Why Does My Drain Smell Bad?

Why Does My Drain Smell Bad?

After a long day of scrubbing your kitchen clean, do you still smell something foul from the garbage disposal? Does the drain smell bad in your bathroom sink? It’s hard to feel like your home is truly clean unless it smells fresh as well.

A plumbing system in a home that generates sewer-like odors is something that you want corrected right away. There are a number of reasons why drains can start to emit bad smells, from small and simple easy to fix problems you can fix yourself, to extensive troubles with the sewer system that require major work from professionals.

Here at Butler Plumbing, we provide exceptional plumbing repair services. We handle drain cleaning and sewer repairs that will take care of bad smelling drains or any other trouble.

So, have a smelly drain? Take a look at the common causes below and do not hesitate to contact Butler Plumbing if you’d like us to come check out your pipes.

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Dry P-Trap

If you only notice a sewage smell coming from one of your drains, the trouble might be a dry p-trap. The p-trap is the curved section of drainpipe under the sink and it is responsible for capturing water to form a plug against sewer gases coming back up the pipe. If the bad-smelling sink is one that hasn’t been used in a while, or a seldom-used sink (like an empty guest bathroom) this is probably the reason for the smell. In this case, you can alleviate the bad drain smell by routinely running water through your drain.

Sewer Line Issues

If the odors are coming up from sinks all around the house, the trouble might be a break or block in the sewer line that carries wastewater out to the municipal sewer system.

The odors will probably be accompanied by clogs and gurgling sounds from the drains. This is a major repair issue that needs professionals to take care of right away, since it can lead to sewage flooding into your home’s foundations and even the basement. If you notice the smell is accompanied by gurgling sounds and clogs, you know this is the answer.

Venting Pipe Problems

These pipes remove back-flowing sewer gases and run them up to the roof of the house. They can become clogged from debris, animal nests, and snow. These clogs will force the sewer gases back down and up through your drains. Don’t try to clear the roof yourself; call for assistance.

Sometimes the smell may only be coming from one drain. If flushing water down the drain didn’t loosen the p-trap and clear the smell, it’s possibly a venting pipe problem. Venting pipes are another method plumbing systems use to keep sewer gas from entering the house. Venting pipes take back-flowing gasses to the roof, where they’re safely released.

However, these pipes can become clogged or filled with debris, which forces the sewer gasses back through your indoor pipes and drains. If you noticed slowly draining water or gurgling sounds leading up to the smell, this is likely the problem. It will need to be cleared with a plumbing auger if the vent pipe is clogged.

Avoid Smells in your Floor Drains

Dirty floor drains

When the water in the p-trap has evaporated, sewer gases from below can creep into your house. Filling your floor drains and unused showers or tubs with water is a great way to avoid this from ever happening. Make sure that you take care to fill all drains with a good amount of water. This will ensure that all p-traps are filled.

Keep an eye out for drains that you don’t often use. Not only will the water in the p-traps be more likely to have evaporated, but there’s also a chance that the surrounding area could be dirty. Flushing a large amount of material down a rarely used drain could cause much bigger problems. Make sure that you clean and vacuum the surrounding area of debris. That way when you fill your drains you can be sure that nothing unwanted will go down the drain.

Contact us to get a Quote on drain cleaning from Edmonton’s Premier Plumbing Service.

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Bad odors in the house are unfortunate, and the smell of sewage coming from an otherwise clean sink could be uncomfortable for any homeowner. If your drains and pipes are causing smelling problems, don’t hesitate to book an appointment with our professionals at Butler Plumbing today. Contact us to get a Quote on drain cleaning from Edmonton’s Premier Plumbing Service.

Turn to Butler Plumbing, Edmonton’s best kept secret! We are fully licensed, bonded, and insured for quality service.