Gassy smell in laundry (washer), also Ice Maker in Freezer PLease Help !!!!

Do your neighbours have the same problem?

Do you use some medicine containing sulphur or iron?

You don't by chance know the source of the water?

sorry i am a bit pressed for time right now.

Sounds like H₂S

But what would cause hydrogen sulphide production in a house is a mystery to me...

I would take precautions though i.e. ventilation, as H₂S is a nasty gas, in that before it reaches fatal levels the smell disappears as it effects the nose, so making you think it has gone when in fact its time to run for it!!

Sorry, I don't mean to alarm you, especially as its in a house and I can't think of anything that would produce noxious amounts of it...

John.

This is reminiscent of the Salty Ice Cubes mystery. I don't think a cause was ever found - it just went away.

I don't know what the situation is over there, but in the UK (I believe) we could call in someone from Environmental Health (at no charge) to have a sniff and make an assessment of what's causing the pong. Do you have anything equivalent?

If the drain for your washer does not have a trap in the waste line you may be getting sewer gas coming up through the line. If there is a trap, it sometimes happens when you do not use the washer for a long time and the water evaporates.

Why it is occuring in the ice maker and washer is a quandary. Maybe you can go to the local board of health with a water sample and explain your situation. With your son being diagnosed with autism, you might be able to get the testing and inspection done for free. If it is a local problem, they would know of the situation and be able to alleviate your fears or tell you what your options might be.

Some autistic people appear to be very sensitive to 'smell', and I also know of instances where 'taste' can become a fixation. I put the words in quotes to emphasise that it's just an extreme of the usual understanding. I don't know about Ice-Cream makers, but washing machines can often get a bit 'whiffy'. Clean the waste trap ( it should be obvious & accessible - maybe a circular plug at the front. Watch out for water spills when you twist it open). The rubber gasket around the door can get smelly - gently open the creases and you'll maybe see all sorts of horrors. A bit of Bicarbonate of Soda (cheap) in warm water can be used to wipe it clean. Run the machine with nothing in it once a month (maximum temperature, no washing powder), and check that you aren't using too much soap powder - most people use too much, and it can build up where you can't see it. I'm not sure about your ice-cream maker - many plastics can take on a smell. The bicarb of soda clean may help, as may a week solution with lemon juice ( rinse it good afterwards, else it might corrode stuff etc). Do you have neighbours who you can ask about 'odd' smelling water ? Occasionally strange smelling water happens due to the water treatment process, but it shouldn't be a matter of routine. Does a glass 'straight from the tap' look and taste OK ?

Water straight from the tap was never mentioned, but as with you, i believe this would tell us a lot. If she has a top loader washer she shouldn't have the rubber gasket you speak of, but bicarb of soda can work wonders in those as well. One other thing she could try is to fill a closable container of water overnight and see if an odor is present in the morning.

In the UK, water supply to the kitchen is almost always direct from the mains supply (to avoid drinking water being supplied via possibly stagnating tanks). I see your point, but no mention was made of smell from other areas of the house. Another interesting point is that top-loading washers are uncommon in the UK - I can't recall when I last saw one that was of the that type. Thanks for pointing this out, the source of the water (within the dwelling) may be an important point, and I'd made assumptions based upon my knowledge of UK buildings. Doing as you say, and checking which water outlets are suspect may give some clues. With a little more detail from the original poster we can hopefully offer some solutions. Your point about storing water is interesting - I've read reports that this works, and can reduce the 'chlorinated' smell that some water has. I don't know of the validity of that, but filter-jugs that are stored in the fridge are big business (not much use for a washing machine, but it's slightly topical !). It would make for an interesting thread discussion in it's own right.

I assume the house has natural gas for heating and for the water heater? If so the first thing you should do is call the gas company and have them come out to make sure you do not have a gas leak somewhere. Is your dryer natural gas? That might explain the smell in the laundry. Gas is heavier than air and it may be that the fans on the fridge are stirring it up and making the smell stronger when you open the door.

If it is not natural gas, then I would have your water supply checked. Your water has likely been contaminated. You say you have public water, if the problem is in the water then you need to call the water department. Does the water taste funny when you drink it? Do your neighbors have similiar complaints?

Some very good ideas so far... I wonder where the OP has gone??

John.

Busy doing laundry?

I would call your local department of public works if this is a condition that you have not experienced before. Maybe that they can explain it. Its up to them to make sure the water they supply to you is safe. Would all so draw a few samples for them and yourself. Have yours tested. Question your neighbors they should be experiencing the same problem if its in the water supply.

In moves around the country I have found that odors from water supplies some times very offensive. When questioned I was insured that they were safe.

I would call the city hall, letting them direct me to the right department / person. Here, for example city gas has a very specific rotten egg smell exactly to alert people to a gas leak. As you imagine, that can ruin one's day! The leak in the wall may even come from a different apartment or from a different floor.

Another possibility stems from the use (still) of cast iron sewer pipes. When their joint opens up for whatever reason, the smell is remarkable.

So, a professional with a "calibrated" nose is needed to locate the source. I bet, one can explain things to you in minutes.

I had exactly the same problem but I'm on a well. It is likely sulphur reducing bacteria in the water. You wouldn't smell the sulfur, it's the H2S as another person pointed out. Perhaps there is a problem with a water pipe? What does the water department say? They should be able to deliver better water than this.

The good news is that this stuff really isn't harmful to healthy people. The elderly and infants can be affected though.

The bad news is that a system to fix the problem costs and maintenance does as well.

If you can get a doctor to write a script saying that your daughter shouldn't be exposed to this stuff there might be government aid available but I'm not sure on that score. I am willing to bet that they say there will be no harm done.

