Discuss Washing machine smells in the USA Plumbers Advice area at PlumbersForums.net

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Hi guys, looking for some help.

We bought a new washing machine a few weeks ago because the old one packed in.

We think there was a slight smell from the washed clothes in the old machine before it gave up the ghost

Before I ordered a new one I had a look to check it wasn’t a simple issue such as the belt, tilt or filter - I didn’t take out the motor to have a look at the brushes because there wasn’t a back panel and we’ve got a baby and a 4 year old in the house so need the machine working pronto.

This new machine seemed fine for the first few days then the clothes started to smell again.

I tried everything I could think of and looked up online. I’ve had vinegar and baking soda through the machine and down the waste pipe, bleach, boil washes, I took off the u bend under the sink where it drains away (clean as a whistle).

After doing some investigating to see where everything runs out to and running the all the sinks and machine when it was raining and noticed one of the drains outside was backing up. I cleared out all the outside drains of all the debris I could get, then used draining rods to see if there was a blockage somewhere, put caustic soda down and left it. Next I got the hose down there and ran everything again. The water was running normal and clear now. I found an old drain that had been covered up with chuckies and found the washing machine drains through that then on to the main waste pipe and on to the septic tank.
Cleared all that and even removed the Old concrete Inspection hatch to look at the main waste/sewage to make sure it wasn’t blocked somewhere between that drain and waster was coming back up into the machine. The pipe was clean and running normally.

Under the sink where the waste fills from the machine fills into doesn’t smell and the waste pipe when I removed the ubend didn’t either - having said that I did that after putting vinegar, bleach etc down it

I can’t figure it out at all. I figured the covered drain and lack of airflow/draw may have been the culprit and caused the waste water to back up the pipe. It is smelling slightly better since then but still not fresh or anything like what it used to be. Can’t even smell the fabric softener now let alone a clean smell.

Any help or advice from anyone would really be appreciated.

Thanks.
 
What type of smell? It could be a reaction with the rubber inlet hose. Does any other water smell?
Hi thanks for your reply. It’s a stale almost sour smell. Almost like sour milk.. was really strong before and I could smell the clothes that came out from the next room. I thought it could be the water coming into the house but it’s the first point of the mains coming into the house and all the other water is clean and normal. I still have the old machine and hoses in my garage that I was going to strip and check on the brushes when I have time. I used the new inlet hose that came with the new machine. Do you think i should haul it out and change the hose back over for the old one? We live in a rural area and have drinkable tap water if that make a difference.
 

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