As with anything else in your home, age and continuous use takes a toll on your plumbing system. One of the most common plumbing problems is sewage smell seeping from tub and sink drains. While the odor may just seem like an annoyance at first, the underlying problem could be a significant issue within your pipes. The drain smell can present itself in different ways. You may notice the unpleasant odor lingering at all times, when you run water from a fixture, or more heavily when it rains.
The sewage smell in your drain shouldn’t be ignored. Chances are you’ve tried store-bought chemical cleaners or drain clearing products. Those short-term remedies may reduce and alleviate the smell for a few days, but if the problem returns, it’s time to call a professional Yonkers plumber. Without realizing it, everyday use of the sinks, showers, and toilets in your home contribute to the buildup of debris inside your pipes. While your plumbing system is designed to last for decades, regular plumbing maintenance can help you avoid major repair needs over the course of owning your home.
Pipes become lined with grease, oil, hair and other debris, decreasing the flow rate and creating odors. It may be easy to notice a major blockage in your pipes, as tubs and sinks become slow to drain or stop releasing water at all. Small issues on the other hand, like minor clogs and buildup, may not spark reason for concern. But when these issues are left untreated, a major plumbing threat lurks just around the corner. When you notice a sewage smell coming from your drain, call Flotechs Plumbing & Heating. We’ll evaluate your system and determine the best course of action to rid your home of the offensive drain smell.
Causes of Sewage Smell In Drain
The reason your drains are emitting a sewage smell can vary. Before the Flotechs team begins recommending repairs, we do a thorough inspection of your pipes. With a sewer camera inspection, we’re able to get a live look inside your pipes without disrupting your property. By inserting a malleable cable with a high-resolution camera on the end into an existing opening in your pipe, the inner working of your plumbing system is revealed. Our team can then properly evaluate what’s causing the drain smell and offer viable solutions to eliminate the problem.
Some of the most common reasons for sewage smells in drains include:
Clogged Pipe
Whether it’s a small child’s toy or paper waste that shouldn’t have been flushed down the toilet, a clogged pipe can create foul odors in your bathroom and kitchen. The clog is more likely to occur if your plumbing system isn’t routinely inspected. Without yearly maintenance, pipe buildup thickens, making it difficult for waste and debris to flush completely into the sewer system. Those pieces of paper or foreign objects become lodged in the pipe, creating a clog.
When the clog forms, waste can get stuck between your drain and the mass. When that waste sits in your pipes, the fumes escape through your home drains. By performing a camera inspection, our team can detect exactly where the clog is located and use a safe method to remove the clog so your pipes can flow freely again.
Buildup
Pipe buildup may be unavoidable to some degree, but having your pipes cleaned every one to two years will reduce the threat caused by the accumulation of waste. Soap debris, cooking oil, and grease from pots and pans are pushed through your pipes. As the temperature of the grease cools, it solidifies. Over years of use, layers of grease and other waste build on the inner lining of your pipes. While water and waste can still travel through your plumbing system, the buildup reduces the flow rate and can begin to emit foul odors.
You may notice a stronger drain smell when you turn the sink or shower on in the morning or after a long period of no use. The gases that have settled in the pipes are now activated by the flow of water and seep up through your drains. Professional pipe cleaning can rid your system of buildup. Eco-friendly methods, like hydro jetting, clear the pipes with intense water pressure that jets from a rotating head. The tool is inserted into your pipes and pushed through the system, cleaning the buildup from the pipe walls. A professional Yonkers plumber can effectively clean your pipes of odorous buildup and restore your plumbing system to its optimal performance level.
Sewer Main Blockage
A more serious issue that can cause sewage smell to seep from your drains is a blocked sewer main. A blockage in the main line means sewage can’t flow from your home into the sewer system. In extreme cases, the sewage can become so backed up that it begins to emerge from sinks and shower drains.
Sewer main blockages present themselves a bit differently than a clogged pipe. If you’re experiencing a main blocked line, multiple drains in your home will become clogged simultaneously. Water will be slow to release from the drain, if it all, and all the toilets in your home will have a weak or unsuccessful flush. This type of issue requires a Yonkers emergency plumber immediately. The sewer blockage could do major damage to your plumbing system and home if left untreated.
Conclusion
Making a call to your local plumber when you notice the signs of a clogged pipe, significant buildup, or a sewer main blockage will help you avoid costly repairs in the future. Sewage smell seeping from your drains shouldn’t be ignored. It’s what you can’t see that could wreak havoc on your home if left untreated. Preventative plumbing maintenance is one of the best ways to avoid a call to a plumber at 2 a.m. Have your pipes inspected and cleaned once a year to reduce buildup and detect any other issues before they turn into major plumbing catastrophes.
