Strange sulphur smell when running tap

C

colc

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Hi I hope this is the right place to post this I just notice when I run my kitchen tap I get a strange sulphur smell any ideas what it could be from? Any responses would be greatly appreciated.

Colc
 
Colc, bit of a long shot, with with regards to the the route from your tap hole into the ground. Is there a U-Bend in the middle?
Or is it pretty much straight down into the ground

We had a problem a few years back where the outflow from our washing machine essentially went straight down pretty much (there was a bit of a dog elbow type turn but not enough to stop some nasty smells emanating. ...... my understanding is that an actual U-Bend catches gasses that rise up from your drain and prevent them going any further...ie into the house).

Otherwise if there IS a U-Bend (which to be honest i'd expect there is), have you checked it out ?? (it could be full of all sorts of unpleasant bits and pieces....dirty job but doesn't take long).
 
silvamuppet said:
my understanding is that an actual U-Bend catches gasses that rise up from your drain and prevent them going any further...ie into the house).
Click to expand...

The U-bend will always contain water, it is this water that stops the gasses entering the house (at least in any noticable quantity).
 
Are you on mains or your own well? If it is your well, it is probably sulphur. Get the water tested. It smells awful, like rotten eggs. But on the bright side, that is the smell you get in the best continental spas. Some specialist water treatment may be required to get rid of it.
 
If its well water then you have hydrogen sulphide H2S (Rotten Egg Gas). This is common enough in well water in Ireland together with its fellow traveller Manganese and Iron.

You should get your well water tested by an independent laboratory (for Bacteria, General Chemistry - Hardness pH etc, and Metals - Iron Manganese etc).

You should then show the results to a number of reputable water treatment contractors and ask them to quote for systems to bring your water up to EU drinking water standards. Be sure to ask them how much the system costs to maintain and whether they offer a guarantee.

When the system is in test the water again to determine whether the system is working.


Since Hydrogen Sulphide is a gas its very hard to detect in a water samples that have to be transported to a laboratory. But the smell is really unmistakeable.

aj
 
Pour some bleach down the plughole of your sink and see if it goes away. The smell may not be from the water but from the drain.
 
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