As a homeowner, you’re going to experience many different problems with the different systems throughout your home. One particularly annoying problem you may experience is a foul odor coming from your drain. Below, we’ll discuss some of the common causes of this issue and what you can do to remedy it quickly.
Food Debris
One of the simplest reasons that your drain may be emitting an odd smell is that there’s food waste stuck in your pipes. Any remnants will decompose over time and have a garbage-like odor. It can be helpful to turn on the hot side of your faucet and run the water for a few minutes. You may even want to consider mixing up vinegar and baking soda as a solution to flush down your drains to minimize the odor.
You can minimize your risk of experiencing food debris buildup inside your piping by being mindful about what you’re putting down your drains. Always have a container for your greases, fats, and oils so they don’t get stuck in your piping. Utilize drain strainers to catch any loose food particles, like rice or vegetable peels.
Dry P-Trap
If you look under any sink in your home, you’ll see a pipe that comes down into a U-shape. These are referred to as P-traps in the plumbing industry and play a vital role in preventing toxic sewer gases from entering your home. Whenever you use your sink, water flushes down through the trap, and some of it lingers behind in the bottom of the U shape.
This little bit of water creates an airtight seal so that any sewage odors further down your piping and sewer lines can’t travel up through the drain and out into your bathroom or kitchen. It’s important to note that sewage odors can be toxic to your health. Unfortunately, if you have a bathroom that doesn’t get a whole lot of use, the lingering water in your P-trap can actually evaporate into the air.
This can leave the trap completely dry, allowing those toxic sewage odors to travel up through your drain. Fortunately, this is a very easy fix as all you need to do is run the water for a few moments to fill the P-trap back up with water. Try to make it a habit to run the sink in those unused locations of your home at least once every few weeks to keep the P-trap full of water.
Bacterial Growth
There’s no doubt that anywhere there is water and higher temperatures, there’s a high likelihood of bacterial growth. From time to time, the inside of your piping may experience a growth of bacteria that can emit a foul-smelling odor. If you suspect that you have bacterial growth, it can be helpful to get professional drain cleaning service to remove any remnants inside your piping to get rid of the growth.
Clogged Drain
One other more pressing reason your drain may smell is that you have a clog in your drain or sewer line. If the clog is further down the line, you may still be able to run the water at your drain without it backing up into your sink just yet. If you suspect the issue is with a clog, it’s best to avoid running any more water down your sewage system until one of our professionals can clear it for you.
Preventative Drain Cleaning
Just like your HVAC system requires annual maintenance to stay in good working condition, so does your plumbing system. One key service you never want to forget to get is drain cleaning. Our professionals use hydro jetting, which is essentially sending high-pressure water down your drain and sewer lines to effectively remove any debris.
By removing any lingering debris on the inside of your piping, we can greatly reduce your risk of experiencing a clog anytime in the near future. This will also minimize your risk of developing a foul odor due to bacterial growth or rotting food remnants. Additionally, you should always make it a habit to be safe about what you’re putting down your drains. The more proactive you are about not putting items like grease, oils, fats, coffee grounds, rice, and other similar items down your drains, the less likely you’ll be to experience an issue.
Expert Drain Cleaning Service
Thermal Services, Inc. offers expert drain cleaning service for the Omaha, NE area. We can also assist with all your plumbing installation, repair, fixture replacement, and maintenance needs. Just call our office today to schedule your next service consultation.
