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Why Does My Sink Smell Like Rotten Eggs?

faucet

It is not uncommon for homeowners to encounter unpleasant odors in their household sinks or water, and when they do, they want to go to the source of the problem and find out what is causing their water or sinks to smell unpleasant.

If you are experiencing an unpleasant odor in all of your water faucets, then you most likely have a problem with the main water supply. On the other hand, if the smell is only coming from certain faucets, the problem is probably located in the fixtures or pipes involved in those specific faucets.

Does Your Sink Smell Like Rotten Eggs or Sewage?

If you are experiencing a rotten egg (sulfurous) or sewage-like odor in certain sinks, it is likely a result of bacteria activity, which can be caused by bacteria growth inside the drain: This is the most common cause behind foul odors. As time goes by, hair, soap, and other organic matter accumulate in the walls of the drain, causing a gas that smells like rotten eggs or sewage.

How do you tell if the odor is coming from the drain? Fill a glass with water from the sink that smells, then step away from that sink and swirl the water in the glass a couple of times. If the tap water in the glass does not smell, then the problem is the drain and you will want to disinfect and flush the drain.

plumber fixing water heater

Another Cause of Odors: Water Heaters

Foul odors can also originate in plumbing systems, or in water heaters. When organic matter is trapped in the plumbing, it can release sulfur or sewage-like odors that interact with the chlorine in the water.

While foul odors can be coming from the drain, they can also originate from water heaters that have not been used in a while. When you move into a house that has a water heater that has not been used for some time, we recommend flushing the system.

Do you have foul odors coming out of your sink drains? Contact A-1 Sewer & Septic Service, Inc. for a quote from one of our Kansas City plumbers. In business since 1968, no job is too big or too small for us to handle!

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