Why Do My Drains Smell Like Rotten Eggs?
Peeeee-yuu! What could be causing your drains to smell like rotten eggs?
The answer in nearly every case is bacteria. A colony of bacteria has made a home inside your drain and is releasing hydrogen sulfide – a gas that smells a lot like an open sewer, petroleum, and yes, good ol’ rotten eggs – into your kitchen or bathroom.
Now that you know what’s causing that smell, the next thing on your mind is how to get rid of it. Well, we can help you answer that question as well. You’ve got a few options:
Hang tight. We’ll go over each of these options in more detail below.
Key Takeaways:
- Rotten egg smells in drains usually come from bacteria. Buildup inside your drain or garbage disposal releases hydrogen sulfide gas, which causes the unpleasant odor.
- Garbage disposals are a common source for rotten egg smells. Food debris and moisture create the perfect environment for bacterial growth if you don’t clean the unit regularly.
- Clogs can trap odor-causing bacteria. A single smelly drain may indicate a localized clog, while multiple smelly drains may indicate a sewer line issue.
- Your water heater may be the culprit. If only your hot water smells, the anode rod inside the water heater likely needs to be replaced.
- Cold-water odors can indicate the presence of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRBs). While typically harmless, this bacteria requires professional treatment to eliminate its smell.
- Professional plumbing service ensures a lasting fix. A licensed plumber can determine whether the issue stems from a drain clog, a sewer line, or a water heater and resolve the problem quickly.
Clean Your Garbage Disposal
Bacteria love to hang out inside your garbage disposal. If the disposal unit isn’t run frequently or hasn’t been cleaned in a while, bacteria can build up. The end result is a blast of hydrogen sulfide hitting you in the face every time you stand over the sink. Yuck!
If the smell comes from the garbage disposal, that’s good news because it’s a fix you can take care of yourself. Chlorine bleach is an effective agent to use against the bacteria inside your garbage disposal. Simply pour some down the drain and start scrubbing with a long-handled brush.
Safety is important. Make sure to unplug your garbage disposal before you start cleaning it. And if you need to fish something out of there, do it with some tongs, never your hands!
For an even quicker fix, try tossing some lemon wedges into the disposal and running it. That should reduce the smell or eliminate it entirely.
Look For Drain Clogs
Bacteria love collecting around clogs. Chances are, if the rotten egg smell is coming out of one drain, that’s a good indication the clog is inside that drain. But if the smell comes from multiple drains, you may have a sewer line clog on your hands.
A sewer line clog is best resolved by calling a professional. But if you track the clog down to one drain, some of the following tricks may help:
- Try to break up the clog with some drain-unclogging solution.
- Remove the p‑trap and thoroughly clean it. Clogs love hiding within the u‑bend of a p‑trap, so if a smell is coming from your drain, it’s hiding there.
If all else fails, a plumber can swing by with a drain camera and get a good look at what’s going on. The plumbers at Thornton & Grooms can take care of most drain clogs in under an hour.
Test the Water
The most common reason for a rotten egg smell around a drain is bacteria. But the water may also be the culprit. To see if it really is the water, you’ll want to test both the hot and cold water in your home. Let’s talk about why the temperature of the water can provide clues as to what’s causing the smell in the first place.
If it’s only the hot water that smells like rotten eggs, the culprit is almost always the water heater. More specifically, the anode rods housed within the water heater need replacement with new aluminum rods.
If you smell hydrogen sulfide in your cold water, that may be caused by something called Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria, or SRBs. The bacteria itself is harmless. But you’ll still want to call a plumber to see about getting rid of them for cleaner, more pleasant-smelling water.