Common Causes Of Sewer Smell In Sink Drain
One of the most common causes of sewer smell in your sink drain is grease. If you start cooking with a greasy pan, the grease will build up in your sink and eventually make its way into your pipe. You can prevent this by using a non-stick pan and taking the grease off before washing dishes. If you throw away wet or soiled dishcloths, youll also avoid having to deal with sewer smell in your sink drain.
Tips On How To Get Something Out Of The Sink Drain
If you instead have a clog and just need to get it flowing again, check out our post on how to unclog a sink drain. Youâll also find guides to every specific type of clog under the sun.
Now letâs discuss the tips to get whatever youâve accidentally dropped down the sink drain opening back out again:
What Can I Do To Get Smell Out Of My Kitchen Sink
Its easy to prevent your sink from getting smelly. All you need are a few good habits and routine maintenance. Try the following: Place a drain screen over your plughole to stop lumps of food entering your pipes. Avoid pouring fat or grease down the drain. Instead, use kitchen towel to soak or scrape up fat from your pans before washing them.
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What Happens If You Flush Something Valuable Down The Toilet
Dont go to the bathroom! If you drop something valuable in the toilet, dont flush. The item will settle in the bottom of the P-trap toilet seal, and you should be able to fish it out with a piece of wire. It might not be a pleasant experience, but at least youll get your money back.
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How Do I Make My Drains Smell Better

Simple white vinegar is also an effective natural deodorizer. Just pour a cup or so down the drain and flush it with water until smells dissipate. A few tablespoons of scented dish soap can also help cut down on bad smells coming from your drain.
Why does my sink drain smell like rotten eggs?
A smelly sink is usually caused by bacteria build up from grease, fat and food which have been flushed down the drain. These will then get stuck in the pipes causing the familiar rotten egg smell.
How do you freshen a sink drain?
Dump a good handful of baking soda into the drain, let sit for 15 minutes, then pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup white vinegar down. Watch the bubbles, hear the pops and fizz, and let it sit for another 15 minutes. Then, boiling water and voila!
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How To Plumb A Kitchen Sink With Disposal
Answer
How to Plumb a Kitchen Sink with Disposal is an important task that should be done as soon as possible in order to prevent water damage to your kitchen sink and appliance. Here are some tips on how to do it: 1. Look for a plumber who can help you with this step they will know the best way to do it and save you time and money. 2.
Make sure the sink is properly plumbed before beginning this will ensure that the water flow is evenly distributed and the sink is not flooded. 3.OUNT THE SINK CABLE BEFORE starting this will allow you to estimate how much work needs to be done and make sure there are no surprises in the future. 4.
Drain Cleaning Without A Plunger
Heres What We Have in This Article
There are a number of alternatives to the use of a plunger or plumbing service that can be utilized to properly clear a clogged sink drain.
These are a few surefire solutions that you may test out at home ranging from employing natural approaches to using heavier commercial cleaning products and just plain old elbow grease drain cleaner.
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How To Unclog A Kitchen Sink Drain
Fill the sink with very hot water and leave it for one to two hours. The weight and pressure of the water may clear the stoppage. If not, use a cup plunger to force water through the clog and possibly dislodge it.
If you suspect a grease clog, a mixture of very hot water and vinegar can also help melt and remove the grease thats blocking the pipes. Allow it to work for a few minutes, then use a plunger to help move the clog along. You may have to repeat this more than once.
How To Get A Drain Plug Out Of A Bathroom Sink
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Bathroom sinks may drain shampoo, soap, hair, toothpaste and other material that may clog them. Also, the drain plug occasionally becomes corroded and ceases to function properly. Frequent use of chemical drain openers can be damaging to the drain plug and pipes. Removing the drain plug from the bathroom sink is a simple process requiring no experience and few tools. The project usually can be completed in approximately 15 minutes.
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What Causes A Sink Not To Drain
If your bathroom sink isnt draining, it may be due to a buildup of hair, soap, toothpaste or other debris. Bathroom sinks tend to undergo heavy daily use, so dealing with a buildup or a clogged sink could be likely. A buildup of debris is also a common cause of bathtub drain clogs. Its best to know how to unclog both your sink and other bathroom clogs.
To clean debris from your sink stopper and strainers, use Liquid-Plumr® Clog Destroyer Plus+ Pipeguard as directed to tackle tough sink drain clogs. And, you can use it regularly to help prevent future drain clogs.
Keep reading for tips on how to unclog sink drains and help prevent them from occurring. Learn more about dealing with hair clogs to help clogged drains.
