The rotten egg smell from your dishwasher is caused by hydrogen sulfide.
Anyone who has cracked open a raw egg only to discover it has gone bad will attest to the putrid, rotten smell. The source of a rotten egg smell is the chemical hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide can be present in household water, particularly well water. Though not known to be harmful or toxic, when water contains sufficient amounts of hydrogen sulfide, the chemical will give off an offensive rotten egg odor.
Hydrogen Sulfide
Hydrogen sulfide is formed when bacteria breaks down organic matter and there is an absence of available oxygen to dissipate the resulting gas. Hydrogen sulfide also will become a component of water, emitting a sulphur or rotten egg odor and can potentially damage metal water pipes, especially copper piping. The rotten egg odor is particularly noticeable when water is heated, which releases the hydrogen sulfide chemical from the water.
Well Water
Because the source of well water is groundwater that seeps and leaches into the drilled well, hydrogen sulfide is often present. Higher levels of hydrogen sulfide will occur when the ground water must move through soil and rocks that contain sulphur bacteria which then dissolves in the water. The presence of hydrogen sulfide in your well water will be noticeable by the rotten egg odor when either the cold or hot water faucets are opened because of the hydrogen sulfide gas that has built up in the water pipes. Hydrogen sulfide odors are stronger with hot water because the gas is vaporized from the water.
Water Heaters
You may not have a water well but still have a rotten egg odor when you run your dishwasher. The probable cause of the odor is still hydrogen sulfide, but it has developed in your hot water heater. Many hot water manufacturers place a magnesium rod in the bottom of the heater to prevent corrosion. Sulphur that has dissolved in your water will react with the magnesium to form hydrogen sulfide. Like well water containing hydrogen sulfide, when the water heats, the hydrogen sulfide vaporizes and emits the rotten egg smell.
Remedies
Discovering the source of the rotten egg smell will help you determine the most effective method to eliminate or decrease the presence of hydrogen sulfide in your water. Begin by having your water tested by a qualified laboratory. The local university cooperative extension office can assist you in finding one. For water heaters, test a sample of hot water and one from the cold water tap to determine if the heater has a build up of hydrogen sulfide. If so, changing the magnesium rod to an aluminum rod should eliminate the rotten egg odor. Wells with hydrogen sulfide contaminated water can either have a water purification system installed or you should periodically flush the well with a strong chlorine solution.
Related posts
For safety, wash all of the dishes left in the dishwasher by hand.A dishwasher with an egg or sulfur-like smell may be due to one of a few potential conditions. Dishwashers are useful appliances,...
For safety, remove and hand wash all of the dishes in the dishwasher if the dishwasher has a sewer gas smell..A Samsung dishwasher that emanates a sewer gas smell may be the result of a number of...
Items may become trapped underneath the dish shelves and start to melt.A burned plastic smell inside a dishwasher could be a manifestation of a far more serious issue. Before trying to wash the di...
Dishes that smell fishy may not be as clean as you think.A fishy odor on your dishes indicates that they may not be as clean as you think because odors are often caused by bacteria. While this may...
If your glasses smell like fish, your dishwasher needs a thorough cleaning.If your glasses smell fishy, it's possible all of your dishes have the same smell. It can be more apparent on glassware b...
