Rotten Egg Smell When First Using Drain

[timma100]

When first turning in the water in the master bathroom, a distinct rotten egg smell comes up from the drains. This happens at each sink and the shower. The house is on a septic system, and I noticed there is a 4” pipe in the front yard that’s capped. I think this is to the deep well/leach field so I was curious of putting a vent filter on it and letting it breath would help the drain oder in the home. Any advice?

Thanks!

 

[user 4883]

Not necessary. All drains are "trapped" so sewer gas doesn't back up into the home.
Most likely you are on a well and using the hot water, this will give off a sulfur like odor.

 

[timma100]

Not necessary. All drains are "trapped" so sewer gas doesn't back up into the home.
Most likely you are on a well and using the hot water, this will give off a sulfur like odor.

We’re on the city water supply, I know it’s a strange combination, but almost all of the homes in California city have a standard municipal water supply but have septic tanks. This happens with cold and hot water, I should have added that to the original post

 

[Eddie_T]

Check to see if the traps have water by shining a flashlight into drain before running any water.

 

[timma100]

Check to see if the traps have water by shining a flashlight into drain before running any water.

It does seem like the p traps are drying out. If the bathroom as been used recently there is no oder. Any way to prevent this aside from having a tap dripping?

 

[Eddie_T]

I have one drain that I am concerned about so after use I just gently run a little more water into it.

 

[BuzzLOL]

When first turning in the water in the master bathroom, a distinct rotten egg smell comes up from the drains. the deep well/leach field

Might try carefully dumping a kettle of boiling water down the drains occasionally to kill off anything living down in the traps...
A fresh drinking water well shouldn't be anywhere near a leach field... or maybe it's just a sewer cleanout port... do you have sewer pressure relieving 'soil pipes' sticking up through and out of your roof?

 

[bud16415]

There is a chance the roof vent on that section of the plumbing is not working correctly and what is happening is the waste water going down the pipe is sucking the trap mostly dry. When you first turn the water on it pushes the remaining water out and only partly fills the pipe allowing a puff of sewer gas up. then the trap starts working or the flow of water is enough to keep the gas down.

If you can inspect the vent pipe that is where I would start.

Most of the time you have to assume it was built correctly and something had went wrong over time. Not to say it wasn't bad all along, just that not normally the case IMO.

 

[MrMiz]

electric hot water heater? get a special anode. I kid you not.

 

[billshack]

are you on well water? if so you could have sulfur well water.

Hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) can give water a “rotten egg” taste or odor. This gas can occur in wells anywhere and be: Naturally occurring - a result of decay and chemical reactions with soil and rocks. Produced by certain “sulfur bacteria” in the groundwater, well, or plumbing system.

 

[Eddie_T]

He said city water!

 

[bud16415]

The smell per the OP is only in the one area. So I ruled out things like the water source or the water heater as they would cause the problem at all locations.

 

[abunaitoo]

I also have the samething happen sometimes.
It seems only from one sink.
The kitchen sink.
It's the closest sink to the main pipe.
Drains is slow sometimes, so I use some Enzyme drain cleaner for a few days.
Seems to work.
We're on city water and sewer.