Ways That Your Plumbing System Can Make Your Water Smell Bad in Stratford & Milford

Portrait of a pretty girl holding two glasses with clean water iIf your water stinks, it can be unpleasant to drink from the tap, wash dishes, and bathe. If you’re suffering with smelly water at your home, it’s time to figure out the issue so that you can make a change! Before you go running to your water provider to complain, you’ll want to be sure that your water odor problem isn’t coming from your plumbing system.

First, you’ll want do determine if your water heater  is responsible for the odor. Take a whiff of a glass of hot water and a glass of cold water. If the stench only comes from the hot water, then you probably have bacteria in your water heater tank. The warm water can be a perfect breeding ground for bacteria, and while it’s most likely not harmful, you’ll want to get rid of the bacteria to get rid of the nasty odor. Try one of these solutions: Set your water heater to 160°F temporarily to kill the bacteria (just remember to turn it back down, because this is an unsafe temperature). Disinfect your water heater and thoroughly flush it out. You can also call your local plumber to replace your water heater’s magnesium rod if it has one.

The bad odor could also be coming from your home’s water softener. Check to see if your water smells only when it comes from plumbing fixtures  that are linked to your water softener. If so, you’ll need to flush, clean, and sanitize the water softener.

If you determine that the problem is not with either your water heater or water softener, you’ll also want to make sure the stench isn’t coming from your drains. Pour glasses of hot and cold water and take them away from the sink to see if it is actually the water that stinks. Sometimes drains develop buildup on their interior walls and people think an odor is coming from their water when really it is exuding from their drains. A good flushing and sanitizing will solve this problem.

Now, if you’ve determined that the odor is not coming from your water heater, water softener, or drains, it’s time to contact your water supply company or have your well water tested.

We hope this information helps you find out the cause of your water odor. For answers to your questions and friendly, reliable plumbing service, give Rick’s Plumbing a call!

203-457-3201