Two yr old Kitchenaid D/W problem started about this summer and progressively worse with smell of rotten eggs, sulphur smell when D/W is running you can smell it coming from vent in D/W and around D/W and when it drains into disposal. First I tried totally cleaning disposal which we rarely use with lemons, baking soda, a bit of bleach. Smell also seems to emit from tube that D/W connects into disposal, so I tried cleaning the stainless tub of d/w with everything including bleach finally called service and for $100 he cleaned out from underneath housing in bottom of D/W, grease/soap scum. Problem was rectified for about a week then it came back. And I was very careful not to put too much deteregent,always run hot water before putting d/w on, but smell which was gone for about a week retuned... needless to say I called back service he looked to see if there was more scum and it was clean... the smell is so bad that I cannot be in kitchen when it is running. I have even tried a d/w cleaner and ran that through, also I always use hi-temp scrub hoping the hot water will get rid of smell, I basically wash my dishes before I put in they do not sit in for a long time. I am at my wits end. Told my husband I want a new d/w.. last d/w was a 25 yr old plus Hobart never had this problem. Is there anyone who could advise? The next service call, he said he will put a new tube connection from d/w to disposal.

I have to ask. Since your dishwasher uses nothing but hot water could this be a hot water problem? Does the hot water smell bad any where else?
Having asked that it sounds like you have bacteria growing in your diswasher. If replacing the discharge hose don't get it then you might want to check out, http://www.bioforceinc.com/item450916.ctlg Or you can do the same thing with full strength bleach. Good luck, Tom

Hi,
As another post said, put full strength bleach in the soap dispenser, and let it run through it's cycle. Then, let it run again with nothing to rinse it all out.
If that fails, try distilled white vinegar, running through it's cycle.
The sulfur "rotten egg" smell almost sounds like your septic or sewage line is somehow backing up into your kitchen with its odors and smells.

After searching internet previously I did go down to hot water tank, no other water hot or cold smells like rotten eggs in our house, we live in city and have moderately hard water but the sample bucket I took from hot water tank does not smell at all. How would problem have been corrected albeit only a week, the first time the tech cleaned out the soap sludge from inside bottom of dishwasher? Again this smell emanates during the cycle? I am afraid to use full strength bleach because unside of washer is stainless steel. Wouldn't that be corrosive? PS Thanks in advance for past and present responses

" I am afraid to use full strength bleach because unside of washer is stainless steel. wouldn't that be corrosive?"

Bleach will not corrode or stain stainless steel but it will kill bacteria.

Load your dishwasher up with it and cycle it through.
Regards, tom

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bot

Two yr old Kitchenaid D/W problem started about this summer and progressively worse with smell of rotten eggs, sulphur smell when D/W is running you can smell it coming from vent in D/W and around D/W and when it drains into disposal.

---

Any solutions to this found? I have a GE profile D/W with same symptoms. Smells like rotten eggs only when draining. No odors in (plastic) tub area. Running a 1/2 cup of bleach through does solve for a week or so, but smell comes back. I'm on the verge of buying a new D/W, but seems like there should be a smile sol'n. Help!!

Tom gave it to you straight, run full strength bleach, it will not harm any inside part of the dishwasher. I think your tech got much of the bacteria but left behind just enough to start a new colony. On your drain to the disposal, are you folks using a high loop under the cabinet or a counter top air gap?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ballengerb1

Tom gave it to you straight, run full strength bleach, it will not harm any inside part of the dishwasher. I think your tech got much of the bacteria but left behind just enough to start a new colony. On your drain to the disposal, are you folks using a high loop under the cabinet or a counter top air gap??

---

Mine is set-up with the high-loop and discharges into a garbage disposal. Forgot to mention that the D/W worked great for 4-5 years and only started the foul smell recently. Again, no smells inside the DW, have municipal water with no sulphur odor normally and we do a full load of dishes almost every day.

