Totally Off Topic - Water Line Smells Like Rotten Eggs

Hey guys,

My apologies for this, but someone here must have an explanation for this - I've read a ton of things on the net, but nothing quite explains what I'm experiencing. I've spoken to a few plumbers and they also can't figure it out.

My cold lines in the bathroom and kitchen smell like rotten eggs for the first 15 seconds, then it seems to go away. The shower does not do it, the toilet does not do it, and the water tap outside does not do it - they are all fed from the same main water intake. I know it's a sulfur issue, but there are 2 other dwellings on this property, and they all feed from the same water source (a well) and neither of them have any problems in any of the sinks, bathrooms or laundry rooms. The problem is strictly confined to the cold water only on these 2 sink.

I have noticed there is a small metal flex hose just before the taps in the bathroom sink and kitchen sink (connected to the plastic hot and cold water piping). Is it possible that this small piece of hose could trap the sulfur bacteria? Or is it perhaps the taps themselves? They're not the most expensive things, and maybe there is sulfer bacteria trapped inside the cold tap, which comes out for the first few seconds.

Weird, yeah I know. Any thoughts are much appreciated. I've been through this thing for months, and have tried to think of every little detail that could be wrong. The plumber suggested a carbon filter, but if there's nothing wrong with any of the other water taps, then it would be a waste.

Thanks,
Sig

You refer to the cold water pipe. I ask:

Could it not be the drain? :? I had a problem like that with the drain.

Definitely not the drain. It's been cleaned, and it doesn't stink when the hot water is turned on. I've narrowed down to 3 things - the small screen and cap on the faucet, the faucet itself (most likely) or that small line of flex hose.

The tap outside has copper lines, and doesn't have a screen - no smell.
The toilet doesn't have a screen, but does have a flex hose - also no smell, but so much water goes into the tank you'd never notice it.
The shower has all copper lines, and an entirely different type of faucet (and shower head) - no smell.

I can't believe I've stumped so many plumbers. It seems that this must be a pretty common issue.

Thanks,
Sig

EDIT - I've just discovered that these flex hoses have a rubber lining on the inside, so it's very possible that the sulfur bacteria is inside this hose, and being released each time the water is turned on. The hot water does not do it, because the water tank boils and kills the bacteria. The other buildings here do not have any silver flex hoses on any sinks. I'll change it out and see what happens.

If you can, flush your lines out with bleach. It'll kill any iron bacteria (or any other kind) dead.

Those flex hoses are horrible. As I read your post, I thought, "they probably do not have those stinky flex hoses in GRD". Wrongo!

I thought that the HOT should be even stinkier, because the heat would release more poly-phenols or whatever from the plastic, but it never stank.

I did not smell sulphur, but a stinky plastic chemical smell in the sink cold water when I first moved in to the current nest. I replaced them with custom copper. It was difficult because I am horrible at plumbing, but I do not have the stink anymore. I re-used the flex on a new toilet. The plumbing store guy said, "those hoses are fine. they do not impart any taste." I could not agree less.
Mike
PS: next to go is some old zinc piping. That gets clogged [/img]

Yeah, it's funny because everyone at the stores tried to tell me that the flex stuff is def not the problem. Again, I could not disagree more myself. I'm gonna see what we can do tomorrow, but I have a feeling this is the problem.

Thanks,
Sig

Sig, are you living in a small village??? i know that small villages got that problem once in a while.

You should read this: http://www.ianr.unl.edu/PUBS/water/g1275.htm I'll bet this is the problem and not any plastic hoses.

Steve

I recently had a similar problem with my bathroom sink, though it was more of a mildewy smell and taste. Took it apart and cleaned the flex hose (mine was metal), and faucet pieces with bleach, and the problem disappeared.

sorry sig. . .
I did not see that you are in PRC and not GRD I never had a bad glass of water in GRD, even in Berlin '81, so, don't y'all make our north american mistakes! Stay away from the plastics.
Mike

Yeah, I've loooong established that this is a sulfur problem, but what's happening is that the sulfur bacteria are collecting in these metal flex hoses, which happen to have a rubber interior lining. Otherwise, you'd smell sulfur from all the other water sources. These 2 sinks are the ONLY ones that stink, and they also happen to be the ONLY sinks that have these metal/rubber flex hoses. We live in the country, so we're on a well. We've long known there's sulfur in the water, but it's never smelled so bad. I believe it's simply because the bacteria collects inside the rubber hose, and is released for the first couple of seconds before it is flushed out. Then, after sitting for a while in the rubber hose again, it collects again.

I'll keep you guys posted after I swap out this line.
Thanks,
Sig

How far away is this sink from the holding tank? I had this same problem with a bathroom sink and it was furthest from the tank. I figured this meant that there were more places in the plumbing for the bacteria to collect. I flushed the whole house's plumbing lines with bleach and that was the cure for me anyway.

Steve

The entire building is probably a few hundred feet from the holding tanks, which are housed in another building on the property. And this is not the furthest sink by any means.

Sig

It sounds like you have a local anaerobic bacteria colonization in that stretch of line. I periodically have a similar problem with my carbon water filter. They can live off stuff trapped by the filter.

Solution is probably both a mechanical cleaning and clorox disinfectant... There's probably a deposit of something in that stretch of pipe they are living on.

JR

Solved. That short stretch of rubber lined flex hose was the problem. Replaced it and no more smell. So, it seems they only last around 10 months or so with the amount of sulfur in the water here, so I think we'll just eventually replace it all with copper lines, and that'll be the end of it. "Local anaerobic bacteria colonization" is the most disgusting sounding and gnarliest thing I've EVER heard of. Does that mean I have a bacteria colonization living inside my stomach?? Yum.

Hope this helps someone on down the line (absolutely no pun intended).
Thanks,
Siegfried