Hey Grump, I'm a grumpy retired plumber from a major air force and we would get emergency service calls every day for a sulphur smell. What we found in commerical buildings was the battery backup batteries for fire alarm panels were were bad, gives off sulphur smell! Same with big computer systems. Gave us an easy service call, call the alarm shop, done! Lol have a good day!

@TheGrumpyPlumber

8 ай бұрын

Really interesting!

@Radar120155

6 күн бұрын

Gas fired water heater!

We love the grumpy plumber, tells it like it is!!!

“Oooo-oooo, That Smell…Can’t you smell that smell…”

@samiam830

3 ай бұрын

Great song

Great information thanks Jim 👍

KZread hasn’t been putting your vids on my page for months. I’m glad to see a new vid

Had that sulphur issue from well water. Switched to an aluminum rod and it solved the problem. Unfortunately, some water company talked me into a sulphur filter prior to learning well water is different from city water. Sulphur filter system never worked. Great advice. Cheers

Thanks guys! 👍💯♥️🇺🇸😎

Thanks!

Idk out of 100 times how "common" this is, but in my house the smell was from something different. They previous owners had installed a large sink in the basement livingroom that we never used. Water had been going into a dead end there for about a decade. One day we cleared all the storage boxes off the sink and I turn it on. The water was all black and I almost gagged. Cut the line out and ripped out that nasty sink. Never smelt that rotten egg smell again in the water.

I am on a well and have a Rheem electric water heater (no magnesium rod) and on my cold side i have a smell (smells like someone just got a perm) are you saying this is my well that needs cleaning?

I have well water, but the smell is only coming from the cold water? Hot water smells normal. Any suggestions what could be causing it? I should add the well is very deep just over 300’ so we don’t have iron deposits in our water, we do get some magnesium though (I think that’s what it is)

Hello. Our ice smells like eggs. Yuck! We put in a new water heater and my hubbie removed the anode first. Do I need to clean the icemaker line? I now have another bladder infection. I think its coming from the ice??

For all the requests for beer , I would swear you are a painter . Hehe lol ... which I know cuz I am a jack of all trades ;)

I removed the magnesium rod, and replaced with an aluminum rod. I also chlorinated the hot water heater and flushed it... a few weeks later, the same rotten egg smell coming (only) from the hot water tank again. I just removed the aluminum rod, had grey slime build-up on it... now I drained and super-chlorinated the tank (assuming sulfur-eating bacteria, in an attempt to kill the bacteria), hoping for the best...

@TheGrumpyPlumber

5 ай бұрын

Good luck. I hope that works.

@traditionsportsrec6047

2 ай бұрын

I had the same issue. 2 month old tank Removed rod, water smelled better for a week now its smelling again. Ive shocked well and now im going to try bleaching the tank.

@user-ru8gk4bj3c

2 ай бұрын

@@traditionsportsrec6047 this is curtisp following up. The super-chlorination of the tank worked. I believe I put at least 6 jugs (6x 4 Liters) of liquid bleach (the Great Value brand from Walmart) and then immediately filled the tank and left the tank full with the bleach mixture overnight (i.e. at least 8 hours), then I flushed the tank, and it has been 3 months now and everything is fine. I think there must have been sulfur bacteria or something in the tank that didn't get killed the first time when I only used a few bottles of bleach and had only left it for about 4 hours instead of overnight. Using more bleach seems to be the trick to kill the bacteria. Also I am planning to drain the tank prior to leaving on long vacations to avoid stagnant water in there.

@DoneInformation

Ай бұрын

The control valve tank holds resin, u might have to replace the resin, or check if u have any resin in there. And if the smell came back after 3 days, ur either use very little water, and need to do a cleaning regeneration cycle. Hope this helps

I have a different question, kind of. The sulfur smell ONLY comes from our bathroom sink faucet. I read somewhere to turn water heater up to 160 degrees for a couple hours, run the hot water through the faucet to kill the bacteria. It worked, the smell is gone, but only from the hot water tap. How can i get the smell out of the cold water tap? We are on a el, and a septic system.

@TheGrumpyPlumber

8 ай бұрын

A green sand filter system might work for you, but not a guarantee. It’s hard to fix that problem.

