[Phyllis Gossy]

Hot water in bathrooms smell like wd-40, and other faucets it is greasy. Bought new hot water tank 11-1-10. Trouble is that the smell was there before that. In about October my main bathroom had a terrible smell, then went away, but that is when the water starting to smell. Had everything rodded out, sump pump, and faucets, but is still there. Gas company came out and checked my whole house for about 2 hours and did not find any leak, also water company checked and said water was okay, well to me it is not. Some expert?? Said I needed a water softener, but other plumbers I talked to said that would not help. Could the furnace have anything to do with it? Furnace man says furnace is working fine. Could something have been let go from the pipes? Pipes are below main bathroom. How about the grease trap? What or who do you recommend to possibly find out what is causing this? I would like to be able to live in my house again.

I would appreciate if you could help me with this big, bad situation

Phyllis gossy
Chicago, Illinois

[massplumber2008]

Hi Phyllis...

With all that you describe I would have to suggest that you get a water sample analysis performed.

Culligan will send you a packet with tube for analysis and send you a printed breakdown and recommendations if they think it is needed. Check them out @

Culligan Water Softener - Special Offer

Kinetico will also do this free:

Free Water Test | Free Water Analysis | Kinetico Home Water Systems

I'd start there and see what they say. Once you get the results from the test pop back here and let us know what it says, OK?

It could be a possibility here that the water in your area reacts with the magnesium andoe rod in the heater, but if that was the case,the watercompany should know about it by now.

You mentioned a GREASE TRAP? What grease trap? Most residential properties don't have grease traps and if they do water isn't attached to it..?

Finally, if you have a furnace, there is not usually water associated with a furnace... do you mean your BOILER? If you mean a boiler, then there could be some backflow occurring if the backflow preventer failed, but that would usually cause issues with the COLD WATER.

Back to you..

Mark

[DKollgaard]

We just had that same odor today just as you described and can't figure it out. In the meantime it's so strong my eyes are burning. All the windows are open to air out the house. I was wondering about the water also. We were doing dishes when it suddenly came up. Please post your results.

[speedball1]

We were doing dishes when it suddenly came up.

And this is throughout the entire house? Is your problem exactly like the one described in post#1? If not can you give us more details? The smell is the same? The water is greasy? I would have the water tested ASAP. Follow Marks instructions and contact either Culligan orKinetico for a free water test.. Do you have more details you can give us? Back to you, Tom

[DKollgaard]

Speedball, this only happened one time. We were doing dishes in the kitchen when it started smelling. The smell travelled throughout the house. So when the smell "left" the kitchen it was then really strong in the living room, then from the living room to a bedroom. The smell eventually left, so by the evening there wasn't a trace of the smell. Since we were washing dishes no one noticed the water being oily. I didn't notice the water being oily in the bathrooms, and the smell definitely began in the kitchen. Today it seems fine.

I discovered it was my brothers hair treatment made from tea tree oil!

[speedball1]

Thanks for the update and solving the mystery. Good luck, Tom