{"id":1483,"date":"2023-10-23T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.relianceplumbing.com\/blog\/?p=1483"},"modified":"2023-11-01T12:35:00","modified_gmt":"2023-11-01T17:35:00","slug":"bad-smells-from-your-drains-heres-what-it-might-be","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.relianceplumbing.com\/blog\/drain-and-sewer-service\/bad-smells-from-your-drains-heres-what-it-might-be\/","title":{"rendered":"Bad Smells From Your Drains? Here\u2019s What It Might Be"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Nobody wants their home to smell like sewage or anything else rotten. It\u2019s frustrating when you keep your home clean and tidy, but then you begin to notice unpleasant odors wafting from your drains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s going on? Why is this happening, and what can you do about it, both immediately and in the long-term to prevent it from occurring again? We\u2019ll look at some reasons for foul drain odors in this post. We offer high quality plumber services in Skokie, IL<\/a> and throughout the Northshore and Northwest Chicagoland Area, and we\u2019re ready to help stop any of your bad-smelling drain troubles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Sources of Bad-Smelling Drains<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Organic material accumulation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A buildup of organic material, such as food waste, is a common source for kitchen drains and garbage disposals smelling awful. Organic material begins to rot, and the development of bacteria in decomposing organic material releases powerful odors. You can\u2019t solve this problem using chemical drain cleaners, which are ineffective at actually \u201ccleaning\u201d the interior of the drainpipes. We recommend calling us for professional drain cleaning services that will scour the drainpipe interior to pristine condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dried p-traps<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The p-trap is the curved pipe section under a drain. This curve captures water that blocks sewer gas from moving the wrong direction up the drainpipe. If a sink isn\u2019t used often, the p-trap water will evaporate, removing any barrier against sewer gas. This is easy to solve, however\u2014just run water down the sink for a minute to restore the water plug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blocked drain vents<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Drain vents are vertical pipes attached to wastewater lines in your home that allow sewer gas to escape up through the roof. If these vents become blocked, the sewer gas pressure will build up until the gas forces its way through the water in the p-trap and into the house. You may notice your drains gurgling along with the rank odor. Professional plumbers will find out how the vents became blocked and get them open again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sewer line troubles<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you start to notice foul odors coming from drains all around your house, then it\u2019s a strong possibility that there is a problem in the sewer line that connects your home to the municipal sewer system. The line could be excessively dirty, blocked with tree roots, or broken. You want to have any sewer line troubles solved as soon as possible before sewage begins to back up into your home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Prevent Future Problems<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once our plumbers have helped fix your current smelly drain disaster, we recommend you think about ways to prevent future problems like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n