Smelly Cold Water

The first thing I would do is unscrew the aerator and clean the screens in bleach.  Do you have City water or pump system?  Is the kitchen sink the only problem place?   Does it smell moldy or like rotten eggs?  { The supply lines are all copper, and were soldered into the original supply lines }  Soldered into what? Copper? Galvanized?  Don't you have stops located in the cabinet that the supplies come off of?  Sounds like you may have bacteria growing in the lines or valve body.  If thats the case you will have to disassemble the faucet and disinfect it with full strength bleach and then flush out the supply lines.  Let me know how you make out.  I'll be watching for your reply.  Good luck, Tom

I will try to clean the aerator, but the Hot side does not smell or tase bad so I'm not sure this will help. The new copper is soldered to the old copper lines, no galvanized pipe that I know of. I have City water.
I just thought of something - in between the "old/new" connection and the faucet is a valve that supplies water to my fridge (which is filtered) - could my faucet be pulling water back out of the fridge supply?

You're right, if it were the aerator both hot and cold would smell. Same thing for the faucet. I was giving you stardard checks for smelly water. My fault for developing a "brain lock". However you might just have put your finger on the culprit. The Ice maker filter. Let me take off on a flight of fancy. Say the filter is loaded with bacteria. When the cold water to the faucet is off there is a open line between the filter and your supply. The smelly stuff migrates into your supply line and gets pulled up into your faucet. Running the water for a few minutes flushes out the bacteria and the smell is gone untill you let it set. Then the whole thing starts over again. Shut the water off to the ice maker. Open the faucet and let it run untill the smell is gone. Let it set for a while and see if the smell is back or gone. One thing I would do is to pull that filter and snort it. Sorry about the "dumbass" advice I gave you to begin with. Blaime it on advancing age. Cheers, Tom

Great advice - thanks Tom. I didn't even think about the filter until I started thinking about how the system was set up. I'll try this tonight and let you know.

Well, I turned off the valve to the fridge, ran the water and waited. Seems that the smell and bad taste went away. Now, I can clean out the lines and the filter, but do they make some type of valve that will not allow the water to go in reverse? For 1/4" Copper?

This is the first time I've ever been asked for a check valve that small, but yes, they do make them. Just click on or paste up this link on your address bar. But just flushing the line and changing the filter should take care of the matter. If the water smelled that bad think of what your ice cubes were tasting like? Good luck and I was glad I could be of some assistance. http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/cat...+Valves&Page=1

I have similar issue and am at a loss. A handyman replaced all our sinks in the washrooms. The water tastes bad and it even smells. He soldered chrome looking fitting into the copper supply pipes and then used a flex metallic looking short pipe between the faucet and the chrome looking fitting. Water taste has not changed anywhere except where he did these new instals. Smells almost like soldering flux or PVC and bitter taste. Thinking that may the solder flux may not have flushed on the cold side I switched the connection as the smell and taste does not come from hot water side alone. Dose not appear to help and advice please.

Regards.

What you are tasting is No-Corrode Soldering paste.  This soldering paste has a acid base and should flush itself out of your lines with use.  Have you let the cold water run for awhile? I would, however, take the areators off the faucet spouts, clean the screens and let them soak in bleach for a hour.  If the acid got in your screens flushing the line clear won't help.  The taste will remain in the sceens long after it leaves the line.  Good luck and let me know how you make out.   Cheers,  Tom

Riffraf,

''Well, I turned off the valve to the fridge, ran the water and waited. Seems that the smell and bad taste went away. Now, I can clean out the lines and the filter, but do they make some type of valve that will not allow the water to go in reverse? For 1/4" Copper?''

If the local hardware and home centers don't have the 1/4'' valve. try an autoparts store. NAPA has a great stock of that kind of stuff. It is a pain ordering little odds and ends.