Why Does My Drain Smell Bad?

Did you ever hover over the sink or shower drain and were greeted with an unpleasant smell? If so, congratulations — you have a “smelly” drain on your hands. While you may be somewhat perplexed, at first, as to why the drain now bears a foul odor, there are a few common reasons why this could have happened in the first place.

Reasons Why Your Drain Smells Bad

Bacteria Build-Up

Think about it: Typically, a series of odds and ends plummet down your plumbing drains — which are carried away from your home and deposited into the sewer. However, there’s always a chance that one of those items (such as food) could have gotten stuck in the drain and is lingering around longer than you’d like it to.

In this case, a video camera inspection can help a plumber get to the root of the problem and come up with a solution that can help lodge “the suspect” from the pipe — providing water with a smooth “highway” to travel down once again, as well as eliminate the smell.

Another thing to consider: This can also happen when you misuse your garbage disposal. So, if you’re unsure whether or not a particular food product can be disposed of down your device, consider tossing it out into a nearby garbage can to avoid a potential plumbing problem.

P-Trap is Dried Out

The reason why drains have a p-trap is so water can help block sewage smells from having the chance to “float” out of the drain’s opening. However, if the p-trap happens to be dry, there will be no H2O in place to block that gnarly smell from rising.

Typically, this is the result of rarely using a specific plumbing fixture in your home. To help combat this, consider running water down the drain to revitalize the p-trap and “bring it back to life.” Of course, to help prevent this issue again, make sure to show a little more TLC to that plumbing fixture every now and then.

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