Have you noticed the odor of rotten eggs or sulfur in your home or business? If you have, it could be sewer gas. When sewer gas is present in the air in high concentrations, individuals may complain of headaches and irritation of the throat, nose, and eyes. The good news is that there are steps you can take to prevent sewer gas from infiltrating your building.
Causes of Plumbing Odors
Plumbing systems can smell disgusting for a variety of reasons, including sewer gas seeping into your building from the pipes, and mold, mildew, and bacteria growing in the drain pipes. If you smell strange odors in your home or business, you should take steps to determine the cause.
Dry Trap – If a drain is unused for a prolonged period of time, the trap can dry out, allowing sewer gas to enter into the building.
Filthy or Blocked Trap – Shower, bathtub, and bathroom sink drains can get clogged with hair and soap, causing musty, moldy, or mildewy smells.
Broken or Cracked Drain Pipe – Cracked or broken drain pipes can allow unpleasant odors into your building and cause wastewater to leak inside your walls, leading to water damage.
Bad Vent Pipe for the Toilet – If you smell human waste or sewage in your bathroom, and you’ve thoroughly cleaned the area multiple times, the smell may be due to a bad vent pipe.
Bad Toilet Seal – All toilets have wax seals that connect and seal the toilet to the drain pipe. If the wax seal goes bad, it can lead to sewer smells in your bathroom as well as leaks around the base of your toilet.
What to Do if Your Plumbing System Is Causing Sewer Odors
There are several things you can do to help stop sewer smells from entering your home or business, like pouring water down unused drains, cleaning P-traps, clearing clogs and utilizing the services of a professional plumber.
Pour Water Down the Unused Drain
Dry P-traps can be rewetted by pouring water down the affected drain. If the sewer gas smells disappear, that was most likely the cause.
Clean the P or S-Trap
If the P or S-trap under your sink or in your shower is clogged, you can remove the trap and manually clear it. This may help to eliminate musty, moldy or rotten smells.
Clear Any Clogs
Slow drains are often the sign of a clog. Using a sink or toilet plunger is the safest way to clear small clogs. However, if plunging the affected drains doesn’t work, you’ll need to call a plumber.
Check the Base of Your Toilet for Leaking Water
When you flush your toilet, does water appear around the base? If it does, you may have a bad wax seal. Replacing the seal requires the services of a professional plumber.
Call a Professional Plumber
If none of the above tips worked, it’s time to call a professional plumber. Local plumbers can help identify the sources of sewer gas smells and implement the correct repairs, like replacing your toilet seal, unclogging the drain, and repairing broken or cracked drain and vent pipes in your home.