Single stinky faucet

[shansen81]

I bought a home last year that has a finished basement with a bathroom that has a toilet and sink.

Over the last couple of months we've noticed a rotten egg smell coming from the sink but we do not smell this from the any other plumbing fixtures in the house (basement toilet, kitchen sink, dishwasher, main bathroom sink, shower, clothes washer, outside hoses, etc.). I know that normally a rotten egg smell will find its way to all of the plumbing fixtures but this hasn't been the case. It only seems to be affecting this one sink with the smell being stronger from the cold water than the hot water.

We had our regular plumber inspect it and he couldn't figure out what was causing the smell. Initially he thought we were smelling soap scum from the drain but the smell still exists even if we just pour the water directly into a pitcher.

Is it possible for a single water line to be producing this rotten egg smell? Or maybe it's the faucet itself?

I'd love to see if anyone has any idea what the issue might be before I start looking to disassemble things, replace the faucet, replace the water supply lines, etc..

Thanks!

Scott

 

[TomFOhio]

It is probably your anode rod in the water heater. That will cause a rotten egg smell in the hot water. If you are getting it in the cold
that is sulfar causing that. Might have to call Culligan Man. Have the anode rod replaced or if the water heater is old and out of
warranty just take it out and put a 3/4" plug in its place and see if that helps.

 

[shansen81]

Thank you Tom.

Would an anode rod in the water heater affect ALL the plumbing in the house instead of just the one faucet? It's just a bit curious as to why the smell is only coming from mostly the cold water in one sink and not anywhere else in the house.

We have a tankless water heater and I think it's only a few years old. It was recently purchased along with the furnace before we bought the house.

Thanks!

Scott

 

[voletl]

Disconnect the supply lines to that faucet and shoot water into two separate buckets one for hot one for cold. See if the smell still exits.

It could be somthing in the faucet or even supply lines causing the smell.

 

[Diehard]

So you did say that you were not getting the smell from the toilet, which is located in that same room, correct? That's where it would be the strongest if it was coming from the common cold water line feeding that toilet room.

Are you sure it was a rotten egg smell(Hydrogen Sulfide smell)?
If a plumber thought you may be smelling soap scum from the drain, would make me wonder if he/she thought it smelled like rotten eggs.

I like voletl's idea to take separate samples from the supply lines under the sink.

 

[TomFOhio]

I thought maybe you had a regular water heater. Did you check the overflow hole on the sink. They can give off a
stinky smell if its not draining. Run a wire down in it if you haven't already and then fill the sink with hot water and
get it to drain if possible.