Causes Of A Smelly Shower Drain
Before you mistake the smell for the sewer line having burst, you need to know that the smell occurs due to a lack of thorough cleaning of the shower drain.
Anaerobic bacteria feed on the dirty water in the drain and emit hydrogen sulfide gas. This gas is what smells like sewage or rotten eggs. Lets look at the causes of the bad odor in your shower drain in detail.
Reason #: Problem With The P
If you can look underneath the shower drain, youll see a U-shaped pipe that water passes through. This is called a P-trap, and the purpose is to hold a small amount of water at all times to block sewage gasses from coming back up the pipe and into your bathroom.
If you havent used the shower in a while, its possible that the water in the P-trap has evaporated. This is an easy fix just run water in the shower for a few minutes and the P-trap will refill and the smell should go away.
However, if you have used the shower recently, it could be a sign that theres a leak in the P-trap. If thats the case, the pipe needs to be replaced to resolve the smell and prevent further water damage in your home.
Get Your Home Smelling Fresh Again
After a long day at work, the last thing you want to ask when you come home is: Why does my sink drain smell? Thats because a stinky sink can turn even the comfiest home into an unpleasant place.
If youve noticed a bad smell around your sink drain and you cant fix the problem on your own, its time to get outside help. Contact us today at to arrange a visit and get back to the wonderful smelling home you deserve.
Filed Under: Drain CleaningTagged With: smelly drain
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Cleaning A Stinky Drain
There are various ways to eliminate foul odors from a sink drain. Many people find that combined methods work best. Start with the simplest options and work your way toward the more complicated ones.
- Pour boiling water or vinegar down the drain: Bring a pot of water or white vinegar almost to a boil, and pour half of it slowly down the drain. Wait for a few minutes, rinse the pipe with cold water to solidify any lingering gunk, and pour the rest of the hot water or vinegar down the drain to wash it away.
- 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.
- Clean the P-trap: Put on rubber gloves and remove the curved portion of the plumbing beneath the sink with a wrench. Empty any water and gunk from the trap into a bucket. Take the P-trap outside and rinse it out with a garden hose. Reassemble the plumbing before using the sink again.
- Clean the drain vent: In most houses, all drain vents terminate in a single opening on the roof. Climb up a ladder and clear away any leaves or other debris clogging the drain vent.
Hot Water And Dish Soap
If youre really lucky, all your sink needs is a decent wash. Start by filling your sink with at least a few inches of very hot water, and then add some dish soap and agitate the mixture until it seems bubbly. When youre ready, open the drain and let the soapy mixture run through it.
If you have a mild odor or a new sink, this might be all that is required to get things smelling good again.
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Get Rid Of Smelly Drains In The Bathroom & More
At Carroll Plumbing & Heating, we can help you get rid of smelly drains in the bathroom as well as tend to all your plumbing and heating needs. Everyone has the right to live in a clean, safe, comfortable home. We can help your home stay that way.
Keeping your plumbing in top shape is an important part of home management. Click below to learn more about home maintenance and regular upkeep. Remember, when in doubt, call Carroll Heating & Plumbing!
Simply put, boiler services is the use of water to transfer heat in heating and cooling systems.
Try Baking Soda And Vinegar
There are so many outstanding household uses for vinegar that it is no wonder it can be used to clean and disinfect a clogged shower drain. Not only will this baking soda and vinegar drain cleaner clear a clogged drain, but it will disinfect and deodorize the pipe as well.
As a matter of fact, you can use baking soda and vinegar as the best way to clean bathroom tiles, the grout, the floors, countertops, and virtually everything in the bathroom. Take care of toilet odor on both the interior and exterior of the commode.
This powerful combo is great for deodorizing and removes stains of all types quickly and easily throughout every area of your home. Be sure to keep some on hand for whenever a smell or stain arises that you arent sure how to handle.
You will not want to clean shower glass, though, with this mixture, as the baking soda creates a film of its own. However, vinegar, hot water and a tablespoon of baking soda work well to remove hard water stains and soap scum from shower glass doors. Make a quick natural cleaner for shower tiles and keep it under the bathroom sink for easy access when needed.
Bugs are sometimes attracted to icky smells. Watch out for little gnats in your bathroom, as the sink may need treatment for fungus gnats with this spray.
Pour the baking soda into the drain and let it sit for several minutes. Next, pour the white vinegar into the drain. Wait for several hours to see if the solution dissolves the clog.
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Caulk The Toilet Base
If your toilet isnt currently caulked to the floor, water may be leaking out and creating an unpleasant smell. Caulking a toilet to the floor prevents smells and keeps the toilet securea win-win for homeowners. The process is simple, and can be completed in a single afternoon.
