Bad smell coming from Hot Water Tank Cupboard?!

[JamieDearing]

We have a bad smell coming from our hot water tank cupboard (electric), which is located in our bathroom. It smells like a drain / smelly egg smell. No problems with toilet or sink, shower or bath draining or smelling. Water from the taps smells fine. I even taped up the cupboard door just to make sure the smell was definately coming from the cupboard, the smell went away from the bathroom, but was still there when I opened up the cupboard again. Have searched high and low for any leaks in the pipe work around the tank, but can't for the life of me locate the source of the smell. The cupboard seems dry. I've even taken the insulation padding sleeve off the tank just to check if there was a dead mouse or something, but nothing... anyone got any ideas???

 

[ub7rm]

Melting plastic has a fishy smell about it... check the immersion heater terminals, wiring etc ...

 

[picasso]

is your cylinder unvented ?

 

[JohnD]

if not, where is the cold water tank?

do your bathroom waste and soil pipes pass near this cupboard? Are any of them leaking?

 

[Mozza00]

We have a bad smell coming from our hot water tank cupboard (electric), which is located in our bathroom. It smells like a drain / smelly egg smell. No problems with toilet or sink, shower or bath draining or smelling. Water from the taps smells fine. I even taped up the cupboard door just to make sure the smell was definately coming from the cupboard, the smell went away from the bathroom, but was still there when I opened up the cupboard again. Have searched high and low for any leaks in the pipe work around the tank, but can't for the life of me locate the source of the smell. The cupboard seems dry. I've even taken the insulation padding sleeve off the tank just to check if there was a dead mouse or something, but nothing... anyone got any ideas???

You not got a dead rat or something as they really pong!!

 

[dextrous]

clicky thing

Obviously doesn't bother the op that much then

 

[JamieDearing]

The toilet waste passes under the lobby just in front of the cupboard but not the cupboard itself (there is a man hole cover imbeded in the floor under a carpet tile). There doesn't seem to be any smell coming from the man hole cover, as the smell disappeared when I taped up the cupboard. We did have a blocked shared drain outside the front of the house. It services the two flats above us. The smell did start a day or two before the drain blocked. Dyno rod cleared the drain. And came back (under warranty) 2 days later because we complained about the smell in the bathroom and thought it might be connected. They re-checked the blocked drain (which was clear) and came inside and said the cupboard smell wasn't due to the drain.
The cold water tank is in a seperate room upstairs and there's no smell there. I'm not sure if the tank is vented... how can I tell if it is?

 

[JamieDearing]

Just a quick follow-up for those that offered advice, or who have followed this link. I had a Heat Engineer plumber investigate the smell. Took him a bit of time to find the source, but he found a falty hot water motor valve, allowing the valves electrics to massively over heat which was causing fumes. He changed the motor valve (without having to drain the system), and also replaced the main electric plastic block which had become completely brittle with heat. 24hrs have gone by now and no smell. Looks as if the problem has been fixed. Many thanks for all the advice.

 

[jackecole]

Did you cover this motorised valve with a cloth/towel or something to cause it to overheat accidentally?

 

[JamieDearing]

No, there was nothing covering the valve. Interestingly the valve was new 3 years ago. We've recently had a baby and my wife has had the heating running almost non-stop, which may have caused the valve to become over-heated and faulty. Also, there aren't any vents on the cupboard door - my next project! The heat engineer also changed the external thermastat on the outside of the tank to ensure the tank wasn't overheating. Belt and braces I guess.

 

[jackecole]

it's unusual for them all to overheat even if used so much like you say you have. As you say hving a bit of ventilation will help though.

 

[bradjabraham]

Hi everyone (particularly Jamie),

I just moved in to a new flat and have an almost identical problem to what you describes. The water doesn't smell, but the pipes from the hot water system are giving off a strong rotten egg odour, usually in the afternoon then again around 11pm at night. Very strange.

I was wondering if you could give me the details of the guy you used to fix your problem? Or if anyone else can suggest someone that would be great.

Thanks very much.

Brad

 

[JohnD]

where is the cold water tank, if you have one? Look in it for drowned wildlife and clean it out.

do your bathroom waste and soil pipes pass near this cupboard? Are any of them leaking?

Read all the posts on here, try the suggestions and provide the detail asked for.

 

[bradjabraham]

Hi John,

Thanks for you quick reply. I don't have a cold water tank, and the waste pipes pass under a different part of the flat and I've been in to the flat below and there is now smell or leak coming from my pipes.

Brad