Most of us enjoy a clean, fresh home, so it can be very upsetting when you notice a sewage-like odor in or around your home. These unpleasant smells can signal something is seriously wrong with your home plumbing system. So, in this article, we’ll explore why you may be smelling sewage-like odors on your property.
Before discussing the causes of nasty smells, you must understand how sewer system plumbing works.
Every fixture and water-using appliance in your home is connected to a drain line, which allows waste water and sewage to leave the home. The drain lines connect to a main sewer line, which allows this material to flow to a municipal sewer system or a septic tank.
The system also has a sewer clean-out, an access point for the sewer line, and a plumbing vent that allows sewer gasses and associated odors to escape.
When this system operates properly, you shouldn’t notice any unpleasant odors or plumbing issues around your home. If you do notice any smells, it is an indication that something has gone wrong.
Thorough cleaning will usually eliminate unpleasant smells in your bathroom or kitchen. But if the odors persist, the underlying cause could be hiding under sinks or inside the walls.
This is one of the most accessible plumbing issues to resolve, but it can have a massive impact on unpleasant odors inside your home. The P trap is part of the pipework under your sink, and it is designed to create a water barrier that prevents gasses and unpleasant odors from rising into the bathroom.
If the sink is in a room that is not used frequently, the P trap can dry out, so there is no longer any water to prevent the smells from rising. In this scenario, all you need to do is run the faucet for a minute or so to allow the water to run through the pipes and recreate this water barrier.
If the P trap is attached to a regularly used fixture, it could be dried out due to a broken or damaged pipe. You will need a plumber to check the fixture and replace any compromised pipe sections.
Many of us use a variety of different products when we bathe. This can lead to traces of soap, shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, and more to wash down your drains along with natural debris such as body oils, hair, and skin cells. Over time, these materials can accumulate inside the pipes to form a biofilm, which creates an optimal environment for bacteria and germs to thrive. This can cause an unpleasant odor to emanate from the drains. If left unchecked, you may notice this smell throughout the bathroom, not just in the bathtub or shower drain.
Fortunately, you can clear the biofilm using white vinegar and baking soda. All you need to do is put half a cup of baking soda into the drain and wash it with white vinegar. This will foam up and bubble, so leave it in the drain for approximately 30 minutes. After this time, pour a couple of cups of hot water to flush the drain.
In most cases, a bad odor in a toilet can be eliminated by cleaning the fixture. But if the bad odor is lingering, it could be due to a loose or broken seal. Toilets attach to the drain using two seals, and if these seals are improperly installed, loose, or damaged, they could allow sewer gasses to rise into your bathroom.
You may notice that the toilet bowl does not normally fill up or that water pools in crevices in and around your toilet. You may also find that the toilet bowl feels loose, which can damage the wax ring seal.
In these scenarios, the seal must be repaired using caulk or replaced with a new seal.
Household drains are designed to carry wastewater, sewage, and toilet paper from your home. Unfortunately, if you flush other items or allow different materials to wash down sink drains, it can cause a clog. Common culprits include dental floss, hair, paper towels, and even “flushable” wipes.
This can lead to a sticky clog that harbors bacteria and causes standing water, which creates nasty smells.
If you flush anything other than human waste and toilet paper, your toilet could cause a septic blockage. Common culprits include baby wipes, sanitary products, and paper towels. Unfortunately, these materials can also lead to a blockage in your septic system.
You can avoid these issues by being careful about what you flush down your toilet. If you’ve already flushed items, you can use a plunger to bring the materials back into the bowl, remove them, and dispose of them properly in the garbage.
If items are caught further down the pipe, you may need to use a drain snake to reach and remove them.
Clogged drains can trap waste and odor, but a leaky or cracked drain will allow seepage. This means that in addition to an unpleasant smell, you may also notice a moist spot underneath the sink or on the floor.
If you only notice the smell when you use hot water, the problem could relate to your water heater. Bacteria colonies can set up inside your water heater, producing a rotten egg-like smell. You can correct the problem by increasing the temperature of your water heater for at least 24 hours and then running the hot water to flush any remaining bacteria from the pipes.
If you can smell a sewage-like odor when sitting in your yard or getting into your car on the driveway, it is most likely due to a sewer vent pipe issue or a damaged sewer line. So, we’ll cover these issues in a little more detail.
The roof vent pipe carries sewer odors to release them outside. If the vent pipe is improperly installed or cut too short, gasses can remain around the home. If the vent is clogged, the gasses can get stuck and start to seep through the walls. This is usually in places with a direct connection to the vents, such as the bathroom or laundry room.
Damaged sewer lines are more than an aesthetic problem, causing more than an unpleasant odor, so they need the attention of a professional plumber immediately. A damaged sewage line can cause clogged toilets and fixtures inside your home, soggy spots in your yard, or even raw sewage coming up out of your bathroom fixtures.
Many people assume that the municipality is responsible for maintaining sewer lines, but this is only where the main sewer line is in the street. The line that runs across your front yard or driveway is your responsibility. So, if there is a break or other damage to the sewer line, you must ensure that it is repaired or replaced.
You may not believe it, but the temperatures outdoors can impact the severity of sewage smells in and around your home. Strong winds can carry sewerage odors from the vent pipe to linger around your home, and hotter weather can also encourage the smells to linger.
While the weather will not directly cause the odors, it can impact whether the unpleasant odor is more intense.
Once you have eliminated the source of the unpleasant smell, the gas should stop entering your home, but the odor may continue to linger. Fortunately, there are a few tips that can help you.
The easiest way to clear any odors is to air the room out. Open all the windows in the area, even on the vent, if it’s cold or raining outdoors. Leave the windows open for several hours or until the air smells neutral.
Charcoal and baking soda both have odor-absorbing properties, which can help eliminate unwanted odors inside your home. You can use charcoal filters or simply open a box of baking soda next to the original source of the odor.
Odors can linger in carpets, drapes, and other soft furnishings, so putting any washable items in the laundry is a good idea to freshen them. If an item does not fit in your washing machine, use white vinegar on a clean cloth or a spray bottle on the surfaces. Don’t worry if the vinegar smells strong, as it will dissipate.
You can also sprinkle baking soda on carpets and soft furnishing surfaces. Allow it to sit overnight and then vacuum any remnants.
Always contact your local plumbing company to further investigate your sewer smells.