Why Does My Kitchen Drain Smell
If your kitchen sink drain smells, especially if there is a sewer smell, you may have a dry P-trap. The P-trap is the curved portion of pipe under the sink. It is supposed to hold water, which creates a seal that prevents sewer gases from getting into your kitchen. There needs to be water in the P-trap at all times.
There may also be a drain pipe or vent problem. This could involve pipe damage or an obstruction in your vent.
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Why Is There A Sewage Smell In Your Bathroom
You walk into your bathroom and crinkle your nose as you detect the faint smell of sewage coming from … somewhere. While most bathrooms are occasionally home to unfortunate odors, this one is distinctly out of place.
You lean closer to the sink, the shower drain and the toilet as you try to identify the source of the offensive odor. You squeeze some cleaner into the toilet bowl and give it an extra scrub, even though it has been recently sanitized. With that, the fragrance of the cleaner temporarily masks the smell, and you leave the room. Later, you catch another whiff as you walk past the bathroom door. This time, the smell is unmistakable, and no amount of scrubbing, running the fan or spraying air freshener is able to resolve it. So why is there a sewage smell in your bathroom?
The bad news is that any number of things can cause a sewage smell in your bathroom, and it can be difficult to pinpoint the source of the odor. Besides the obvious unpleasant smell, the methane in sewer gas can actually be flammable in large quantities, and breathing it in can be hazardous to your health. Fortunately, once the source of the problem is identified, the sewage smell is usually pretty simple and inexpensive to correct. Want your clean-smelling bathroom back? Read on!
Contents
Ice Lemon Peels And Salt
When basic soap and hot water dont do the trick, you can try this technique instead. With your garbage disposal off, put some ice cubes and a handful of coarse salt down your drain. Turn on your disposal and let the ice and salt be processed for a few moments before throwing in some lemon peels.
The salt and ice will work to get rid of any physical residue in your sink, while the lemon peels help eliminate odor.
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How Do I Stop My Drains From Smelling
Step 1:
If the smell is coming from a sink that is rarely used, flush your drain to ensure your P-trap is filled with water. When filled, the P-trap can do its job, which is to create an airtight seal that prevents obnoxious sewer or septic smells from escaping.
If youre curious about how to maintain septic tanks, check out our article All About Septic Tank Cleaning.
You can also deodorize drains and help smelly drains with a combination of baking soda and vinegar. These ingredients, when used together, can also sometimes help to clear drain clogs.
Step 1:
For this process, start by pouring a pot of boiling water down the drain.
Step 2:
Next, pour a mixture of one cup baking soda and one cup vinegar into the drain.
Step 3:
Insert the drain plug, or close the filter, and wait 510 minutes.
Step 4:
Then, flush the drain with another pot of boiling water.
For more information on this process, check out our article Do Baking Soda and Vinegar Solutions Clear Clogs?
Tackling The Stink Diy Style
When regular maintenance fails there are some deep cleaning hacks to make your sink smell better. So, if your sink is emitting unpleasant odors, try one of these popular sink de-funking tricks:
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If The Smells Are Still Present Move On To The Drain
Preventing Garbage Disposal Odors
If the odor from your drains persists, despite frequent cleaning and preventive maintenance, call Scott English Plumbing to get your system checked & get a drain cleaning service. From professional drain snaking to more intense drain cleaning methods like hydro jetting, well get you home working optimally again.
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How To Clean A Smelly Drain
Smelly drains are the worst! No one likes to walk by a nasty drain with a disgusting odor coming out of it. It is good to be familiar with what causes a smelly drain and some home remedies to fix it. If you ever need drain assistance, Great Pros has plumbers who are readily available to help. Lets go over the most common causes of a stinky drain and some home remedies for the stench.
How To Clean A Shower Drain With A Toilet Plunger
Your first line of defense for a clogged shower drain is an old-fashioned toilet plunger. Fill the tub or shower stall with enough water to cover the rubber bell of the plunger. Place the bell over the drain opening and plunge away. The force of the pressurized water should dislodge the clog and allow the standing water to go down. If the shower doesn’t drain or drains slowly, try again.
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Clearing Clogs With An Auger
Use A Snake Hose Auger Or Coat Hanger
You can try using a snake hose auger or drain snake, which comprises a flexible metal tube fitted into a plastic tube with an auger. Insert the auger into the clogged drain.
Hold the plastic tube tightly and, as you force the flexible tube into the drain, turn the handle on the other end of the flexible tube. This should clear out the clog. If this method works, make sure you sanitise the snake hose before putting it back in storage.
If you dont have a drain snake, you can improvise using a metal wire coat hanger or any piece of wire. Create a hook at the other end of the wire and slowly slide it down the drain until you reach the clog. Gradually pull the wire out.
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