Has anyone noticed their drinking water smelling like sulfur? (Port Charlotte: how much, home)

[snowtired14]

Originally Posted by HarborRat

You sure it's sulfur you smell and not the septic? Is that bathroom closest to your septic? When we had septic problems the first symptom was a faint rotten egg smell from the bathroom closest to the septic tank, only when first turning on the water in the sink or shower...and sometimes during a flush. The smell was pretty "sulfury". Once the water ran for a couple seconds the smell went away, like just a bit of septic gasses were trapped and released when first turning the water on. No smells came from any other faucet in the house.

See if you can still smell it in that bathroom if you use a bucket to capture the water instead of letting it go down the drain.

Interesting thought! All of your drains are vented and usually go to a vent pipe that exits above the roof, is your vent line obstructed?

[Macgregorsailor51]

Has this house been or ever had, a bathroom remodel? hummm are all the Vertical white 1-1/2" & 2" PVC pipes in the attic actually going thru the roof.. I was looking in the attic of a buddies house and his are NOT.. havent been since Charley its on HIS TO DO LIST..

Originally Posted by snowtired14

Interesting thought! All of your drains are vented and usually go to a vent pipe that exits above the roof, is your vent line obstructed?

[MikMal]

Originally Posted by FLHfan

Do you have overflow holes down in the drain? ....

No, the sink doesn't have an overflow hole. I didn't know they even made sink without them...thought it was standard on all sinks.

Originally Posted by snowtired14

.... All of your drains are vented and usually go to a vent pipe that exits above the roof, is your vent line obstructed?

I Guess it can't hurt to check.

Originally Posted by Macgregorsailor51

Has this house been or ever had, a bathroom remodel? hummm are all the Vertical white 1-1/2" & 2" PVC pipes in the attic actually going thru the roof.. ..

Bath was remodeled a few years before we bought it. There is a vent stack directly overhead that goes through the roof. I'm just guessing that it's hooked up.

[Macgregorsailor51]

If there is in fact a proper P trap under the sink ( that stops the gas/smell from backing up .. is it the typical drain system? thin cheap plastic . If So , you can check for water level in the P trap with a good flash lite. It will work like a primitive X-Ray.. )
If that sink drains well .. Then lack of suffient Venting is off the table. Even if it was never taken thru the roof..
The smell is IN THE SINK , only when water is run? Hummm
Concerning The sink auto over-flow , just like the drain it is protected by the P trap. Could the auto over flow be nasty? That would require a lot of "stuff" to be in there, possible , but not likely. That auto Overflow only works / functions when the sink is used and About To OVERFLOW.. I suggest you have a pool water , sample bottle ready and when it smells get a sample of the tap water and take it to the county.
BTW.. Have you removed the stopper? Under the sink there is a screw cap on the Vert. Drain Pipe and it has a rod going into it ( this is what moves stopper up and down in sink drain) and the screw cap holds it in the drain pipe.. Remove the retaining screw cap and pull out rod now pull stopper out of sink.. Look down drain with a flashlite. If its messy/nasty use a bottle washer to scrub that area ( full of hair spit tooth paste etc etc etc ) Re-assemble run water.. Does it still smell? BTW I suggest putting the cap back on during the cleaning and even have an old towel under the sink to reduce clean up afterwards.. BTW Leave the rod out of drain during the cleaning the rod is what catches hair and in time everything else..YUCKKKKKY!

[Big House]

Here is another thing to consider.
None of the home here have back-flow preventers on any of the lines. In commercial buildings we put back flow preventers between the domestic water lines, and sprinkler lines because the water in the sprinkler lines can sit and stagnate over time, and that will turn color, lose its disinfecting property (it once was domestic treated drinking water), and can smell.

Here, none of the lines have back flow preventers on any of the line. some of the lines - like run outs to your hose bibs, which go to the exterior walls can hold stagnate water if not run regularly. And if you hose is attached, and that holds water gases can back up into the house water system. I have found - for some reason, which I don't understand, that if I do not run my hoses for a bit every couple of weeks or so, that I get a smell coming from the water. So, try running your water lines around your house, even for a minute and then see if you don't have that smell return for a few weeks. I might be crazy, but since I do that every couple weeks just for a little bit, it helps.

As far as venting and drainage gases, I regularly, again every couple weeks, will walk around the house and pour a little bit of bleach into each of the sinks, toilets, showers, tubs, and laundry sink. I also pour a little bit into the condensate line of the condenser to the AC equipment. I find that that line also gets dunked up with growth, and it will clog the drain if not regularly treated.

