Find the Source of the Smell
From time to time, you will catch a whiff of a bad odor in your home. We are going to walk you through a few things that it could be.
The P-Trap
If your shower drain smells like sewage, it could mean that your P-trap isn’t effectively keeping sewer gases from seeping up into your bathroom. If you’re dealing with a musty odor and your P-trap is clogged then it needs to be cleaned.
A P-trap is an extra drain fitting that comes with you pipes. The trap itself contains water that creates a seal that prevents the gasses from coming back up into the home. If the water isn’t in the P-trap, then odors will easily waft up into the bathroom through the shower drain and around your feet as you shower. This makes inspecting it easy, just shine a flashlight at it and see if it looks dry or free of water. To fix it, check around for any debris in its trap. If it looks like something is stuck inside, get a paper towel to scoop out anything blocking it.
Leaking Pipes
If you smell rotting eggs while in the shower, it’s usually a sign that there’s a leak in the drain lines under your house. Smelly shower drains like this can include faulty valves, corroded pipes and dripping faucet joints. To get rid of these type of shower smells, you’ll need to tighten all corroded joints and replace sections of pipe that could be rusted. This can be a daunting task but if you call Air Design we can take care of it for you.
Biofilm Buildup
If you have a clog that you can’t clear with a plunger, then it may be that biofilm has built up inside the bowl and is preventing water from draining through. Biofilm is a film that forms on the insides of drain pipes when hair and other debris begin to decay and decompose. To break down the biofilm, you will use a special enzyme-based product that targets bacteria and germs.
Drain Pipe Clogs
If there’s a clog in your shower drain line from hair or other debris, then you’ll have to address this right away before the smell becomes any worse. Common causes of smelly shower drains can include drain clogs as well as leaks because when water sits for too long under the house, it begins to rot and decay at a much faster rate.
What Causes Clogs in the Shower or Sink?
The most common causes of clogs in your shower:
- Hair
- Sand
- Earrings
- Soap scum
- Dirt
- Mineral Deposits
These are just some of the most common reasons you could be smelling something in the wet areas of your home. We offer the knowledge for those DIYers but if that isn’t you, we are always available just call 850-202-cool.