Notice Smells from Your Plumbing?

Thursday, March 23rd, 2023

Bad smells in your home can happen for many reasons and cause serious disruption in your everyday life. If they continue, you might start to feel ill and not want other people to come to your house. If you cannot pinpoint the cause of household odors and they persist, it might be your plumbing.

You can resolve some of these problems on your own, but bigger concerns might need attention from your local plumber. The type of smell might suggest the problem’s source. Read on to learn about smells your plumbing might emit and what they could mean.

signs of plumbing problems

What Do Bad Plumbing Smells Mean?

Sewage Odor

Does your home smell like a waste treatment plant? A lingering sewage smell from your bathroom can be extremely disruptive. Not only does it make your home feel gross, but it can cause headaches and other health problems.

It can stem from a number of sources, but a common one is a toilet that is not used often. Plumbing in the bathroom uses U-shaped pipes that will collect water in this bend. If you do not use that toilet, the leftover water there will have time to evaporate and release unpleasant smells.

The same problem can occur in shower drains not used often too. Pour water down the affected drain to resolve the issue. But if the bad smell persists, the issue could point to a different concern.

Your toilet or another part of your plumbing might be broken or installed improperly. Consult with your plumber about this issue to fix it and get rid of that foul odor.

Musty Smells

If you notice a musty, old smell coming from your plumbing, this is a sign of mold and mildew. These types of fungi thrive in moist environments, making your pipes and drains a common target for this growth. If you deposit food down the drain, this can help mold grow even faster.

Mold and mildew can cause respiratory health problems when breathed, and the smell can be overwhelming and unpleasant. Get rid of mold and this odor with a cleaning regimen.

Pour half a cup of baking soda down the affected drain, leave it for 20 minutes, and then add one cup of hydrogen peroxide. Then put vinegar into the drain, pause until the resulting frothing stops, and then pour hot water down it. Wait five minutes or so before rinsing the drain and completing this process.

Other Foul Scents

Other bad smells like decay or ammonia could suggest plumbing issues as well. Ammonia has an unappealing metallic scent and could signify mold growth.

A rotting odor points to the decomposition of something stuck in the drain, suggesting a blockage. Call a plumber to clear clogs in your plumbing and keep water flowing smoothly and cleanly through your home. Do not ignore unpleasant smells because they may point to an issue you might not otherwise know about.