Has Your Plumbing Become Stinky?
Despite your plumbing being a major player in the removal of waste from your property, you do not expect it to be the source of foul odours in your home. And as long as you maintain rigorous cleaning practices, you decrease the likelihood of it developing bad smells. However, this does not mean that you will not experience stinky plumbing at one time or another. The trick to dealing with these situations is being capable of discerning the source so that you can seek the appropriate plumbing services. So what are some of the potential causes of stinky plumbing?
Problems with your sewer line
If the foul odours in your home are emanating from your sewer line, you will find that both your drains as well as water will have a distinctive bad smell. Sewer line issues require emergency plumbing services as they pose various risks to you and your property. Firstly, a burst sewer could translate into excrement being spewed all over your property, and this will not be easy to deal with.
Secondly, a compromised sewer line may cause some backwashing in your main water supply, and this exposes you to numerous health risks. The first thing to do is check whether the smells are coming from one drain or if all the plumbing fixtures in your home are affected. If the situation is the latter, call a plumber immediately as it implies the source of the foul odours would most likely be sewer-related.
You P-Trap has become funky
Another reason why you could have stinky plumbing is if the P-Trap has started to smell off-putting. The P-Trap is a piece of hardware that is connected to your plumbing pipes. This component works to vent gases that may waft from the sewer, efficiently keeping your plumbing pipes and faucets free from bad odours. However, if the P-Trap does not receive sufficient moisture, it starts to dry out, and this results in bad odours making their way into your plumbing. Water is crucial for your P-Trap, as this is what blocks the sewer gases.
The most common reason for this drying is when that bathroom is not used on a regular basis, so you will typically find this issue developing in guest bathrooms. However, you may also develop a smelly P-Trap if one its seals have become damaged. A plumber would be able to determine if simple repairs would suffice or if it would need to be replaced.