Eggy smell

havingaball74

Hi,
For ages now we have been getting eggy wafts in the kitchen when we:
1. Use the upstairs bathroom sink.
2. Drain the washing machine.
It doesn't appear to be coming from anywhere else.
We have had the drains looked at (no blockage- £100 down the drain), used bleach, used caustic soda, tried the washing machine on different washes etc etc...But, nothing has helped.
The smell is not upstairs, only the kitchen/outside drain. The smell goes after a minute or two, but it is awful.
I would really appreciate any help as we plan to rent the house out.:beer:

LadyDee

havingaball74 wrote: »

Hi,
For ages now we have been getting eggy wafts in the kitchen when we:
1. Use the upstairs bathroom sink.
2. Drain the washing machine.
It doesn't appear to be coming from anywhere else.
We have had the drains looked at (no blockage- £100 down the drain), used bleach, used caustic soda, tried the washing machine on different washes etc etc...But, nothing has helped.
The smell is not upstairs, only the kitchen/outside drain. The smell goes after a minute or two, but it is awful.
I would really appreciate any help as we plan to rent the house out.:beer:

Have you actually tried a washing machine cleaner? I think it's basically just soda crystals but I use a good handful of soda crystals in my washing machine each wash and it's very good at eliminating any smells (similarly with my dishwasher).

havingaball74

I haven't, but I shall try. Thanks.

greenface

Sometimes an electrical fault can produce a eggy smell . overheating of lights or wires . bulbs to close to etc .

havingaball74

Could an electrical fault be causing the issue from the sink upstairs?

DRP

we have similar, occasional smells in our 1st floor bathroom at various times - sorry i don't have an explanation, but we have put it down to the previous owner-but-1 being a right old bodger (based on all the other issues we've had!).

For us, the problem doesn't happen often enough for us to pay to investigate it exhaustively...

dktreesea

We had a problem with a sulphur like smell in the kitchen a few years back that turned out to be our hot water boiler. I can't remember the exact site but this one might offer a few clues;
http://inspectapedia.com/odor_diagnosis/Sulphur_Odor_Sources.php

pendragon_arther

Could it be OH?

richy999

It is most likely sewer gas coming from your outside drain.

When water is discharged, sewer gas is displaced and rises out of the drain.

If your dishwasher/washing machine outlet does not have a trap, it will allow the sewer gas into your house. Also, check that the pipes from your sink etc are sealed where they go through the wall... if there are any gaps, they will also allow the smell in.

edgex

LadyDee wrote: »

Have you actually tried a washing machine cleaner? I think it's basically just soda crystals but I use a good handful of soda crystals in my washing machine each wash and it's very good at eliminating any smells (similarly with my dishwasher).

Cup of white vinegar in the machine, put it on it's hottest & longest wash cycle, & run it empty.

red_imps_2003

edgex wrote: »

Cup of white vinegar in the machine, put it on it's hottest & longest wash cycle, & run it empty.

I've heard similar a few times, but have never been brave enough to try. Can you possibly clarify the procedure please? Does the vinegar go literally in the drum, or does it go into the drawer where you normally put the soap powder? Or does it go in the compartment the softener liquid goes? If it does go in the drum, you literally pour it out of the cup into the drum (as opposed to leaving a receptacle of vinegar in the drum during the cycle to be deposited more evenly)? Finally, does it have to be the odourless type of white vinegar or can you use the stinky stuff?