Dishwasher/Water Smells

stupc63

Hey Beki sympathise with you its 'nasty' isnt it? Have you complained to your water company? We have and they have taken water samples away to be tested. We have whittled it down to it being in the water but in our area only about 15 houses affected out of 100 or so.....very strange. I really need to get this sorted as my wife wants to move house as it is driving her 'nuts' also. Suggest you do what we did and do a leaflet drop around your area to see how many are affected too, then you can all put in complaints to the water company they will soon sit up and take notice.

Beki

that's a really good idea! thanks stupc63

stupc63

Just been to the local 'Harvester' restaurant and couldn't believe it but the bowls that you eat your salad from had the smell also . My wife has in her job as a rep been to a Tesco in cheshunt which is some 3/4 of an hour away and she can smell it in their plates/ cups also. Which just goes to prove that it must be something that they are putting in the water for whatever reason!!! Beki stay in touch and we can keep each other informed of any progress etc. Stu.

spikeysoul

I know it'snot a solution (and we've never had this prob - I always use cheap vinegar as a rinse aid) But bicarb is supposed to absorb smells - maybe a couple of tablespoons in with the tab may help make it a bit more bearable?

stupc63

Already ruled out the dishwasher as we do not use it anymore so the dishwasher is not the problem it is in the water. for quite a number of days we did not use and turned off the water supply to the washing machine, dishwasher and outside tap yet we still got the smells!:eek: It is ongoing and we have smelt it in other places i.e. the local Harvester...

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Wonder if the nearest water tower has some sort of problem?

fogster74

We'd been getting this problem for ages, and couldn't work it out. No smell in the dishwasher, but after a few days - boy do the 'cleaned' dishes stink. Glasses were the worst - a glass of water left for only 20 mins or so would stink. The smell has variously been described - some say 'fishy'; the best descriptions I've heard are 'pond water' or 'the air from inside a tyre inner tube'. This is a different problem, I feel, to those who report an 'eggy' or 'rotten' smell - this is possibly due to incorrectly routed waste pipes, dirty filters etc. The smell we get is not of 'rotting' or 'decomposing' and is not in the dishwasher - it only appears on the items washed, and you often don't notice it until you use them.

I filled the dishwasher up with salt recently - and the smell went away. Smell came back some time later... checked the salt.. it was nearly empty. I've bought new salt today, filled the salt dispenser - and no smell!!! RESULT!!!!

It seems to be something to do with the heat action of the drying cycle on the dishes. No idea whether it's the water, tablets or rinse aid we can smell post-wash, but whatever it is, the addition of dishwasher salt has cured it.

simoncw

I have had this issue for some time, hot washes, cleaners all sorted it for a few washes or so then the smell returned.
I have since fixed this and can now do washes on the lower temps and no smells.
I have created a U bend in the pipe used for the waste that connects to the sink waste. This seems to block any bed smells returning down the pipe. the "diagram" shows what I have done with the pipe. Any smells are trapped by the red area of the pipe.

@@@@ --> Waste
@
@
@ @ @
@ @ @
@ @ @
@ @ @
Dishwasher @@@ @@

Let me know how you get on. I reckon this will work for everyone.

simoncw

Sorry formatting has changed the "great" picture..... Anyway create a U-bend in the pipe making the "U" 4-5 inches in depth, that should do it.

vikpix

I had a similar problem with dishes having strange smell. My dishwasher is a slimline one. I noticed when I opened dishwasher immediately after the end of the cycle there was still foam at the bottom. This foam was only noticeable if I opened the dishwasher immediately after the cycle. Even if I only used half a tablet, it took several cycles with no dishwasher tablet to get rid of the foam. I now use the powder detergent and only put in about a teaspoon of it. I have the rinse aid set at the minimum. The smell is gone and the dishes are still perfectly clean. I live in a soft water area. Hope this helps.