egg/sulphur smells from washing machine

[Alan Simpson]

hi,

I did a search and found some postings about this on this newsgroup before, including the one copied below.

The sulphur/eggy smell mentioned there is exactly the smell that we get.

Interestingly, it only seems to happen during the rinse/draining cycles when we run the washing machine. Also, it does not happen at any other time when using that same drain (like most washing machines in the kitchen that I have seen, it is connected to the kitchen sink drain).

Unfortunately, the smell has been getting worse and worse over the past few weeks.

However, in the case of this posting there was no follow-up to suggest how to deal with this problem, if it is a problem with the rubber in the hoses.

(1) Is there an easy way to confirm that this is, in fact, caused by the rubber hoses as proposed below?

(2) If we can confirm this, then what action should we take?

thanks,

Alan

From: VisionSet ( [e-mail]) Subject: Re: Bad drain smell View this article only Newsgroups: uk.d-i-y Date: 2001-08-12 07:32:19 PST

One cause with such appliances is sulphur gasses building up in the rubber hoses (which actually comes out of the rubber). When the appliance is used the gasses are flushed out.

-- Mike Whittaker

Home of JScrabble

Only when I use my washing machine or dishwasher I get a bad smell that > comes form the drains. The flat is three years old. The appliances came > already installed with the fitted kitchen. > > Can anyone give me some hints to why this is happening before I call in the > plumber? > > > Many Thanks. > > Jo > >

[Andrew Mawson]

Mike,

Could it be that something is stuck in the pump body, and when draining the impellor is heating it up by friction?

If you can get at it, most consist of a two part plastic body clipped together to form the space round the impellor and by unclipping you can removed the old socks, bra wires, coins, and cabbages that get stuck there !

Andrew Mawson

[Alan Simpson]

hi Andrew,

thanks for your reply.

Interestingly, the first time I opened the pump drain, we did find a sock and some other odds and ends there. But removing those did not help with the smell.

So, next question. How do I get access to the plastic body around the impellor?

I guess that (1) remove back (2) find plastic body around impellor (at the bottom, I imagine, near where I access the pump drain). (3) do as you wrote above.

Does that sound sensible?

thanks again,

Alan

[OldScrawn]

I'd bet it is associated with the waste stack, trap, or drain rather than the pump or hoses.

[EricP]

You may also get a smell like this if the brushes on one of the motors are wearing out. There may also be a cracking/popping noise.

[Alan Simpson]

thanks OldScrawn (??),

the only problem with that explanation is that it uses the same waste stack, trap and drain as the kitchen sink and when we use the kitchen sink, there is never such a smell.

It is only when the washing machine is draining that you can smell this, so we're inclined to point the finger there. Also we have already found some miscellaneous items, including a sock, in the pump drain at the bottom of the washing machine. Hence the washing machine does seem to be a reasonable culprit.

We are happy to be shown to be wrong though.