Dear Clean Water Man:
For several months we have had a horrible odor in our water which is very noticeable in the morning in our bathrooms. "---" Water Treatment (name hidden) Company came and put in a five thousand dollar water treatment system and the smell is still there.
Becca, Stamford.
Becca:
I didn't want to be the bearer of bad tidings, but since I visited and I told you what the problem was, I will share it here. The odor is not in your water. One thing that should make it plain for others dealing with suspected water odors is whether the smell is consistent throughout the entire home. It may be in ALL the cold water or ALL the hot water or ALL the water. What I found in your home was the foul odor was coming from three bathroom sinks upstairs, one in the master bath and the two others in your children's bathroom. There was no odor anywhere else.
This is where the story gets a little gross, but this problem is only happening where you and others in your family are brushing teeth. Under every legally installed sink is a U shaped bit of plumbing called a trap. The trap holds water that acts as a barrier to keep sewer or septic gasses out of your home. This is great because sewer and septic odors smell horrible and can be potentially lethal, either through fumes or by actually catching on fire. I inspected the traps and they are in good working order. So, I determined that the problem was actually in the traps themselves. When you brush your teeth, spit and food particles gather in the trap. After a while, this stuff begins to decompose and give off a horrible smell. Overnight, while no one is using the sink, the length of pipe that goes from the sink to the trap fills with the odor. When the water is turned on and you lean over to brush your teeth in the morning, the accumulated odor is disturbed by the water you turned on and it wafts up, out of the drain hole and into your nose. This is the source of odor in YOUR house.
To fix it you need to occasionally pour some laundry bleach into the sink drains. A quarter cup is more than enough. Be careful to not allow bleach to sit on the chrome or nickel or other finish drain piece as it will ruin the finish. Let it set in the trap for ten minutes and then rinse away. The smell should go away for several weeks.
DO NOT POUR BLEACH IN AFTER YOU HAVE POURED OTHER CHEMICALS DOWN THE DRAIN since it could cause a hazardous reaction. Do not use on unsound plumbing.
For others attempting to determine the source of an odor, try this. If the smell comes right back by the next day, the problem is in your water and a professional water treatment company can help you with this issue.
www.cleanwaterman.com
For several months we have had a horrible odor in our water which is very noticeable in the morning in our bathrooms. "---" Water Treatment (name hidden) Company came and put in a five thousand dollar water treatment system and the smell is still there.
Becca, Stamford.
Becca:
I didn't want to be the bearer of bad tidings, but since I visited and I told you what the problem was, I will share it here. The odor is not in your water. One thing that should make it plain for others dealing with suspected water odors is whether the smell is consistent throughout the entire home. It may be in ALL the cold water or ALL the hot water or ALL the water. What I found in your home was the foul odor was coming from three bathroom sinks upstairs, one in the master bath and the two others in your children's bathroom. There was no odor anywhere else.
This is where the story gets a little gross, but this problem is only happening where you and others in your family are brushing teeth. Under every legally installed sink is a U shaped bit of plumbing called a trap. The trap holds water that acts as a barrier to keep sewer or septic gasses out of your home. This is great because sewer and septic odors smell horrible and can be potentially lethal, either through fumes or by actually catching on fire. I inspected the traps and they are in good working order. So, I determined that the problem was actually in the traps themselves. When you brush your teeth, spit and food particles gather in the trap. After a while, this stuff begins to decompose and give off a horrible smell. Overnight, while no one is using the sink, the length of pipe that goes from the sink to the trap fills with the odor. When the water is turned on and you lean over to brush your teeth in the morning, the accumulated odor is disturbed by the water you turned on and it wafts up, out of the drain hole and into your nose. This is the source of odor in YOUR house.
To fix it you need to occasionally pour some laundry bleach into the sink drains. A quarter cup is more than enough. Be careful to not allow bleach to sit on the chrome or nickel or other finish drain piece as it will ruin the finish. Let it set in the trap for ten minutes and then rinse away. The smell should go away for several weeks.
DO NOT POUR BLEACH IN AFTER YOU HAVE POURED OTHER CHEMICALS DOWN THE DRAIN since it could cause a hazardous reaction. Do not use on unsound plumbing.
For others attempting to determine the source of an odor, try this. If the smell comes right back by the next day, the problem is in your water and a professional water treatment company can help you with this issue.
www.cleanwaterman.com
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