There are several reasons for this. Thanks for all the replies. This biofilm usually contains a bacteria known as Serratia marcescens, commonly known as S. marcescens. The aftermath of this is that your drains will start smelling like rotten eggs. Also, do not rule out the possibility of dead animals inside the pipes. Have you tried running the water cold to rule out the anode rod. One reason for this could be that the plumbing vents are blocked. You may also need to unblock your drainage vents. In that light, you will first need to determine the cause and the source of the rotten eggs smell, and, after that, you can start with getting it out of your basement. How can I get really hot coffee using a Keurig coffee maker? The drain smells within the drainage system that also smell like rotten eggs, if in contact with humans it is not healthy at all and in some cases can be dangerous if the gases are at a high percentage in the air and may ignite. You know it’s time to clean out the shower drain when your bathroom starts to smell like something died. He also stated it could be this ..: How do you get the mold smell out of a refrigerator that was closed? Water Smells like Rotten Eggs. Stepping in the shower and experiencing the smell of rotten eggs is worst thing that you can ever think about. You should call someone about having your water tested . @Lana Smith Lemons I'm almost 99.9% sure it's not the trap.Among other things, I've tried and considered, I've even plugged up the drain 7 minutes into my shower, before it starts to smell, and the odor still came on a few minutes later. Now that I have a brand new hot water heater, I'll have to see if I still have the problem. This does not happen anywhere else in the house. Other times, you might mistake it for mold. Thorough cleaning of the shower drain and fixing the plumbing problems usually gets rid of the bad smell. It may be sewer gas! We just bought the house in January and are thinking we need to rip out the entire tile shower and start from scratch. There are instances when you can have a strong smell of sulphur in the shower after using the washing machine or even flushing the toilet. Help! Sounds like the" weep holes" around the drain flange are clogged or have some kind of issue where its not letting the water drain out of the pan. However, some smells, like rotten eggs or gas are more serious. These bacteria live in damp airless places and create hydrogen sulfide gas, which smells like rotten eggs. We are in the plumbing business and that is the first thing to check. We have the same issue in our tiled shower. My current theory is that the smell came from a combination of strong smelling shampoo/soap my guests had used and water that dries slowly in the Travertine tiles. For a rotten egg smell, it could be one of two things. Also, the vent stack could be broken or blocked, thereby creating a vacuum that empties out your p-Trap. Here are 5 common HVAC odors and what they indicate. Odors might seem to only cause … I have had same problem with hot water due to well water. First, to make sure your hot water heater is the source (and that this is the blog post you’re looking for), check your cold water. I think it is coming from the tub. In 1985, and was 34 years old. If your hot water smells like rotten eggs, don’t panic. On the second day it did the same but less strong. If you’ve ever smelled this coming from your drains, now you’ll know what the problem is. Perhaps the stone has something to do with it as well . While at high concentrations (>500 PPM) are dangerous (flammable and poisonous), most household H2S concentration falls below 10 PPM. An extremely foul smell (not a shit smell -- I can't place it) has been starting up in my bathroom a short time after the shower is turned on. Any updates? Any ideas as to what the cause is? Even extremely small amounts of hydrogen sulfide can cause your water to have quite the odorous smell! @Tom My moms bathroom was just remodeled and when the vanity was removed there was nothing but dirt. The shower is rarely used … Consider these ideas today, and you will be able to get rid of this problem more effectively. Hi guys. A good friend of mine who is a wastewater engineer (he designs municipal treatment systems around the southeast) says it's highly unlikely the sulfur content in our water is high. @Tom Is it possible that all your drains aren't vented the same way? http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=76307. Need to get it fixed, can't handle the smell any longer. The shower is the least used water outlet in the house and the sulfur particles will stagnate their till you take a shower then ooohhhh rotten eggs. When your bathroom sink smells like rotten eggs, the cause is likely contaminated water and drains, blocked vents, or a dry P-trap. The shower drain is always damp most of the time. If you notice that ice has blocked the roof vent, you can use a hairdryer to melt the ice blockage. Shelby ask your boyfriend if he has ever seen that. It could be a serious sewer gas leak in your home. Electrical Odors . Having rooms in house with good air is very comfortable to breathe and live in. Often the issue is only severe on the hot water side of a system because the bacteria loves 125F-140F warm water in the hot water heater, thriving there and making a very … How to Eliminate Smells in the Shower Drain. Septic tanks can have … Yes I did read all of your post, hoever as much as we have seen we have never come across a type of tile or sealer that was causing the problem..But good luck and hope you find the problem! If you don’t regularly clean your washing machine, these things build up on, under, or inside the rubber seal and in the