There are testing labs that could sample the water and tell you exactly what's up but that will cost at least $100, in my experience.

Sorry I can't help more.

There is one unusual problem our Water Dept. gets 3-4 times a year. If you have recently installed new carpet with a stain-resistant or fire-retardant treatment, the chemical in the carpet gives off a vapor which reacts with the chlorine dioxide in treated tap water to produce a nasty sulfur smell. It's harmless, and will usually go away in about 2 weeks, after the carpet chemical cures & the vapor dissipates.

Is it a front loading washer? We had a similar problem with our washer. All it took to get rid of it was to put a scoop of baking soda in a coffee can of water and pour it in every time we washed. Then we switched to a detergent designed for front loaders. No more smell. Something to try?

I would check out the water supply first. Some areas in the US - Virginia comes to mind immediately- have sulphur in the water supply.

I recommend you contact the public utility provider (water dept.) for an analysis. These two appliances have one thing in common - water can stand in them for a time. In the case of the ice-maker, this is deliberate, but it should freeze up fast. In the washer, it could be failing to drain completely. Parts of Texas and Okalahoma have water with terrible strong odors, but I don't recall Michigan having a similar problem. If it is from bacteria, there would have to be a LOT of them, and if from the gas supply, I'd expect it to be ubiquitous. Does any other water source or use have the odor?

ok my guess is you closed the door on the laundry room and created a vacume and pulled in gas from the drain it would hang around the house till you open the doors and windows. other option is the company down the way cleaned a tank and back flushed into the drinking water system

call the city and complain and get the board of health out to have a look.

Hello single mother,

several suggestions have been offered each one dealing with the water being supplied one touches on the drainage of your residence.

without more information about the type of house single story two story etc it is difficult to offer suggestions that might offer releif to you.

if you post that info plus the house age and a bit about the sources of water suppleid to it that might help even more.

it is not uncommon that a child having autism+pdd rects very differently to smell of any kind even to the most benign for example milk that is not quite soured or some really really bad ones like the fumes from a basement drainage trap that has not been properly vented. having experienced the stomach churning smells of houses when i worked installing washing machines for a local appliance sales company. on one installation it was hard not to barf all over the place he owner of a washing machine front loaded,had a dish washing machine, ice cube maker, newer kitchen counters and sink tap asembly, and side door utility sink put into the house at different times, by different contractors each tied into a single 3" basement floor drain using only one 1/1/4 vent for a stack.

the best advice is for you to contact your nearest a.d.a. rep, have him or her bring the state health inspectors into the house. your child deserves any help he or she can get, you are doing that the only way you know how, there are people responsible for helping you resolve the issue, MAKE THEM DO THIER JOB.

'da ber

Guest,

I agree with those who have suggested talking with the water supply utility people. The smells you describe do occasionally come from the water because of unusual conditions in the supply lines. They will come and check it, probably go to some nearby fire hydrants and open them for a few minutes to flush the lines out, probably take some samples for laboratory testing. They know the type of treatment process they are using and have a pretty good knowledge of the types of problems which can occur in their distribution lines.

Your problem gets discussed every few months in their trade journals, as case studies or training materials. I give it an 80% chance that the water supply is the problem.

--JMM

I have worked with underground utility systems and have seen this problem before and have usually found that the water either had a valve that was left closed or your service tap is coming off a dead end line and is not able to properly circulate and the water in the main will turn septic and will have a definite odor that could be described as a sulfuric type odor. You need to contact the Water dept of your city and have them at least flush the water mains and verify that they don't have a valve closed that is causing the water to have high levels of bacteria.

1. Do you have well water?

2. If so, have it tested

3. If not, have it tested

4. Depending on your situation, call attorney to discuss:

a. Have the city fix the problem

b. Have the landlord fix the problem

c. Fix the problem with water treatment.

Other solutions:

Install a good quality water treatment for the ice maker and drinking faucet

Treat the laundry water or vent the area with a fan.

Try running your washer through a couple of cycles with cold water only. See if the smell goes away or lessens greatly.

Do you get the smell in your bath or shower?

Do you have outdoor faucets and have you ever noticed the smell there?

If it is focused on the hot water it could be your water heater. Some ice-makers were hooked to hot water lines so they would work faster. Not my preference but Iv'e seen this done may times.

In aged water heaters the sacrificial anode rod can give off the sulphur like smells. Draining and flushing the water heater can help, also if you could get a cup of bleach in the water heater, fill it back up with water and let it sit for about a half an hour and then flush the water heater real good would help for awhile.

If you decide to try this yourself the water heater must be denergized, gas turned off or electricity disconnected, or your water heater will probably be ruined.

This of course is just one possible problem and temporary solution. If the water heater is the problem, the best solution is a new water heater.

It is called sulfur water or sulfur dioxide. I would guess that you live in Florida and have well water. The odor you are experiencing is not harmful; do not worry. But the smell is terrible and the water can taste bitter.

The odor is lost if the water is allowed to aerate before it gets to your faucet. If the odor appeared only recently, it could be that the tank that stores the water after it has been pumped out of the ground has lost its air cushion. Sometimes that air space is enough to aerate the water. Water dissolves the air after a time.

The air space can be restored by introducing compressed air into the tank or by draining the tank and refilling to reestablish the air space.

More complicated methods of removing the odor include an aeration tank designed to spray the water into a large (200 Gallons or so) tank and then re-pressurizing the water in a bladder tank. Even more complicated methods to remove the odor are filtration systems including green sand and activated charcoal.

Your system May have one or more of these remediation schemes that has become defective.

Sorry, I missed the Michigan, public water line.