Have you ever turned on your faucet only to be met by an awful smell? The unpleasantness of this can’t be put into words. A lot of people run into this problem at some point in their home, and they mistakenly think the smell comes from their faucet. However, the smell actually comes from your drain.
No matter where the smell comes from, you probably want it gone. In order for that to happen, you need to know what’s causing it. Keep reading to find out three top reasons this smell may be coming from your drain.
1. Your P-Trap Is Dry
The p-tap is the u-shaped curve (it looks like a P when you include the whole drain) at the beginning of the drain pipe. You can think of it as a smell trap because it traps the sewer smell in your drains.
The way this happens is when you run water and then turn it off, some of the water settles down into the u-shape. It creates a barrier between the air in your home and the smells coming from your home’s sewer system. When there is no water in the p-trap, there is no barrier and the scent floats up through the drain.
Some reasons that your p-trap may be dry are:
- The p-trap has a leak
- The water in the p-trap evaporated
- You don’t have a p-trap (older homes)
2. Your Pipes Are Clogged With Stinky Organic Matter
Clogs cause so many problems and one of those problems is odors. Organic substances such as food, hair, and dirt can get stuck in your drains and begin to rot. This attracts yucky bacteria and supports the growth of mold, both of which give off awful stenches. In the extremely hot summers of Mesquite, this smell can become intolerable. If you have clogs, there will be other signs also such as slow draining. Clear the clog to clear the air.
3. Your Garbage Disposal Might Be the Culprit
Garbage disposals are notorious for causing odors. Sometimes food can get trapped in the blades and begin to rot just like they would in a clog. This can also happen if you don’t run enough water when you use the garbage disposal. Luckily, this is easy to fix. Simply pour in some baking soda and vinegar, let it sit for 10 minutes, then run hot water through it.
In Summary…
Let’s face it – bad smells happen when it comes to drains. It something every Mesquite, TX home owner has to deal with eventually. The good news is that it’s usually not anything to be concerned with. If the simple solutions above don’t work, you can always call us at Metroplex Leak & Line to help with your plumbing problems.