Hey Grumpy, I live Florida, I don’t have a well and my house is only 3 years old and so is my water heater. Since I moved in I’ve had this awful stinky hot water problem. How much does it cause to replace the magnesium pipe for something else that will still preserve the life of my water heater?

@TheGrumpyPlumber

6 ай бұрын

The rod itself is less than $50. You need an inch and 1/16 socket and a two foot breaker bar….$30. Turn water off to heater, relieve the pressure on a hot water faucet, turn electric off to heater ( rod is located in the top of the heater). The anode rod replacement should cost around $100 if you do it yourself. If you hire it done, cost would be around $500.

👍👍

What if I’m only smelling the sulfur smell from one sink in my home and it’s a brand new sink with a brand new faucet. Non of the older faucets/sinks in the house have the smell. Just the one. Is that normal ?

@TheGrumpyPlumber

7 ай бұрын

This is not normal and very strange. I honestly have no idea.

So I have two master bathroom sinks. The one on the left ,the cold water has a rotten smell only fore the first 8 oz or so then gone for a couple hours. The hot water from that faucet has no smell and the sink on the right has no smell with either hot or cold water. have put Clorox solution into faucet and let it set. that makes it go away for a few days then it starts coming back. I am on public water. just replaced the valve cartridge and water cutoff valve today to see if that helps. Any other ideas???

@TheGrumpyPlumber

4 ай бұрын

I am sorry but I have no idea why you’re having this problem. What you might try is to turn off the cold water supply side to that faucet. See if the smell shows up anywhere else. If not, there must be something wrong with the faucet.

@Skirtchaser26ft

3 ай бұрын

So It appears that I have found the culprit. Thought I'd share so you would have an answer to this bizarre problem. I replaced the valve cartridge and it got slightly better. This made me think the problem was farther upstream. The feed line from the valve to the faucet is of the braided clear hose. It was completely opaque at one end. Fortunately I had a spare line so I replaced it. So far( couple days now), the smell is gone. Hope this can help someone else in the future. @@TheGrumpyPlumber

@TheGrumpyPlumber

3 ай бұрын

Good job! Great discovery. Never ran into that myself.

@hyacinthdibley2420

3 ай бұрын

Thank you ​@@Skirtchaser26ft

P.S., the emergency lights at the doors had battery backup's

Hello, I just had plumber put in new water heater on an old farmhouse with a well. At first no problem, but now the hot water smells like rotten eggs. Thank you for your video, I'm hoping the plumber will know what to do? Its brand new, so I don't understand. Only been installed for a couple months, and now last week it smells.

@TheGrumpyPlumber

27 күн бұрын

Good luck. I’m sure your plumber will know what to do.

If you smell the rotten egg smell from the cold water only in any faucet then its definetly not coming from the magnesium anode rod in your water heater. If you smell the sulfur gas from the hot water side of the faucet and not the cold then its the anode rod in the water heater. You can then look to replace the anode rod with a Alluminum/zinc rod. Still get the tank protection.

@bambilynn1957

4 ай бұрын

Where can I get an alluminum/zinc rod and are they universal for any hot water tank?

Just built a brand new house with new everything inside, I get a weird smell from my water and have no idea what it is. Smells almost like some sort of gas or chemical. My neighbors all around me do not have this smell in any of their water. Any idea on what can be causing this. I am using a heat pump water heater

@TheGrumpyPlumber

2 ай бұрын

The smell is probably coming from the anode rod in your electric heater. You should replace it with an aluminum rod. Give that a try.

Hi there, my problem is is the rotten egg smell coming from my cold water. I always have to run an empty load in my washer first before I do my laundry. This did not start until after I bought a new washing machine my old washing machine I never had this nasty smell. What could be the difference? I hope you can help. Thank you.

@TheGrumpyPlumber

17 күн бұрын

Your problem is unusual. Do you have a front load wash machine? Sometimes you get standing water in the door rubber that needs to be cleaned. Otherwise, I don’t know why you would have that smell only at the cold water at the wash machine.

@mcanally5940

16 күн бұрын

@@TheGrumpyPlumber it’s not just the cold water. I just mostly do cold water washes. No I do not have a front loader. I had another washing machine and I didn’t get this odor. But it is definitely coming from the water.

What if smell is in cold water. I don't see how messing with the water heater is going to affect cold water?

