Smell From Garage Faucet

[65Stang]

I installed a utility sink in my shop about 8 months back. Used a standard cheap faucet from the box store, has the pull out nozzle as well. It is plumbed from the backside of a hose bib that is on the outside of my garage wall. PVC, standard connections, etc., line runs exposed in garage (insulated/protected, though) to the shop wall (shared wall) and then connects to a flex line to the faucet.

When I first turned on the faucet after install, worked perfectly, no smell, etc. But now, when I first turn it on, I get this smell that is almost like sulphur, but I am started to identify closer to a rubber smell. Definitely not a good smell, and I am certain it is not coming from the sink or waste line/trap as I can have the water go into a cup and it smells as well. It doesn't last very long coming out of the faucet, gone in about 5-10 seconds, although it lingers in the sink of course. Also, there is no smell coming out of the hose bib. The hose bib branches off the main line coming onto the property and no faucets in the house have ever had any odors.

Any thoughts on what this could be?

 

[Tim The Tool Man]

You say it is not your hose bib but I would still investigate that further. Do you have an anti siphon device built into the hose bib? If not I would change it out.

The only place a rubber smell would come from, based on your description, is the hose. I had a customer, a couple years back, describe the same problem but with their kitchen sink. Turns out that they would leave their hose pressurized when not in use. It sat in the hot sun all day and built up enough pressure to allow the water to migrate back into the house.

If it is the hose you should fix it asap as bacteria loves to live inside a hot hose...

 

[Highbeam]

Your description makes me think of hydrogen sulfide. Common in well water, even extremely deep. Can you draw a sample from a tap elsewhere in the house and determine if the smell is there too? Good to have a non-resident do the sniffing since you will get used to the smell after awhile.

 

[pattenp]

I'm thinking the same as Tim. If you have an outside hose hooked up and do not have an anti-siphon valve on the outside hose bib you may be getting some back feed from the hose. It can also be the hose on the pull out spray nozzle that's funky. How often do run water through the spray nozzle?

 

[bdamico]

Blame it on the dog

 

[65Stang]

I did blame it on the dog. Then he past away.

I'll try disconnecting the hose and see if that helps. That could be a very good possibility as I keep the hose disconnected during cold months and I seem to recall the smell starting in the summer, which is when the hose is connected.

 

[Kevin54]

If you have iron in your water, you can get a smell from the iron bacteria in the lines. Where you tied the garage faucet into, does it run through the water softener first or just directly from the well?

We get the smell from our faucets once in a while. We have a whole house filter, and once every couple of months, I will take the filter out, fill the housing full of bleach, then start running the faucets at the back of the house first then as soon as I smell bleach shut it off. I do this at every faucet. I'll let it set for a half hour or so, then run the kitchen faucets and the bathroom sink faucets until I don't smell the bleach. Then I will put a new filter in the whole house filter. It last a couple of months then I have to do it again. Way easier than shocking the well with bleach.

 

[Tim The Tool Man]

It's the flex lines.
I installed hose braided flex lines in our bathroom and the water tasted horrid. I replaced them and problem solved.

I would agree with this possibility as long as there is steady sunshine most of the day on the wall with your faucet but you say it is a shared wall. The rubber in those flex lines would need to get real hot before they start stinking up the water.

It could also be the iron issue common with well water but I don't recall if you said whether or not you had city or well water...

 

[65Stang]

I don't have well water, it is city water and I have no filters or softeners. The flex lines don't get warm or have any heat/sunlight.

I unhooked the hose and the water in the hose did not have any smell to it. I'll test the faucet tonight to see if the smell is still there (I think it will be). The flex lines connected the line to the faucet are just the standard ones from HD. I have drank out of the faucet before after it ran for a bit (this was before I knew the smell was coming from the faucet) and it tasted just fine.

 

[wef]

It's the flex lines.
I installed hose braided flex lines in our bathroom and the water tasted horrid. I replaced them and problem solved.

When I replaced a bathroom vanity and a stink appeared at that faucet only. It was one or both the new braided lines. I replaced them both.

 

[Outlawmws]

I agree the flex lines are the source. A pressurized hose outside could also contribute but ONLY if the hose bib is left on and the hose/sprayer is relied on to keep the water stopped, if the hose bibs are closed with each use, it's closed, so no that won't be it...

Another possible source is the Clothes washer, as those hoses do see hot water, and those hose bibs are left on eternally... How close if the washing machine?

In any case, its always a good idea to run the water for a time before taking any water from a house system for ingested use (drinking, cooking, making juice from concentrate...) as a lot of things can leach from the pipes, hoses, soldered connections. etc.

 

[NUTTSGT]

We have a second hose in the apparatus floor at the fire dept. It doesn't get used much and it does stink till all the old water is out of the hose. It's a regular rubber hose which are generally made from recycled rubber products, unlike RV hose which is made from virgin rubber.

What I'm wondering is if these flex hose you guys are talking about are made in China. If so, I wonder if they are using recycled rubber to hose the rubber tubing in the flex line ??? It'd be no different that that trademark "smell" when you walk into HF.

 

[Hawk]

Are you sure it is coming from the faucet and not the drain? Did you install a p trap and is there any standing water in the trap to block waste odors?

 

[65Stang]

Yup, P trap is installed. This faucet a far away from the house as it ties in to the water main right when it comes onto the property.

Basically, I am hearing that it is my flex lines, which are the standard rubber ones from HD.

I may try and run the line a little more than I do and see if it will flush out, otherwise, may have to exchange them for some higher quality ones.