What Is That Sewer Smell In My House?

There are many types of odors that you can have at home. When you do a lot of cooking, you throw food in the trash. The food that you throw into the trash produces a foul smell. However, this is easily solved when you take out the trash. What concerns you is a foul smell in your home. You cannot explain it. It, simply, will not go away. In this article, we will discuss what causes a sewer gas smell and what you can do to eliminate it.

Causes Of Sewer Gases In A Home

Dry P-Trap

Every drain system has a p-trap, whether it's the kitchen sink or toilet. This indicates that it has been installed according to code. The p-trap keeps sewer gases away from the house. When you flush the toilet, run the faucet, or pour liquids into the drain, the p-trap allows the waste or water to move down the sewer line and empties the sewer gases out of the vent along with it. Usually, the p-trap has some clean water that remains in it. This water blocks sewer gases from getting back into the house. When the water level in the p-trap gets low or dries out, however, sewer gases will move freely into the house and cause the sewer smell. When sinks or plumbing fixtures are infrequently used, the sewer gas smell is the end result. Also, when the drain is improperly vented, then the "sewer gas" air has no where to go but inside of your home. Essentially, the water in a p-trap acts as a seal when sewer gases move in and around your system.

Signs Of P-trap Problems

Aside from the foul sewer smell, another sign of a poorly ventilated p-trap is a "glugging" sound. This plumbing sound usually comes from one drain when another drain is being used. This is simply one drain using a different drain as a vent for sewer gases or air. This usually occurs in older homes and cabins. However, newer homes with improperly vented additions can also experience this type of problem.

How To Resolve The Problem

Obviously, you do not want your home to continue having a foul sewer smell. Therefore, you need to get to the bottom of the issue and have the problem resolved effectively. You may think that the sewer gas smell is only temporary and try using air fresheners to suppress the smell. However, you will discover later on that the smell will persist and get stronger with time. Ideally, you should call a professional plumber to look at your drain system and make the necessary alterations in your plumbing system to resolve the problem.

Importance Of Hiring A Professional Plumber

When you experience any type of plumbing problem, be sure to hire a licensed plumber. Make sure that they have a lot of experience in the industry. Trying to fix the problem on your own, or making it a DIY plumbing project, may exacerbate the problem. This means it will cost you more money to fix. Professional plumbers are effective at resolving plumbing issues, including sewer gas venting problems. Also, they take a reasonable amount of time to fix the problem. Therefore, you are getting value for your money when using plumbing services.

 

Plumber Easton PA

When you need a plumber, be sure to get a hold of Robinson Plumbing. We have certified and trained plumbers that can get your plumbing system back in working order quickly and affordably. Give us a call today so that we may answer any questions that you have. We service Bath PA 18014, Bethlehem PA 18015, Easton PA 18040, Martins Creek PA 18063, Nazareth PA 18064, Riegelsville PA 18077, Stockertown PA 18083, Tatamy PA 18085, and surrounding areas in the Lehigh Valley. Call us today at (610) 351-9889 or contact us for any questions that you might have!

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