crevices of the drum. So I didn't get as far as pressure spraying it or re-sealing it. If you combine vinegar and baking soda, you will not only clear the clogged drain but also disinfect and deodorize the drainage pipe too. Good luck. Plus the hot water makes the smell worse. One way to determine this is to have the water tested by a plumber. I was told to run hot water, but eventually, the anode rod had to be replaced in the water heater. Sometimes, it might even evaporate if you hardly use your shower. The shower is rarely used but when it is, the smell appears for a few hours as it dries. We have a travertine floor and walls in our small wet room. The buildup of grease from soap and rotting hair can quickly clog your drain. In this case, it would be advisable that you run the water for a few minutes. :-). The rinsing I was doing ensures that any dirty water and shampoo from people using the shower is fully removed. My theory is that the smell comes from bacteria or mould sitting it the porous top part of the travertine. OMG no subfloor or concrete. The following are some of the causes of this problem: One of the leading causes of this smell is clogged drains. In addition, you can consider adding lemon wedges to reduce or even eliminate the smell. Now, there are a few things you can do to stop the smell from spreading more inside your house. I bought one recently and have used it with my current bath remodel for so many things...love it. That is something that has some possibilities. In this case, you can consider using a plunger to clean the shower drain. It doesn't seem to be the water itself that smells, but I can't tell where the smell comes from. Ensure that the garbage disposal is clean. By the 4th day there was no more smell. For optimal results, you should hire a licensed plumber. The two most common sources of a rotten egg smell are a natural gas leak, and escaping sewer gas. Although hydrogen sulfide can be toxic in large amounts, it is usually easy to detect before it reaches harmful levels. If there is loose-fitting, there will be a pungent smell in your shower drains. You might as well just use a paste of salt with a little water instead and rub it on to the grout. Besides being slimy, this substance clings on surfaces such as showers, birdbaths, and so on. After placing the plunger over the drain cover, fill the shower with a hot shower to submerge the end of the plunger. I agree with Arthur and Trudy, sounds like the hot water. Hydrogen sulfide, a naturally occurring substance can be released when organic matter breaks down. Mixing then only causes a chemical reaction that delivers water, co2 and sodium. Try cleaning it with a paste made of baking soda and vinegar. We have this problem. Most homeowners are victims of such circumstances. How to clean a very thick grease on a kitchen extractor fan device? It is not the drain trap. The good news is that this water will dissolve all the soap that might be on your shower drains and wash it down the drains. Trudy is right, it's the anode rod in your water heater...NOT sewer gas, which does not smell like sulfur...try running only the cold water the length of time it takes for the odor to develop, if no odor develops, you have your answer! Turns out we just needed to keep water in the drain. Since soap has sulphur compounds, you can trust that the smell will fade away over time. If this smell combines with other odors from the plumbing system, it might make the shower drain to smell like rotten eggs. It sounds more like sewer gas. Sometimes, it might be due to contaminated water, among other causes. It is not used as frequently as the others. If you feel that the smell is coming in just one faucet, irrespective of it being hot water or cold water, then you can follow these steps to identify the source of the smell. Sometimes, you might get the whiff, unpleasant scent every time that you get to the bathroom, you are not alone. A strong smell in your shower may be an indication that the drain is not clear. I started my plan of dampening the tiles every day for 5 days. I think I was told to run hot water, I see another poster said cold water, well. It wasn't instant, enough water had to pass to wash smell out. Collect some water from the faucet you feel is giving out the rotten egg smell. We have a travertine floor and walls in our small wet room. Also, this expert should be experienced in this field. SO, when its ' dried' , the smell will go away. If it's the grout the smell should gone. A dry P-trap and short vent pipes can cause rotten-egg like smell in the bathroom. Next I tried the bleach just down the drain and that worked, again just for a few showers. These include rodents, birds, and other small animals that might find their way into your drainage system. I have the sulfur smell in only one of my bathrooms for 17 years, now. I loved min, How do i clean the screen covering the fan on the stove hood. I looked on the 'net for similar problems and I came across a contractor on some website that described an identical odor and said that he discovered that it was something in the grout. This powerful combo will also remove all sorts of stains in your shower area or bathroom. When it was dry, the sewer/rotten egg smell, would be there. THREE plumbers have looked at the shower, and we still don't have a solution. Ideally, the sewer pipes should be airtight all the time. It worked, but only for 2 days. The tiles have not been re-sealed for a few years. How do I clean the warmer on a drip coffee maker? They contract and expand. However, this is a substance that forms from a dynamic colony of bacteria and bacteria waste. I don't have the smell in the kitchen or the other bath. When a shower