I've never had any chronic problems, but this is a quick, easy, cost effective way to ensure the stuff that grows and causes odors will choose to grow somewhere else. - Just a thought.

[MikMal]

Originally Posted by Macgregorsailor51

If there is in fact a proper P trap under the sink ...
There is a proper trap.
If that sink drains well .. Then lack of suffient Venting is off the table.
It does drain well...matter of fact I cleaned it out a few months ago.
The smell is IN THE SINK , only when water is run? Hummm
Nope...shower water smells too. Sometimes the kitchen as well.
Concerning The sink auto over-flow , ...
No overflow drain on the sink
.. I suggest you have a pool water , sample bottle ready and when it smells get a sample of the tap water and take it to the county.
Great idea!!
BTW.. Have you removed the stopper? ...
Yup. About once a year I clean out the shower and sink drains. They get arteriosclerosis of the drain from the soap, toothpaste, spit, hair, etc. Ummm. Yummy!

Originally Posted by Big House

Here is another thing to consider.
None of the home here have back-flow preventers on any of the lines. ...
I noticed that too. It has me wondering if someone in the neighborhood has their well hooked to the domestic supply and contaminated the entire system.
.... some of the lines - like run outs to your hose bibs, which go to the exterior walls can hold stagnate water if not run regularly. And if you hose is attached, and that holds water gases can back up into the house water system. I have found - for some reason, which I don't understand, that if I do not run my hoses for a bit every couple of weeks or so, that I get a smell coming from the water. So, try running your water lines around your house, even for a minute and then see if you don't have that smell return for a few weeks. I might be crazy, but since I do that every couple weeks just for a little bit, it helps.....
And a light bulb turns on! There is a seldom used hose on the wall directly outside of the bathroom where the odor is most frequent, plus it gets the afternoon and evening sun. I wonder if it's breeding all kinds of bacteria? Doesn't account for my neighbors smelling it too unless I contaminated the main!

BTW, I did call Char. Co. Util. and am waiting for them to call me back.

[Macgregorsailor51]

OK.. contrary to popular misconceptions , all sprinkler systems are to have backflow preventers and all homes are to have them as well. There by if you use city water for the sprinkler you will have 2 backflow preventers.. My home was built in the mid 80's and it has a Back Flow Preventer Outside where, the water comes in from the city.. Not all back flow protectors are Obvious..

Cross Contamination was mentioned / posted last Sat. after talking with a friend who is retired from Cape Coral Water Dept.

[Big House]

Originally Posted by Macgregorsailor51

OK.. contrary to popular misconceptions , all sprinkler systems are to have backflow preventers and all homes are to have them as well. There by if you use city water for the sprinkler you will have 2 backflow preventers.. My home was built in the mid 80's and it has a Back Flow Preventer Outside where, the water comes in from the city.. Not all back flow protectors are Obvious..

Cross Contamination was mentioned / posted last Sat. after talking with a friend who is retired from Cape Coral Water Dept.

Ya

Yes, that's true - if your home has a sprinkler / fire prevention reaction system - that would be true. I gave the reason for that when I mentioned it earlier. Most single family homes don't have sprinkler systems, but condominiums and multi family buildings do. It is becoming a requirement that newly constructed homes in some jurisdictions now require them as well. So, I stand corrected./ clarified.

[Big House]

Originally Posted by MikMal

BTW, I did call Char. Co. Util. and am waiting for them to call me back.

I would doubt they would hook up a well to the system, but someone may have connected an irrigation sprinkler line or have some other run-out somewhere (without getting a permit) that should have a back flow preventer. Back flow preventers will fail over time. So it is good that you call the county. Let them run some tests, and hopefully they can help you discover and solve the mystery.

[Macgregorsailor51]

I would too BH but my concern might be that someone... would do just that for his Armageddon water supply back up system OR... I could see some clueless handyman ( working for Cash.... ) or a home owner, double feeding his sprinkler system and or his house..with a irrigation well supply I have seen more UNUSUAL THINGS...down here in the last 2.5 years than in the previous 30 years of my life.. and before that I wasnt paying attention

Originally Posted by Big House

I would doubt they would hook up a well to the system, but someone may have connected an irrigation sprinkler line or have some other run-out somewhere (without getting a permit) that should have a back flow preventer. Back flow preventers will fail over time. So it is good that you call the county. Let them run some tests, and hopefully they can help you discover and solve the mystery.