Why Does My Water Smell Like Rotten Eggs?

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Ideally, water smells like nothing. When you open up the tap in your kitchen sink, for example, you don’t want any kind of smell to be coming from the water that you receive. So, if that water starts to smell like rotten eggs, it will be immediately clear that something is wrong. This page will look at why that might happen and what you can do about it.

As the leading plumbers Greensboro has to offer, Berico is standing by and ready to help with any problems that you may encounter. As soon as you notice that something has gone wrong with your plumbing system, or if you have a new installation project on your to-do list, call Berico right away for an appointment.

 

The Usual Culprit

In almost every case, the rotten egg odor that you are smelling is going to come from hydrogen sulfide gas. The gas forms when certain types of bacteria break down organic material in the absence of oxygen. This is a process that can happen inside your plumbing system under specific conditions. If the hydrogen sulfide dissolves in water, it will give off that familiar and unwelcome smell that is hard to ignore.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t take much hydrogen sulfide for this to become a frustrating problem. Even very low levels can make your water unpleasant to use, whether you are drinking it or bathing in it. The water might not necessarily be unsafe when the levels are low, but it’s still an issue that you’ll want to address right away.

 

Possible Sources of the Problem

The key to getting rid of this unwanted smell is figuring out where it is starting from and then making the necessary repairs or improvements. Here are three possibilities –

  • Inside Your Water Heater. Does this problem only seem to arise when you use hot water? If so, the water heater itself is likely to blame. Specifically, you may have a magnesium anode rod inside your tank that can react with bacteria and sulfur to create this gas. Swapping out the rod for one made of aluminum or zinc alloy can get rid of the smell.
  • In the Plumbing System. If it’s both hot and cold water that are affected, but it only seems to happen in some of your faucets, there may be an issue in part of your plumbing system. Specifically, parts of your plumbing that aren’t regularly used may develop bacterial growth that leads to the sulfur smell. Those lines can be flushed or treated to resolve the problem.
  • The Water Source. In some cases, specifically when all of the water throughout the home smells bad, it might be the water source itself that is causing the issue. You might need to add a water treatment system to process the water before it even enters the home. Options include an aeration filter or an activated carbon filter.

 

Your Trusted Plumbing Partner

For everything from emergency plumbing to water heater repair and beyond, it’s always Berico plumbers that are ready to come to your rescue. Take a moment now to reach out to the Berico team to chat about your plumbing problem.