Last week on our blog, we wrote about some of the ways you benefit from scheduling routine drain cleaning. One of those benefits is the elimination of drains that send out unpleasant odors. But there’s a bit more to talk about when it comes to that subject because the accumulation of food waste and organic material inside drainpipes is only one of the reasons that drains might start causing a stink inside a home.
Below are the main reasons, listed in order of severity, for foul-smelling drains, plus what you can about them.
- Dried p-trap: The curved pipe section under the drain is called the p-trap. Water settles in this pipe to block sewer gas from coming back up the drain. A drain that isn’t used often will eventually have a dried p-trap that will allow those gases to flow into the house. You only need to run water for about a minute down the drain to solve this.
- Organic build-up: This is what we covered last week, and it usually happens to kitchen drains. Schedule drain cleaning with our plumbers to get rid of this problem.
- Blocked drain vents: The drainage system in a house requires vents in order to lower the pressure inside the plumbing. These vents lead to a central pipe that carries sewer gas to the roof where it escapes. Blocked vents will force the sewer gas up through the water in the p-traps around the house. When you hear gurgling from your drains, it may be due to this problem. Call a professional plumber.
- Sewer line clogging or damage: If drains around your house are emitting foul smells, it might be due to a block in the sewer line—or even a broken sewer line. This is a major repair issue that must be taken care of ASAP, or else you could end up with sewage backing up into your house. Call our sewer line repair/replacement specialists to have the work done.
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