Why Does My Bathroom Smell Like Rotten Eggs? (Solution)

Is your bathroom smelling like rotten eggs? Are you concerned it is because of your diet or egg consumption for breakfast?

It is not. Do not let anyone tell you to cut down on your eggs. The toilet smell has nothing to do with you, well, unless you have got diarrhea.

So, if it is not something that you ate, then why is the smell always there?

Let me be honest with you, it is the sewage smell that is leaving you embarrassed in front of guests and family.

However, don’t sit back and relax that it is not you. The sewage smell is the smell of sulfur gas, and it could indicate something serious as these gases are toxic to humans.

Thus, if you are experiencing this problem, I am here to tell you everything about it and how to get rid of it. Read ahead!

Detecting The Source Of The Smell

This step is straightforward to do, all we have to do is identify whether the smell is coming from the bathroom water or drain.

The awful smell is produced by the bacteria present in the contaminated water. To find the source, take a glass of water from the tap and smell it outside the bathroom environment to check if there is any smell.

If this sample is clear, take another sample from the hot side of the tap to ensure there is no problem with the water heater.

If all samples are clear and odorless, that’s when you know the smell’s source is from the drain.

One Bathroom Or All Bathrooms

If the source is tap water, the next thing you would want to check is if there is a similar problem in any other bathroom.

So, run the diagnostic test in all bathrooms to see if the problem is in the main water supply or a plumbing issue in one bathroom.

If the tap water is clear and the faint smell is present and limited to a single bathroom, it is most likely a plumbing fault or bacteria may be growing in those particular pipes.

Most Likely Reasons For The Smell

The most common reasons for your bathroom to smell like rotten eggs/hydrogen sulfide could be because:

Your bathroom hasn’t been used for several days. If this is the case, the problem is called a dry trap. Due to non-usage, water in pipes gets dried, and the gases flow upwards from the water bowl into the room. Thus, creating the smell similar to rotten eggs.
Toilet drains can be clogged being the reason behind the smell.
Another serious issue could be a broken pipe, but, in this case, your entire house is likely to smell bad.

The Solution To The Rotten Egg Smell Problem

Now that we know about the source of the smell and the common reasons that cause it let’s discuss the right solution to the problem.

With my thorough research, I will give you a solution for every source of the sulfur gas:

Contaminated Water: Cold Or Hot

If your main source of the rotten egg smell is the water supply. You should consider checking your water heater for any contamination.

If the heater is contaminated, it is probably because the magnesium is reacting to the bacteria and causing the smell.

To solve this issue, you can replace the anode rod with an aluminum one, or you can simply remove the rod at all.

You might also want to consider disinfecting your water tank with household bleach. Please make a note of the right ratio of 1:1000 gallons (bleach: water).

If you have a water softener installed at your place, check for any blockages, and clean its filter. Remove any pipes that are no longer in use.

Such pipes are also the cause behind hydrogen sulfide gas because water is no longer flowing through them.

Contaminated Sink Drain

If your sink drain is contaminated, you will have to disinfect it to kill any bacteria that smell. The positive in this situation is that your main water supply is not contaminated.

It is only the sink drain causing the rotten egg smell problem in one bathroom. You can disinfect your sink drain by pouring down half a cup bleach in the P-trap and the waste pipe.

If you think bleach is a very hard disinfectant for your sink and pipes, you can use a mixture of baking soda and vinegar to unclog all the pipes.

Another way is to open up the P-trap and clean it thoroughly for any blockages.

Calling A Plumber

Suppose the solutions explained above do not work. In that case, I recommend calling in a plumber to rectify any serious problem with the drains or the pipes causing the faint smell.

Methane sewer gas can disbalance oxygen and can be hazardous for you.

If there is anything further regarding this matter, feel free to contact me or leave any comments below. Stay safe and healthy!

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