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Author:
Awix (MS)
HiAll, I purchased a brand new home and the upstairs bathroom has a bad smell. It smells like a mix of sewer gas and chemicals. A plumber said it was not sewer gas and to try sealing the grout.
Another note, the smell was mild to me but since cleaning down the shower walls with a lysol/water mixture, the smell has been stronger.
Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.
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Author:
AuntyLeak (VA)
hey- welcome to your new home!
you might need to replace the zinc anode rod or bar in your hot water heater.. i don't actually know much about doing that as i am only really here one post in front of you to figure out my own plbg problem.. but- if it smelled stronger after you cleaned, could it be because you ran some hot water?
i have read before about how when the anode goes, your water can smell like rotten eggs. do a seach for zinc anode hot water heater and sulphur or rotten eggs.
edit: of course you could also have a problem with your vent stack.. a home inspector should have found these things if you used one.. so many other potential sources i've experienced.. mouse crawled into the back of an outlet and met his sizzly end.. frogs died in the walls-- hard to tell. but if it smells worse after you run hot water, try the anode, first.
: ) ah the joys of home ownership : )
Edited 2 times.
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Author:
Awix (MS)
I was using hot water when cleaning. I had the tap turned all the way on hot. So, I will check to see if I can smell a difference between the cold water and hot water, which will let me know if I need a new anode. We did have a home inspector. He was VERY thorough. He smelled the odor, as well, but could not tell where it was coming from. I appreciate the responses. I will you posted.
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Author:
AuntyLeak (VA)
..and you read the bit about zinc v. magnesium, i'm guessing. i learned about the anodes a while back but then had that reaffirmed a couple of years ago while watching Mike Rowe clean out a a hurricane barrier and replace anodes with the Army Corps of Engineers Season 2 Episode 35 of Dirty Jobs.
reading older out of print home fix-it manuals, from the 50s-70s is also helpful, as they tell you things people were encouraged to learn before we were supposed to become so dependent on service calls. [god bless plumbers, electricians and hvac pros, btw]
everything else I've understood about zinc had to do with not welding galvanized metal due to its toxicity, so who knew it was safe in potable water, huh?
you never know with anything 'new'- we bought a new washer and dryer after moving in a few years back and only found out that the washer had been a floor model and was over 2 years old when we had a problem and called in the serial number for a wty. claim.
hope you find the source of the smell and vanquish it from your new digs. good luck!
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Author:
KCRoto (MO)
Until it had actually been smoke tested or tested with peppermint oil, I wouldn't rule out sewer gas. I have seen vent lines punctured with screws because someone didn't use a strike plate to protect it. With the quality of newly manufactured homes, I honestly wouldn't be surprised.
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Author:
hj (AZ)
I assume it has both a shower and a tub, and you only use the shower. If so, the tub trap has dried out and you have to periodically run some water in the tub to keep the trap sealed.
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Author:
sharp1 (IL)
If it were the water heater anode, you should have the same smell in every bathroom, the laundry, and the kitchen.
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