@TheGrumpyPlumber

Ай бұрын

If the smell is in the cold water, it is coming from either your well or your water source. You can buy a Holehouse water system with a breather valve but it’s not a guarantee to work.

What do you do if a 20 gallon water heater doesn’t have a rod?

@TheGrumpyPlumber

Ай бұрын

If you have a 20 gallon gas water heater, they quit making those about 20 years ago. If you do, replace with a 30 gallon gas water heater. I’m almost positive your heater has an anode rod if it’s an electric heater. There is a plastic cover and insulated foam that you have to dig out to get to the rod on most heaters. There is also a rod connected to the hot water supply nipple. If you can’t find it, you can buy one on Amazon and install it. Hope this helps.

Im in the uk and have a combi boiler. My hot tap bath water is smelling like this. Can you advise please?

@TheGrumpyPlumber

Ай бұрын

I’ve never encountered this problem. Is it electric? We tend to get that smell here in the U.S. with electric heaters and the anode rod usually causes that. Combination boiler and water heaters here in the U.S. are becoming more prevalent in states with warmer climates. These are gas however, not electric. Sorry, but I’m unable to help with your problem. You evidently are more advanced in your heating systems in the UK than we are here.

@DeniseC84

Ай бұрын

@@TheGrumpyPlumber hello, it's a gas combi boiler. The plumber is coming back today to remove the wall space behind back of toilet to see if anything can be going on there. Thankyou for replying, I appreciate it.

So do I just take the rod out? What cap goes over the hole?

@TheGrumpyPlumber

4 ай бұрын

Use a 3/4” galvanized pipe plug.

@jbb8090

3 ай бұрын

@@TheGrumpyPlumber Thanks 😊

I have a tankless water heater

What if the smell is only in master bath sink, nowhere else in the house, as the water runs it goes away, then 20 min later run water and PU, even when it starts to smell good if u change hot to cold it stinks again for a minute what is it??!!

@TheGrumpyPlumber

4 ай бұрын

Do you know how to remove the pop up in the drain? Once the pop up is removed, take a flashlight and look in the drain on the sides and make sure that the openings are not blocked. Then put the stopper back in, close the stopper so you can fill the sink. Run the water until it runs constantly into the overflow. Add some Clorox to the water. That should clean that overflow canal out. A flexible brush into the overflow might clean it too. Give this a try.

@lynnf3337

4 ай бұрын

Hey Grumpster, This is exactly our problem, too. Master bath only. We will try your suggestion. Hoping it works, as we will be putting our house on the market soon. Thank you!

And if you don’t like that advice you can always ask the mail lady what to do about it😁

Water at my home smells like an over chlorinated swimming pool, how can I solve this?

@TheGrumpyPlumber

8 ай бұрын

You can use a carbon filter, like the brand name Big Blue or a backwash carbon filter. Install it on the main water line as it comes into your house.

@invisableobserver

8 ай бұрын

Thanks, will it affect the water pressure?@@TheGrumpyPlumber

@TheGrumpyPlumber

8 ай бұрын

The water pressure might have a slight drop, but not noticeable.

@invisableobserver

8 ай бұрын

will the big blue remove fluoride as well as chlorine?@@TheGrumpyPlumber

We have city water with the egg smell.. HELP!!

@TheGrumpyPlumber

2 ай бұрын

Turn the hot water supply off to the heater then run the water for a bit and see if the egg smell is still there. If there is no smell, then it’s the water heater causing the odor. I recommend you drain the heater, remove the anode rod or replace with an aluminum rod. If the smell is coming from the cold water, ask your neighbors if they are experiencing the smell. If so, complain to the city water department.

Have a tankless water heater. No anode. So now what?

@TheGrumpyPlumber

3 ай бұрын

If you are getting a rotten egg smell and have a tankless heater, the smell is coming from your water source, either a well or municipal water system. You might have to look into a filter system that takes out that smell.

@jefsel881

3 ай бұрын

@@TheGrumpyPlumber yes, I have an iron filter and softener. The smell is minor on the scale and the iron filter doesn’t take the smell out. Will need an aerator type filter system.

@TheGrumpyPlumber

3 ай бұрын

That’s not a guarantee but hopefully it works.

Moral of the story: Eggs stink no matter how you look at them. Have oatmeal instead, your grand parents did!