Discover why Your Household Drains and Water Stink

In your household when your drains and water stink, it can be unbearable. You don’t have to sit there and suffer, though.

By using some simple tests and running through the process of elimination, you can with a great deal of certainty determining what is causing your smelly problem.

There are usually four main culprits for stinky drains and water. Here they are.

Sewer Line isn’t Working Well

If there are issues with your sewer line, you will notice a pungent, musty smell emanating from a number of different drains in your home.

Typically, this smell is strongest in basement drains. What might be going on is that your sewer line is damaged and is not draining sewage properly away from your home towards the municipal sewers.

Additional red flags are sunken patches on your lawn, low water pressure, unexplained increases in your water bill, wet spots on or near your foundation, and of course that musty odor.

This is a situation in which you need to call the plumber for repairs straight away.

P-Trap not Full

In order to keep the smelly sewer gases out of your home, you have P-traps installed on your plumbing.

They are easily identifiable as they are typically shaped like a “P”.

They work by holding on to water when being used to form a natural plug between the drain and the piping leading to the sewer.

If that trap runs dry (which typically happens if it hasn’t been used in a while), there is nothing to keep the stinky gases from floating up through your drains.

The fix? Simple. Run the water and refill the trap.

Do you Smell Rotten Eggs?

If your water has a yucky rotten egg smell, it’s time to look at the water heater. If the water isn’t kept at a temperature that is high enough or if it has been switched off for an extended period of time, the chemistry of the water gets out of whack.

Making matters worse, the water reacts with the anode rod that is in your heater to prevent corrosion. Replace the anode rod, and you should take care of the problem.

Ventilation not Adequate

You are likely aware that water flows freely through your pipes when you use your plumbing, but did you know that a great deal of air gets generated as well?

When something is blocking your pipes, the ventilation is compromised, and a suction effect is created.

This effectively draws smelly sewer gases back and up into your home.

Common causes for this kind of blockage are food, hair, plant or tree matter or animal nests.

Get your drains professionally cleaned and that smell will disappear.