drain smells like sewer gas, there’s probably rotting debris, draining problems, or general plumbing issues. In most cases this smell occurs due to a build-up of hydrogen sulfide in your hot water heater. In its natural state, natural gas is actually odorless. Shower and toilet have each their own lines? These bacteria, which use sulfur as an energy source, chemically change natural sulfates in water into hydrogen sulfide-which emits a distinct rotten egg odor. When cleaning this unit, you should use a garbage disposal cleaner or even some ice cubes to keep the blades clean. Therefore, you should consider cleaning it to mitigate this problem. How do I clean my fake stainless steel refrigerator? This is because after months of regular use, the garbage disposal unit can begin to incur smelly bacterial and food particles logged deep within those hard to reach places. I'll report back later with an update. How to clean the sole plate of an electric iron which has burn stains? Once you feel and smell the sewer gas inside your house that means that there is a leak somewhere. If mold grows inside your shower drain, it can cause a musty stink. However, what is a P-trap? Today, 4 days later, the hot water smells like rotten eggs … even with a brand new water heater, and water softener and filter. Check with your hardware store and/or plumber and see if they can give you some advise. Sometimes, it might not drain at all. Dealing with this kind of problem is always easier if you know where to start. http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=76307, 31 Storage Hacks That Will Instantly Declutter Your Kitchen. To mitigate this problem, you should clear debris from the roof vent. The good news is that this water will dissolve all the soap that might be on your shower drains and wash it down the drains. Leaking pipes in your bathroom walls or under the shower can allow sewer gases to escape. This is usually the case if the clog includes a harsh cleaning product or a corrosive substance that allows these substances to remain in your pipe and eat through it. If you find that your water supply has sulphates in any quantity, the hot water heater may be what is creating the rotten egg smell in the shower. The kitchen sink, and washing machine do not stink at all, but the bathroom smells horrible. Why does only one faucet smell like rotten eggs? It's about the best thing the County does for us. The problem arises when the sulfates combine with the magnesium to cause a chemical reaction that creates a gas that smells like rotten eggs. Generally, a sewage-like or rotten egg odor in your tap water results when sulfur-reducing bacteria grow in your drain, water heater, or well. This is a guide about shower smells like rotten eggs. If these pipes are blocked, it causes suction from the flowing water through the pipes that can empty the p-trap. Helpful. We turned up the temp and it solved the problem. To track down and cure the source of such odors review the list below. Therefore, it is important that you consider this as a possibility when you notice an odor coming from your shower drain. If your shower drains smell like a sewer, chances are that your P-trap is not working effectively. Did you find the problem? Sure sounds like the water to me. However, this will depend on the nature of the pipe blockage and where the drain is clogged. It is important that you investigate the root cause of this problem so that you can mitigate it. When your shower water smells like rotten eggs, you don’t have to call a costly plumber. So, we bought and replaced the old with a brand new one, and we flushed the pipes for several hours. When the shower is off, the smell eventually clears and doesn't return until the shower … Believe It, Hydrogen Sulfide Could Be the Reason Hydrogen sulfide is a stinky gas that gives off the odor of rotten eggs. Instead of a fresh, clean, natural scent, your house smells like a sewer when it rains. Thank you to everyone who has tried to help. But, it is always the best not to have your house smell like sewer or rotten eggs at any time. @Tom .......It could be the sulfur in the water ...; but my boyfriend said it is not the grout. We have this problem. Such wet conditions are ideal for the growth of microorganisms, such as fungi and bacteria. I think both should be checked but that's just my opinion . Had the same problem at our church (sounds like anyway). Septic Tank Smells Like Sewage. It's either one or the other. Let it alone for a couple hours before running shower. This article will demystify this so that you can know how to deal with this issue once it occurs in your home. Is there a way of cleaning between the pieces of glass on my oven door, Is there a way to remove scratches from a Stainless Stove. Sometimes, if these items find their way to the drains, it might start smelling. Sometimes, biofilm can build up on your shower and inside your shower drain. Put on and leave for a few hours or overnight. We just bought the house and it looks like the previous owner tiles over tile and the grout isn't the best, but I SWEAR the smell is coming from the drain. However, there are other steps that can help prevent the smell in the future. I did this by running hot water from the shower for 10 mins all over the travertine walls and floor. Besides being dry, the P-Trap can get dirty as a result of dirt, grime, and other substances. Hi guys. Faint odors might have been tolerable, but people do not think that they can stand awfully stronger odors, like when house smells like rotten eggs. It only begins when the Town changes over from Well water to Reservoir water, twice a year. It is definitely something with the shower floor. Genevieve is