Indoor plumbing is a gift, but it does come with some problems. You may occasionally smell a rotten egg smell coming from drains, but what causes a sewer gas smell in the house? The reasons are simple, but they range from easy to hard to fix and may require a plumber.
Contact Quality Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric, your trusted plumbers in Broken Arrow, OK for all your plumbing needs.
Easy Problems Causing the Sewer Smell in Broken Arrow, OK, Homes
Not every problem requires a call to the plumber. Foul odors are oftentimes the result of wear and tear that a trip to the hardware store can fix.
Dried Out Water Traps
The pipe connecting the toilet, sink, or shower to the wall is called the P-trap or S-trap depending on the shape. The curved portion you can see holds water, which prevents sewer gas leaks by physically blocking the gas from coming into your home.
Water traps can eventually dry out after extended periods without use. When the water level dips too low, the odor can travel through the sink or floor drains, leaving you with bad smells.
Solving this problem is as easy as pouring water down the drain. Water will stay behind in the P or S-trap to stop the flow of fumes once again.
Missing or Broken Plugs and Rings
Plumbing requires a lot of parts to keep water from flowing out of pipes. If these parts are used a lot or have been around for a long time, they’ll eventually get damaged or deteriorate from wear and tear and might be what causes sewer gas smells in the house. Replacing them is usually a simple DIY project, but you can always call a professional to take care of these problems for you.
Every toilet has a wax ring at the base that prevents water from leaking out when you flush. Over time, these break down and should be replaced. You’ll need to unscrew the toilet from the floor to remove the ring and add a new one.
Sewage systems have clean-out plugs accessible in or out of the home, like in a basement or in the backyard. These are capped access points to the plumbing system. If the plugs or caps break or somehow go missing, you’re bound to have an eggy scent in your home. Check up on these access points periodically to make sure the plugs are where they should be and properly functioning.
Problems Requiring Professionals
Sometimes you have to call in professionals to ensure your home is safe and repaired correctly. If plumbing isn’t handled correctly, you could end up with a bigger problem than when you started.
Give Broken Arrow plumbing professionals a call if:
- You Can’t Find the Issue: Finding the source of the smell can be a chore, especially if you have a large house or are unfamiliar with the plumbing system.
- Pipes Have Poor Connections: If pipes leading to the sewers or vent pipe have loose parts, you might start smelling sewer gas.
- Pipes Are Leaking: Leaky pipes can create bad smells and could turn into sewage backups, a bigger headache to repair.
- You Aren’t Confident: If you aren’t comfortable replacing a wax ring or investigating pipes, let professional plumbers do it for you.
Why You Need To Stop the Sewer Smell
Sewer smells are gnarly, but do they really do any harm? The bad smell is often a warning sign of potentially bigger problems if the pipes are left unchecked. You may end up with a burst pipe and wet floors, which is bad since the water may contain opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens.
The gas itself is dangerous when you’re exposed to it for too long. Sewer gas contains many components, including hydrogen sulfide, which makes the rotting egg smell. Methane and ammonia are also present, and when exposed to high concentrations, you may experience minor symptoms like nausea and headaches, or it could progress into something more serious like asphyxiation.
When you smell the sewer, identify the problem and call a professional plumber as soon as possible. A high concentration of gases likely won’t occur in your home, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Call Us To Remove the Smell in Broken Arrow
Leaks and backups are what ruins plumbing pipes. Contact Quality Heating, Cooling, Plumbing, & Electric today at (918) 212-0122 in Broken Arrow, OK so we can find out what causes a sewer gas smell in your house. We’ll repair it quickly so you can use your plumbing without any worries.