Is It Safe To Pour Bleach Down The Drain
Pour bleach into them Bleach is a powerful, toxic substance that should be used carefully and properly, and pouring it down a drain is not a proper use. Bleach can react with other substances in your pipes, potentially release fumes, and further plug up the system.
How do I fix a smelly kitchen sink drain?
Pour baking soda and vinegar down the drain: Run hot tap water for several seconds, and then turn the water off. Dump one cup of baking soda down the drain followed by two cups of hot vinegar. Let the concoction fizz. After one hour, flush the drain with hot tap water.
Does a dead rat smell like sewer?
What does a dead rat smell like? As anyone whos dealt with a dead rat in their home can attest, the smell is one youll never forget. The putrid odor is a nasty mix of chemicals produced as the body decomposes, including sulfur dioxide and methane. The best way to describe it would be the rotting smell of death.
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No Drano No Problem: You Can Unclog Your Kitchen Sink Without Harsh Chemicals
Here’s how to easily unclog the buildup in your kitchen sink pipes.
Katie Teague
Writer
Katie is a writer covering all things how-to at CNET, with a focus on Social Security and notable events. When she’s not writing, she enjoys playing in golf scrambles, practicing yoga and spending time on the lake.
You’ve got a problem when you’re washing dishes and the water stops draining. That standing water means your kitchen sink pipes are clogged with food and grease and need to be cleared out. But that doesn’t mean you should douse your sink with Drano. We’ve have a few, easy methods that don’t require pouring chemicals down the drain at all but are just as effective.
An added bonus is that you may already have the items in your cabinets that you’ll need to get your pipes flowing again. Some methods require a simple mixture, while others require some extra elbow grease and suctioning power to clear your drain. But these methods are pretty inexpensive compared to calling a plumber.
Depending on how bad the clog is, you may need to follow all of these techniques and repeat them a few times to unclog your sink. And if your kitchen sink has a garbage disposal, try running that before you begin to grind any food that could be sitting in there . Here are the best ways to unclog your sink and send the stagnant, smelly water away.
Unscrew The Pivot Nut

The other end of the rod you just detached from the strap should be attached to a pivot nut, and now you need to unscrew this.
At this point, it is a good idea to place a bucket under the sink to catch any water that comes out when you loosen this nut.
With the bucket in place, try to loosen the nut with your hands. If it doesnt come loose, you will have to use the pliers or wrench to get it loose.
Pro tip: When you loosen the nut, be ready for some water to come out, especially if your drainpipe is blocked. It will probably be quite dirty, so try not to get it in your face!
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What Height Should A Kitchen Sink Waste Pipe Be
A kitchen sink waste pipe should be at least 3 feet in height. This is to ensure that the water flow is evenly across the bottom of the sink and not pockets or hills. A low-hanging waste pipe can also lead to water spilling out from the sink onto the floor, and a high-hanging waste pipe can create a backed up drainage system.
Installing The Drain Plug
There are different bathroom sink stopper types, including pop-up, flip-it, push-and-pull, lift-and-turn, trip-lever and toe-touch stoppers, explains Home Depot. Pop-up ones are amongst the easiest to install. For these, place the stopper into the drain, keeping the hole at the end facing the back of the sink.
Next, you will need to place the drain stopper in the sink drain. When you do this, be sure the hole at the base of the stopper faces the back of the sink. Now, insert the pop-up assemblys pivot rod and ball right into the opening of the drain tailpiece it should be in there snugly. Slide the ball nut over your pivot rod and then screw it onto the drain tailpiece.
The next step is to slide the pivot rod through one end of the spring clip. Then, slide your pivot rod through the closest hole in the clevis strap. Carefully slide the spring clips other end through the rod, which should hold it in place. To test the assembly, raise and lower the stopper to make sure it operates smoothly.
Things You Will Need
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What To Do When Your Sink Stopper Is Stuck
Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for over 13 years.
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- Working Time: 5 – 20 mins
- Total Time: 5 – 20 mins
- Skill Level: Beginner
- Estimated Cost: $10 to $20
A sink stopper that gets stuck in the closed position can be a challenge. Jiggling the lift rod doesn’t work. Prying the stopper loose with your fingernails is tough to do plus, it’s bad for your nails.
As it turns out, unsticking a sink’s pop-up stopper is incredibly easy. There are a couple of above-sink methods you might want to first try, but it’s usually best to progress directly to raising the stopper from below the sink, then fixing the problem so it doesn’t happen again.
