Living with a nasty odor in your kitchen or bathroom? Don’t try to pretend it isn’t there: sewer odor isn’t just a gross discomfort, it is highly unsanitary and needs to be taken care of immediately. If you have a bad smell near any of your plumbing fixtures, Feehan can help you fix it today!
Your home or business disposes of waste through a vast and complicated system of pipes, so it’s no wonder that occasionally something goes awry. Your sewer line is intended to connect with the municipal sewer system, but sometimes a break or blockage prevents the flow.
Having a sewer smell in your home could mean that you have an issue with the transfer of waste to the sewer system. But the good news is that these problems are fairly straightforward, and the Feehan Plumbing & Heating team is able to fix any one of them.
The most common causes of sewer odors are as follows:
- Lack of required traps or vents. Vent traps are installed on your main line to keep smells from entering the home, so if they are missing you need to have a plumbing professional install them immediately.
- If you notice the smell mainly around a sink, try flushing a strong cleaner and bleach down the sink’s overflow (the small holes inside the bowl near the rim) and see if that helps. Avoid harmful drain cleaning chemicals — these may damage the lining.
- Broken seals around the toilet that allow water to dry out the traps resulting in smells entering the house. Rotted or damp wood could also be causing the smell. Check to see if the toilet is tightly sealed to the floor. If it’s not, you may need to have another wax ring installed.
- Check the top side of horizontal drain pipes for rust. If rusted, it will leak sewer gas, possibly causing the smell in your home.
- Clogged vents. This can be resolved by calling a technician to disconnect the vent pipes and clean your vents all the way through the roof.
Even if the issue is minor, it is best to be sure you aren’t allowing harmful airborne bacteria to spread through your home. Don’t just hope it goes away! If you notice a foul smell in your home and need help, call Feehan Plumbing & Heating today.