Four Reasons Your Drains Smell

Is there really anything worse than a foul smell coming from your drains when you’re trying to shower or just do the dishes? You scrub your house from top to bottom and all you want is for it to look and smell great, but what ends up being the case is a nasty, lingering smell that you just can’t get rid of!

You realize that there is something coming from your drains, and that’s when everything starts to come together. When you notice the smell has come from the drains, you need to start looking at whether there are blocked drains or if something has died in there! You don’t need that smell filtering through your house any longer, but that means that you have to source the smell and figure it out. With this in mind, you need to figure out what could be causing your drains to smell and we have four suggestions for you below:

1. The drain trap is having difficulty.
   There is always a drain trap for your sink or bathtub and it works to seal off the pipe, preventing sewer smells from backing up and floating through your house. If you don’t have a drain trap, or you notice that it has started to break down, there could be a nasty smell wafting through your house. Cleaning won’t fix this one, unfortunately; you need a professional to come in and do it for you!
   
2. Your pipes aren’t vented properly.
   Did you know that your drain pipes are connected to vent pipes? These bring some fresh air while letting out foul-smelling gasses, and usually the vertical vents exit through the roof, way away from any windows or other vents that can allow the smell back to your house. These can clog, just like any other pipes in your home, and when this happens you have to make sure that you again, talk to a professional to ensure that these can be unclogged and fix the overall issue.
   
3. The pipes are busted.
   Cracks in the pipes can prevent the water from flowing properly, moving debris and food away from the plug of the sink. Drain lines shouldn’t be able to gooseneck, but they do occasionally and water sits in the gooseneck of the pipe, stagnating. This can cause a horrid smell if you’ve not checked your pipework in a while! Run hot water down the drain, and make sure that it’s boiling to clear any clogs out. 
   
4. The sewage lines have clogged.
   You don’t like smelly drains and your sewer lines don’t like to be blocked up. If you aren’t washing the sewage from your pipes properly, you will be dealing with a seriously stinky backup! No one wants to deal with a smell like that, and it can take some time to get used to it! Make a point of choosing to clear out your pipework and your sinks as much as possible so that you don’t have to deal with that smell any longer than is truly necessary.