Unpleasant odors of any kind are bad for the ambiance and comfort of your home. But when those bad smells come from a broken or somehow compromised drain and sewer line, there is an added risk that deadly waterborne diseases will break out inside your home, says Gulf Bradenton Management.
What causes sewer odors inside your house, and how can you fix this problem? Sewer odors in the home come from a range of, and sometimes surprising, sources. The most well-known cause of sewer odors in the home is a broken sewer line, but there are other causes.
10 causes of sewer odors in your home
Broken toilet seal
If the wax ring seal at the base of the toilet seat is broken, maybe due to aging or because the toilet is unstable, the toilet will leak. This can cause sewer gases and the unsanitary water inside your toilet to seep out. Replacing the damaged seal should solve the problem.
Clogged drains
Trapped sewer gases inside a blocked drain can find their way into your home. Blockages also prevent the free flow of water through a drain line, forcing wastewater to collect inside the pipe. This stagnant water can fester, causing sewer odors to flow back into your home.
Dry P-Trap
The P-Trap is a U-shaped bend in the pipe assembly under your sink. By trapping water inside the U-shaped bend, it prevents the backflow of sewer gases into your home. If a sink has not been used for a long time, this water will dry up, and sewer gases can enter the house. Pouring water into the sink will solve this problem.
Leaky pipes
Leaky pipes inside your walls or beneath your sink can cause sewage smells in your home. Water that is discharged from the damaged pipe will soak into the surrounding areas and start to fester after mixing with the organic materials in your walls and flooring.
Biofilm
Large colonies of microorganisms can attach themselves to the inner surfaces of drainpipes. These bacterial growths can act on the organic wastes inside the pipes – hair, skin cells, food waste, etc. – causing the broken-down materials to emit odors that are similar to the smell of sewage.
Blocked vents
The vent pipe in your plumbing system helps to regulate pressure and also provides an outlet for sewer gases. If the vent pipe is improperly installed or blocked, putrid gases inside the sewer line will be trapped. These gases may eventually exit into your home.
Abandoned floor drains
Infrequently-used floor drains, such as those found in basements and laundry rooms, can emit a bad odor. This happens when the water inside the trap evaporates, creating a pathway for sewer gases to flow backwards into the home. Pouring water into the drain will seal it.
Clogged sink overflow
Bathroom sinks have an overflow mechanism that helps prevent water from spilling over. If this overflow mechanism is clogged, the decaying matter inside it will produce a smell similar to the odor of sewage. Solving this problem is as simple as cleaning out the sink overflow.
Bacteria inside the water heater
If the sewer odor in your home only happens when you use hot water, there is a chance that you may have bacteria inside your water heater as a result of its temperature being set too low. Bacteria in your water heater leads to bad odors in your home. To fix the problem, raise the water heater temperature temporarily while running the hot water.
Broken sewer line
Sewer odors inside your home are one of the principal signs of a broken or clogged sewer line. If the sewer line is cracked, it will leak its content into the surrounding soil. This will cause the smell of sewage to linger in the air around and inside your home.
How to stop the smell of sewer gases in your home
To solve the problem of sewer odors in your home permanently, follow these three steps:
Regular plumbing inspections
Having a professional plumber inspect your plumbing once a year will help you uncover many of the listed causes of sewer odors inside your home. Scheduled plumbing inspections let you cut plumbing maintenance costs by allowing you to detect problems early to solve them cheaply.
Professional drain-cleaning
Drains that are cleaned once a year will not have biofilm, clogs, and other problems that cause sewer gases to enter your home. Hydro jetting or sewer rodding services – two of the most effective professional drain cleaning methods – will get rid of the buildup inside your drains and ensure free flow of water through the pipes at all times.
Upgrade aging components
The risk of sewer odors entering your home increases as your plumbing ages. Timely repairs and replacement of aging plumbing features not only solve the problem of sewer gases infiltrating your home, it improves the overall performance of your plumbing system.
As a final step to keep sewer gas odors out of your home, you need the expertise of a trustworthy plumber. A professional plumber – especially one who specializes in drain cleaning – is the most important piece of a preventive plumbing maintenance plan for your home.