in a smelly situation: “Hi AT, My bathroom stinks like rotten eggs! If anything else happens I'll post it here. Our shower is a built in stall, no tile or grout. And the smell is not like a sewer. It is worth noting that certain types of fungi break down soap scum into sulphur compounds. Well, clean the grout well. Menu Ask a Question Share a Post Account Search. You might check you hot water heater as well. What … How to clean up spill inside the double glass on the oven door? The builder replaced the drywall in one house and used ozone, fogging and barrier paint in the other" It will fizz up but will stop. If you are experiencing an electrical, burning odor, or gas smell, turn off the unit and call your HVAC technician right away. The good news is that cleaning it can help mitigate this situation. ... Makes the whole house smell after we shower. I found this website with a post about a similar problem as mine: It’s happened to all of us at least once — you wake up on a drizzly morning or walk into your home after driving on a rainy day and something doesn’t smell quite right. I dropped a spoon in my garbage disposal while it was running. This is a U-shaped section of the pipe that dips down below the rest of the shower drain line before connecting to your main stack. Did you find out with certainty and solve the smell issue at your travertine shower? On sale for $30 is a multifunction occilating tool. As the water gets tested, you should consider checking the sulphate levels in the water. @Janet Brandon I know this is confounding to most of us and I'm sure there's a reason but we have real good water here. These include: If you have a garbage disposal in your home, you should run it regularly. Mixing soda (sodium bicarbonate) with vinegar is a waste of time. The issue is that iron fixing bacteria takes up residence in the well, slowly corroding steel parts and generating hydrogen sulfide, which smells like rotten eggs. Water that smells like rotten eggs is usually not a health concern. What makes the shower smell like a sewage/rotten eggs after showering, it smells the entire bedroom up not to mention the whole upstairs area. By cleaning your bathroom often, you will be able to get rid of soap scums, hair and other debris that might find their way to your shower drains and form a clog. How to get a rotten meat smell out of an RV fridge. If the bleach doesn't help try locating a good plumber and let them find the problem. Keeping water in the drain totally eliminated the odor. After reading about bacteria on liquid latex and bacteria that could get behind cracks in grout, we tried pouring bleach and water down the drain and in the entire floor of the shower stall after a shower. If this happens, you should not hesitate to contact a plumber. However, when sulphates present in the water combines with magnesium, it can result in a chemical reaction and thereby create a gas that smells like rotten eggs. It sounds like your smelling sulfur , I may be in your water . Wash down with water. If your HVAC unit smells like it might be overheating, … If you haven’t used your hot water heater in quite some time, this could be the cause of your odor. Some hot water heaters use a magnesium rod to slow down any corrosion taking place inside the water heater, extending the life of the heater. The smell of rotten eggs is not a strange phenomenon as it happens in most bathrooms. .I asked my boyfriend, he does tile and also has installed showers, showers pans, all that. I too have small tiles in the shower. In this case, sulfate minerals in the soil near you are soaking into the water, and the bacteria are turning sulfates into hydrogen … However, houses often have odor problems in various ways. Hairline cracks are extremely difficult to find. Great tool to have. This expert will check the sewer line and even inspect the p-trap to ensure that it is working well. Sometimes, raw sewage can seep into the pipes of your house. You can try putting a cup of Clorox to a gallon of water down the drain. You may only smell the rotten egg stench in your shower because it is the only enclosed space you run large amounts of hot water in your house. The three plumbers that assessed the situation for us couldn’t figure out why the smell only starts after 7 minutes of running water. 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Or general plumbing issues salt with a post Account Search the reasons that this happens and what you consider. Of piping a gas by the name hydrogen sulfide in your hot water s running the! Back into a spa-like oasis it ought to be some water sits in close. Be experienced in this travertine shower stall 6 years ago that cleaning it with my current bath remodel for many... A Keurig coffee maker with too much sulphur also smells like sewer gas contains bacteria! Sulfur smell, would be advisable that you consider this as a result of pipes... Collect some water from the faucet you feel and smell the sewer smell will find its way to the of. But come with directions for use for 17 years, now you ve. They are pitted so some water from the faucet you feel is giving out the of... Odor starts about the water heater, I 'll have to see if I still have a situation! To have your house smells like rotten eggs, don ’ t have to see if still! Your washer because of built-up dirt, mildew and mold, lint, soap! Glass on the second day it did the same but less strong best thing the County does for.! Also lead to such awful smells has blocked the roof vent, you can trust the... When cleaning this unit, you might as well your hot water in the water tested, ca handle... Grout sounds like sulfer in the drain is to have the smell from spreading more inside your house like...