Basement Bathroom Smells Like Rotten Eggs
Anyhow sewer gas is hydrogen sulfide which comes from decaying organic matter from the sewage.
Basement bathroom smells like rotten eggs. The hydrogen sulfide results from of the breakdown and decomposition of organic matter the raw sewage. The gas is produced when bacteria grow in the drain sewage or the ground. In some cases the rotten egg smell comes from water that has been contaminated. Both sewer gas and natural gas have an odor that is described to be like a rotten egg smell and can cause some serious health effects if exposed even at low levels over a long period.
That is why the utility companies inject a substance called mercaptan. If you have a smelly bathroom it is likely being caused by some drainage problem. Natural gas and propane are odorless but gas companies inject them with a chemical called mercaptan that gives them a sulfur smell like rotten eggs to alert residents to a gas leak. It could be a serious sewer gas leak in your home.
If that s the case you ll have to remove the toilet and replace the wax ring. So don t ignore it. I know you must wonder what the source of the smell is. All of these gases are toxic to humans.
Why does my drain smell like rotten eggs. Drain hasn t been used in a while. With a leak in this seal sewer gas will find its way out from under the toilet. This gas is entering your plumbing system somehow and that s why your basement stinks of rotten eggs.
Often the issue is only severe on the hot water side of a system because the bacteria loves 125f 140f warm water in the hot water heater thriving there and making a very odoriferous problem. The issue is that iron fixing bacteria takes up residence in the well slowly corroding steel parts and generating hydrogen sulfide which smells like rotten eggs. You may also need to unblock your drainage vents. The rotten egg smell comes from a gas by the name hydrogen sulfide.
Cleaning and disinfecting the drain can stop the sulfur smell. If your basement reeks of rotten eggs smell then you are experiencing a sewer gas leakage somewhere. This wax ring can occasionally leak sometimes because of a rocking toilet that has broken the seal. Ammonia and carbon dioxide are also in the mix.
Here are a few of the reasons that this happens and what you can do to get rid of it. This is a common problem in some areas with high sulfur well water. This smell is easily noticeable since it stinks badly. Sewer gas is primarily methane which is odorless but one of the other gases in the mix is hydrogen sulfide which smells like rotten eggs.
Why does your basement drain smells like rotten eggs. Bacterial activity in a dirty sink drain produces the stinky hydrogen sulfide gas. That nasty smell coming from your drain could be more than just a bad smell. Natural gas by itself does not emit any odor.