Why Your Water Smells like Rotten Eggs

Many people try as much as they can to keep their house in the right state. They do some house chores and invest in products that help them achieve this.

However, this can be very difficult or impossible if the problem is with your water. The reason is that cleaning water that smells like rotten eggs is not an easy task.

It has to be done the right way to achieve the desired result. And just so you know, this situation can be quite annoying and disgracing. For instance, it makes your home and even your clothes stink. You can also gag when you bathe with it.

For some, the embarrassment is more when they have guests. The smell is horrible even if you use an air freshener. So, the question is why water smells like eggs in the first place.

You should keep reading if you want answers to this question and more. This is because we will discuss the reasons here and a bit about how to resolve this problem.

The Major Reason behind the Problem

First, the smell is not because a rotten egg found its way into your water. Rather, it has to do with hydrogen sulfide. The excessive amount of hydrogen sulfide in a gaseous state or sulfur bacteria is the cause.

But the truth is that it does not even have to be too much. We have discovered that hydrogen sulfide in very small amounts can bring about this annoying smell.

The irony is that drinking it does not pose any health threat for the most part. However, you cannot take chances so you need to be very sure. This is why you have to run checks.

The reason is that there have been instances when this smell is proof of an underlying major problem. This can be the presence of a contaminant. Some of them include high concentrations of lead, mercury, iron, or chlorine.

Water from a well is usually more susceptible to this problem. But you should not rule out tap water.

Some of the Known Causes of Water Smelling Like Rotten Eggs

We did explain the major cause of this problem in the section above. Furthermore, some of the other causes are listed and explained below:

Addition of Certain Chemicals

Water from the well is more susceptible to this problem than any other source. However, even the one from the authorities can have it.

This happens when some chemicals are used for treatment. Some of the chemicals in question include calcium hydroxide, fluorosilicic acid, aluminum sulfate, liquefied chlorine, and sodium silicofluoride.

You should know that sodium silicofluoride especially triggers this smell. So, you should not assume that it is only supply from a well that can be affected. It could happen with water from the authorities as well.

Iron Bacteria

This situation needs the absence or insufficiency of oxygen to thrive. You should also know that oxidation is instrumental in properly resolving this problem.

Having established this, you should know that this situation can also happen in groundwater areas where sulfur from dead plants mix up with the water. The absence or insufficient amount of oxygen underground (especially in wells) causes chemical reactions that eventually lead to the smell.

Signs Indicating You Have This Problem

Detecting some water problems can be very difficult. This is because they require that some tests be carried out before they are detected. However, it is not the same as this one.

The smell is the first thing that sells it out. Other than this, here are some ways to know if you have this problem:

Black Stains

This stain is often seen on plumbing installations. However, this is not the only place it can be seen. You should also check your silverware. This black stain could also be noticed on them. You have problems caused by hydrogen sulfide gas if this is the case.

Bacteria Slime

This is usually the case if the problem is caused by iron bacteria as explained above. The thick, wet substance could have a grey, white, reddish-brown, or black color. This indicates the presence of sulfur bacteria.

Corrosion

Corrosion on metal components and pipes in your water distribution channel is another way to know if you have problems with hydrogen sulfide gas. So, you should look out for these signs even if you notice the smell. This is because it could also tell the extent of the problem.

Laboratory Test

We strongly advise that you engage the services of an expert to ascertain the problem and the extent. The report from the lab will be more detailed about the situation. It would also help discover if there is an underlying problem you should be worried about.

How to Resolve Water Smelling Like Rotten Egg

Frankly, there are several ways people go about handling this problem. Some of them are not good enough and even complicate things. Let us talk some more about this below:

The Use of Chlorine

Chlorine is used a lot for water treatment. Unfortunately, it is sometimes used inappropriately. This is one of those instances.

The reason is that chlorine will not offer the needed oxidation to let off the chemical composition causing the smell. Rather, it would only disinfect and that is not the problem to be resolved. So, we strongly advise that you strike out its use.

Ozone

This is another method and a more recent way people try to handle the problem. Just as with chlorine, it does not offer the best experience. This is why we advise the next option.

Specially Designed Water Filters

Some filtration systems help deal with this problem. We strongly suggest that you go for them. However, it is better if the option you go for offers filtration in many stages.

This is so that resolving the problem will be as thorough as possible. For more on this subject, you can check here.

On a Final Note

Water smelling like rotten eggs is not pleasant. It affects almost every part of the home. This is why you should understand the causes and how to best handle the problem. We have discussed it in this article and advise that you do the needful if you have this problem.