Slim and Bot,
Your dishwasher have a sump at the bottom of the tub that collects the water that drains back from the hose after the pump quits pumpimg. Sponge the water out and pour a 1/2 gallon of bleach in the tub and cycle the dish washer. Also you might cut a lemon into quartersand run it through the disposal. Good luck, Tom

Tell me more about "from vent in D/W and around D/W and when it drains into disposal" What vent and where around DW do you smell the odor. Are you 100% sure the smell is not coming from the drain opening of the disposal?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ballengerb1

Tell me more about "from vent in D/W and around D/W and when it drains into disposal" What vent and where around DW do you smell the odor. Are you 100% sure the smell is not coming from the drain opening of the disposal?

---

The D/W is on a peninsula across from the sink and it is pretty clear the smell is coming from the sink area. (Drain line runs from the D/W, under the floor and up garbage disposal-with a high-point under the sink.)

The lemon in the disposal seems to help a little and a 1/2 to 1 cup of bleech takes care of for 1-2 weeks, but smell keeps coming back. I haven't done a 1/2 gallon as someone has suggested.

As I put in a previous post, D/W worked without issue for a few years so I'm not thinking there something fundamentally wrong with how it was installed.

Thanks for you ideas.

I suspect there is a basic flaw in this design. If your DW drains to a hose under the floor and then over to the disposal you have a lot of liquid in that line that can drain back toward the DW. Could you expand on this info "with a high-point under the sink" is this a high loop used in place of an air gap on top of the counter? I am starting to think this drain will function better if we do not use the convenience of the disposal drain. That allow too much stagnant water to flush around un trapped. PS, in addition to the lemon try a bucket of ice cubes poued in as fast as the disposal can empty them from the sink, have your warm water running.

To those whose d/w smells like rotten eggs: were the suggestions given successful? I have a GE profile D/W with same symptoms. Smells like rotten eggs. We have done all of the above except call tech to come out. The only difference is we don't smell the order when door closed, only when door open and boy is it bad!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tcgch1234

To those whose d/w smells like rotten eggs: were the suggestions given successful? I have a GE profile D/W with same symptoms. Smells like rotten eggs. We have done all of the above except call tech to come out. The only difference is we don't smell the order when door closed, only when door open and boy is it bad!!!!

---

Did you clean out the sump, pour a 1/2 gallon of bleach in theDW and cycle it? Let me know, Tom

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tcgch1234

To those whose d/w smells like rotten eggs: were the suggestions given successful? I have a GE profile D/W with same symptoms. Smells like rotten eggs. We have done all of the above except call tech to come out. The only difference is we don't smell the order when door closed, only when door open and boy is it bad!!!!

---

How far is your DW from sink ? Is it connected to GD via air gap ?

I have a 2yr old GE and the "Rotten Egg" smell is horrible. The only solution I can get from this is the 1/2 bleach... or temp solution. I will try it and post the results. Any other solutions that might be permanent? (besides ditching the D/W ?)

Hi the dishwasher is new just bought it and it's a kitchen aid went back to where I bought it he said someone else had the same problem smells really bad knock you over and he called to find out the cause he said the service man will be here next week and the water is laying in the bottom not getting pumped out and the vent or little motor is not working hope this helps me and you

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lcaudill

hi the dishwasher is new just bought it and it's a kitchen aid went back to where I bought it he said someone else had the same problem smells really bad knock you over and he called to find out the cause he said the service man will be here next week and the water is laying in the bottom not getting pumped out and the vent or little motor is not working hope this helps me and you

---

Hi lcaudill and Welcome to The Plumbing Page. At AskMeHelpDesk.com. You're responding to a year old dead thread so I gave you one of your own. Look in then upper left hand corner of the first post form the date in the first post before you post, Thanks,
At the bottom of the tub is the sump where the discharge hose drains back to. Sponge it out and scrub it out with bleach. Cycle the DW to flush it out and give it a sniff. Better now? Good luck. Tom

Have exactly the same problem with a less than 5 yr old Bosch. Have done EVERYTHING suggested but it doesn't solve the problem. It has been serviced, full strengtt bleach has been run through it, everything! All have been temporary fixes lasting less than a week.

If you use bleach in one load , and then later vinegar in another load, as fredg advises, above, do you run the risk of mixing bleach and vinegar (which produces a toxic gas?? ). Especially if there is a blockage?