What to Do if Your Water Smells Like Rotten Eggs
When you turn on a water tap in your home, does the smell of rotten eggs make your close your nose? With all the stories about water quality in the news these days, you may be worried that what you’re smelling is some type of dangerous contamination. Plus, it’s just gross in general. In this article, we’ll cover what is causing your water to smell like eggs, and what to do next.
What causes water to smell like eggs?
In most cases, the cause of the odor is a high level hydrogen sulfide gas in your water. It may not be coming from your water supply, but from other areas of your plumbing system (we’ll get to those a bit later). This is a fairly common plumbing issue, but one that should be addressed quickly.
Is hydrogen sulfide bad for your health?
You can breathe easy (metaphorically speaking) because water with hydrogen sulfide is still safe to drink and bathe in – it’s just going to smell bad. However, the odor of hydrogen sulfide can be similar to that from sewage or other contaminants, which can be pose health risks. These cases are rare, but it’s always best to be safe.
Effects on plumbing
Having high levels of hydrogen sulfide can damage your home’s plumbing system. The chemical can corrode pipes and plumbing fixtures.
Finding the source of the smell
As we mentioned earlier, stinky water could be caused in numerous places in your home. Go down this checklist to get to the bottom of your issue.
- Does only your hot water smell like eggs? If so, the problem is likely within your hot water heater.
- Does only treated water have an odor? If you have a water softener, compare water that is treated and some that is not. If only the treated water has the odor, then have your water softener system checked.
- Does all your water at all temperatures smell bad? Have your well system and groundwater tested for hydrogen sulfide, sulfate, sulfur, and iron bacteria.
Having smelly water isn’t just a major nuisance, it can cost you money down the road from emergency plumbing repairs. So if your water smells like rotten eggs, give Reichelt Plumbing Inc. a call at (219) 322-4906. We’ll find the source of the problem and fix it as quickly as possible.