What Are You Currently Seeing
- Black sludge or slime in drains?
- Black mold around the sink drain?
- Black gunk in sink faucet?
However, you want to label it, something abnormal is going on in your sink drain, and it needs to be fixed. The black slime you are seeing might seem like a gross infestation of something, but the truth of the matter is, the black gunk is normal.
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How Do You Remove A Sink Flange
Before you begin, empty everything from underneath the sink and place a cushion or two on the floor for comfort. It’s also worth switching off the water supply to the faucet so that you don’t get a nasty surprise if someone turns the tap on while you’re working under the sink.
Removing a sink flange should be a quick task, even if its wedged in tightly. Heres what to do:
Put Everything Back Into Place
Once you have cleaned everything up and unblocked the drain, it is time to put everything back the way it was, so simply follow the same steps in reverse order.
First, put the sink stopper back in the hole. Next, go under the sink and screw the nut back into place, tightening again with the wrench or pliers as required.
When the nut is tightened, reattach the rod to the strap using the clip that you removed earlier. When this is done, come out from under the sink to test the stopper.
If it moves up and down as normal when you push and pull the level, you have successfully fitted it back into place. To finish, put everything back under the sink, wipe everything down with a cloth and the job is finished!
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How To Clean The Drain Stopper
Now that you know how to remove drain stoppers in the sink and bathtub, it’s time to learn how to clean a dirty stopper. Fortunately, the same cleaning processes work for most drain stoppers.
Keep all screws and small, loose items in a safe place. You can lean on home remedies to clean the stopper. Use at least one of these methods:
- Remove the debris by hand.
- Rinse the debris with faucet water.
- Scrub the drain stopper with a toothbrush and baking soda or dish soap liquid, then rinse the debris with water.
- Soak the drain stopper for 30 minutes in a bowl filled with either a cup of white vinegar, cleaning vinegar, dish liquid, or a cup each of baking soda and vinegar. Then, scrub the contents with a toothbrush. Rinse the debris off with water.
Afterward, dry the stopper with a washcloth or paper towel. While the drain pipe is open, use a fresh cup of each vinegar and baking soda to clean the clogged pipes. If you see debris, use pliers to pull the gunk out. You can also use a coat hanger, plunger, or drain snake.
How To Unclog A Sink Shower Or Tub Drain And How To Clean Drains

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Is a slow drain driving you crazy? If you’re wondering how to unclog a drain or how to clean a drain, our plumbing expert has some great tips for you. And you dont even need chemicals to get the job done! Plumbing experts agree that harsh chemicals can damage your pipes and the environment. Doyle James, president of Mr. Rooter Plumbing, offered the following sage advice for cleaning and maintaining drains.
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Do I Need Plumber If I Drop Something Down My Sink Drain
If an item accidentally drops into the sink drain , it can be difficult to get it out. You don’t want to call a plumber every time you need to clear a clog, so what can you do?
If the object is small enough, you can try to fish it out yourself using a piece of string. Tie one end around something that will easily fit down your drain, like the head of a screwdriver or wooden spoon. Push the other end toward the clog until it catches onto the object you need to retrieve. Pull back on both pieces of string together and hope for an easy retrieval. This might be easier if you have someone else who can help guide the spoon while pulling at it gently from above..
If you’re unable to successfully retrieve your object, don’t worryLutz Plumbingcan help! Our plumbers have several different tools available to do this job for you safely. They can use rods with hooks or small cameras attached so they know exactly where the object is stuck before attempting any extractions. If it’s a small object, there may be no need for complicated tools at all – something as simple as a claw tool that has a hook at the end can do the job.today for help with all things plumbing routine and emergency.
How Do I Know If Theres Mold In My Sink Drain
There are a few ways to determine if theres mold in your kitchen sink drain. You might not actually see mold in the drain but recognize the musty smell or random allergic reactions.
However, in some scenarios, you might see mold gathering around the sink drain or even catch a glimpse of goop in the drain tailpiece. Mold in your sink drain is usually black and goopy, hanging out in the drains tailpiece. This is the part that sits beneath the strainer and stopper in the drain and extends down the P-trap.
Mold exposure can also cause a host of allergy symptoms, like watery eyes, sneezing, runny nose, coughing, itching, wheezing, headaches, fatigue, and difficulty breathing. The severity of the reaction depends on the persons sensitivity and the severity of the mold spore concentration. If you notice a sudden onset of these symptoms and there isnt an explainable reason, mold might be the culprit.
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