If you smell rotten eggs in the home, call the gas company to make sure you don ‘t have a gas leak . If there is no gas leak in the home, you may have a problem with your electrical system. If you smell the rotten egg smell near an outlet, that’s probably where it is coming from.
What do I do if I smell eggs?
The smell of rotten eggs is instantly recognizable and can be an indicator of a serious problem in your home. The two most common sources of a rotten egg smell are a natural gas leak , and escaping sewer gas. ... If there’s a very strong smell, you could have a substantial natural gas leak.
What does it mean if you smell rotten eggs?
1) Rotten Eggs
Septic gas has a strong, naturally occurring odor that smells like rotten eggs. The smell is hydrogen sulfide , which comes from sewage and indicates a potential issue with your plumbing.
Can rotten egg smell make you sick?
You can smell hydrogen sulfide gas at lower levels than may cause health effects, so smelling the gas does not always mean that it will make you sick. However, at higher levels, your nose can become overwhelmed by the gas and you cannot smell it .
What disease makes you smell like rotten eggs?
Trimethylaminuria is a disorder in which the body is unable to break down trimethylamine, a chemical compound that has a pungent odor. Trimethylamine has been described as smelling like rotting fish, rotting eggs, garbage, or urine.
Is it safe to shower in water that smells like sulfur?
A rotten egg odor is a sign that the sulfur levels in your water may be too high. ... It’s understandable if you don’t want to drink or bathe in foul-smelling water, nor should you have to. Good, clean water is free of taste or odors and doesn’t pose any risks to your health.
How does the body get rid of hydrogen sulfide?
When you breathe air containing hydrogen sulfide or when hydrogen sulfide comes into contact with skin, it is absorbed into the blood stream and distributed throughout the body. In the body, hydrogen sulfide is primarily converted to sulfate and is excreted in the urine .
How do you get rid of sulfur smell in hot water?
Increase the water heater temperature to 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius) for several hours . This will destroy the sulfur bacteria. Flushing to remove the dead bacteria after treatment should control the odor problem.
How do you know if you have hydrogen sulfide poisoning?
Symptoms of acute exposure include nausea, headaches, delirium, disturbed equilibrium, tremors, convulsions, and skin and eye irritation . Inhalation of high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide can produce extremely rapid unconsciousness and death. Exposure to the liquified gas can cause frostbite injury.
Will sewer gas explode?
Sewer gas diffuses and mixes with indoor air, and will be most concentrated where it is entering the home. It can accumulate in basements. Explosion and fire. Methane and hydrogen sulfide are flammable and highly explosive .
Can sewage smell harm you?
Hydrogen sulfide is the primary gas in sewer gas. According to research , hydrogen sulfide has shown to be toxic to the oxygen systems of the body. In high amounts it can cause adverse symptoms, organ damage, or even death.
Can you smell death before someone dies?
In general, death only has a scent under certain circumstances and conditions . Dr. Jawn, M.D. notes that, “for the most part, there is no smell that precipitates death, and there is no smell immediately after death.”
Can you smell infection in your body?
If your skin develops an infection, either new or due to a preexisting condition, you may experience a sudden smell at the site of the infection. Some types of skin infections or conditions that might cause a smell include: trichomycosis axillaris , a bacterial infection of underarm hair follicles.
What does diabetic sweat smell like?
Sweat can smell like vinegar because of diseases such as diabetes, trichomycosis, and kidney disease, or because of hormone changes, certain foods, or skin infections.
Can sulfur water make you sick?
Start Monitoring Your Water
At high concentrations, sulfur water can cause diarrhea and illness . In most US households, though, drinking sulfur water is safe because the concentration of sulfates and hydrogen sulfide is low.
How do I get rid of hydrogen sulfide in my water heater?
If you use well water, there may be a high count of SRB in the water. One solution is to have a plumber perform a shock chlorination treatment. Adding chlorine to the water will kill the SRB and thereby reduce the rotten egg odor in your water heater.
