heater

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

The smell is probably coming from the anode rod in your electric heater. You should replace it with an aluminum rod. Give that a try.

[@asihacraig4265]

So I only have that smell from one sink on cold and hot; could that be the same thing?

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

@@asihacraig4265 You probably have the smell coming from the drain or the overflow hole. It’s not easy to clean the overflow hole. I take a large syringe full of Clorox and flush it through the opening on top of the sink. Once cleaned out, use more water when brushing your teeth or shaving and don’t use the stopper.

[@asihacraig4265]

@TheGrumpyPlumber thank you, I appreciate the info😌

[@jbb8090]

So do I just take the rod out? What cap goes over the hole?

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

Use a 3/4” galvanized pipe plug.

[@jbb8090]

@@TheGrumpyPlumber Thanks 😊

[@lovinwildlife2150]

What if the smell is only in master bath sink, nowhere else in the house, as the water runs it goes away, then 20 min later run water and PU, even when it starts to smell good if u change hot to cold it stinks again for a minute what is it??!!

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

Do you know how to remove the pop up in the drain? Once the pop up is removed, take a flashlight and look in the drain on the sides and make sure that the openings are not blocked. Then put the stopper back in, close the stopper so you can fill the sink. Run the water until it runs constantly into the overflow. Add some Clorox to the water. That should clean that overflow canal out. A flexible brush into the overflow might clean it too. Give this a try.

[@lynnf3337]

Hey Grumpster, This is exactly our problem, too. Master bath only. We will try your suggestion. Hoping it works, as we will be putting our house on the market soon. Thank you!

[@gummislayer1969]

Thanks!

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

@@gummislayer1969 appreciate your tip! Glad I helped!

[@gummislayer1969]

@@TheGrumpyPlumber VERY welcome, Bruv!!! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@ladyj2552]

We have city water with the egg smell.. HELP!!

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

Turn the hot water supply off to the heater then run the water for a bit and see if the egg smell is still there. If there is no smell, then it’s the water heater causing the odor. I recommend you drain the heater, remove the anode rod or replace with an aluminum rod. If the smell is coming from the cold water, ask your neighbors if they are experiencing the smell. If so, complain to the city water department.

[@invisableobserver]

Water at my home smells like an over chlorinated swimming pool, how can I solve this?

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

You can use a carbon filter, like the brand name Big Blue or a backwash carbon filter. Install it on the main water line as it comes into your house.

[@invisableobserver]

Thanks, will it affect the water pressure?@@TheGrumpyPlumber

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

The water pressure might have a slight drop, but not noticeable.

[@invisableobserver]

will the big blue remove fluoride as well as chlorine?@@TheGrumpyPlumber

[@ksolo1960]

P.S., the emergency lights at the doors had battery backup's

[@mikev.1034]

👍👍

[@jefsel881]

Have a tankless water heater. No anode. So now what?

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

If you are getting a rotten egg smell and have a tankless heater, the smell is coming from your water source, either a well or municipal water system. You might have to look into a filter system that takes out that smell.

[@jefsel881]

@@TheGrumpyPlumber yes, I have an iron filter and softener. The smell is minor on the scale and the iron filter doesn’t take the smell out. Will need an aerator type filter system.

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

That’s not a guarantee but hopefully it works.

[@NorthwoodsAmerican]

And if you don’t like that advice you can always ask the mail lady what to do about it😁

[@DeniseC84]

Im in the uk and have a combi boiler. My hot tap bath water is smelling like this. Can you advise please?

[@TheGrumpyPlumber]

I’ve never encountered this problem. Is it electric? We tend to get that smell here in the U.S. with electric heaters and the anode rod usually causes that. Combination boiler and water heaters here in the U.S. are becoming more prevalent in states with warmer climates. These are gas however, not electric. Sorry, but I’m unable to help with your problem. You evidently are more advanced in your heating systems in the UK than we are here.

[@DeniseC84]

@@TheGrumpyPlumber hello, it's a gas combi boiler. The plumber is coming back today to remove the wall space behind back of toilet to see if anything can be going on there. Thankyou for replying, I appreciate it.

[@xaniiu]

I have a tankless water heater

[@pj8964]

[@CynthiaBlanchard-v3c]

I live next to a lagoon now my water stinks like sewer

[@johngaspar4425]

Moral of the story: Eggs stink no matter how you look at them. Have oatmeal instead, your grand parents did!

[@MichaelLovdahl]

Thanks!