weird taste / smell from new taps

[Becky1809]

Hi

About a year ago we had the upstairs bathroom refitted and a downstairs bathroom installed just after we moved into the house. Both sinks and piping are effectively new as even in the upstairs existing bathroom the sink was moved.

Ever since then, the water coming out of the mixer taps in both sinks has tasted weird, and there is an accompanying smell, which I don't notice from the water coming out of the taps alone, but I do notice in the cupboard under the upstairs sink. I can't explain it other than to say that the taste tastes like the smell, so I know they go together. I also can't really describe the taste - but it's not bad drains smell, it's more stale, or metallic...or something.

We don't get the same in the kitchen, although the kitchen taps were new at the same time from same shop in same style...the kitchen piping wasn't changed though. We've also cleaned the filters in the bathroom taps a couple of times as they get furred up with scale and stuff, but it's made no difference.

Anyway, before I ramble even more, when the sinks were first installed I assumed it was the new pipes or something and would go away by itself but now it's been a year and I'm starting to think I should really do something about it.

Has anyone come across this before and have any advice about where I should start, before I start taking things apart?

Thanks

Becky

 

[dextrous]

If you have a cold water tank in the loft, have you checked in there?

 

[Becky1809]

Hi

Thanks for the reply, but no, no tank, we have a combi (which was also new at the time - that's my problem, so much was changed at the time that I'm having trouble pinpointing where the problem could be).

Becky.

 

[Becky1809]

Hmmm, thinking about it, we also have green discolouration round the fittings in the downstairs bathroom, which is used less and therefore cleaned less. Would copper cause a weird smell as well as taste? And would it last this long?

 

[dextrous]

Discolouration is from flux used when the pipe was soldered to the fitting - this will wash off with the green bit of a washing-up sponge.

New or unused copper can leave a bit of a taste, as can flux residue left in the pipework (if the water comes out a bit foggy, then this is an indication). If you can run water through at full pelt for a minute or two, this should clear it, as it may be the case that you never do this in the normal modus operandi of a bathroom sink, and it may not have had a chance to flush out properly. Bit odd after all this time though.

 

[rssteve]

i have recently had new plumbing most of which is push fit, infact my kitchen tap is all push fit no copper before than, and i do get a taste which i don;t get from other taps, i persume its the coating inside the pipe, can;t say i smell it tho.

 

[bengasman]

Was there a water filter/softener installed as well?

 

[Becky1809]

No, no water softener.

 

[jane54]

I just had new taps installed in my bathroom and kitchen and noticed chemical smell. My friend tells me that these items are coated with some kind of protectant to protect them while they sit on the shelves before they are purchased.