How to Fix Sewer Smell in Your Bathroom?

If you’ve ever wondered “Why does my bathroom smell like sewage?,” we’re here to help! 

Common reasons for a sewer gas smell in the bathroom include a dried out P-trap, a broken toilet seal, a burst or cracked pipe, or a damaged sewer or main drain.

The smell of sewer gas is not just unpleasant, it can be very harmful to your health. You and your family may experience headaches, nausea, drowsiness, shortness of breath, and sometimes even heart palpitations from sewer gas inhalation. 

While a minor leak or clog is not difficult to repair or remove, major breaks in your pipes, sewer, or main drain should be handled by a professional.

Why Bathrooms Can Smell Like Sewage

At a minimum, there are usually three main places in your bathroom that could be the source of sewer smells, or in the case of a sewer break, all three places will emit a sewage smell in the bathrooms. 

The first is the bathroom sink, the second is the toilet, and the third is the tub or shower drain. Any or all of these can be the source of what causes a bad smell in bathrooms.

A sewage smell is your stinky clue that your pipes are clogged, leaking, or otherwise damaged. Over time, pipes can corrode or nearby roots, thirsty for water, breakthrough and damage your underground pipes.

Anytime sewage is obstructed, the sewage smell has no other escape route except back up through your bathroom drains. 

The easiest problem to fix is when a drain or toilet goes unused and the P-trap underneath dries out. But, a major sewage situation requires expert help. After all, do you know all the signs of collapsed sewer lines? Sewer gas is not something you want to expose yourself or your family to. 

Dangers Of Sewer Gas Exposure

Sewer gas is a complex stew of chemicals that can make you sick, including ammonia, methane, and hydrogen sulfide.

Symptoms of sewer gas exposure include tiredness, eye irritation, irritation of the nose and throat, coughing, nausea, shortness of breath, headaches, irritability, memory issues, and dizziness. If your health is already compromised, the effects could be even more threatening. 

Top Causes For Sewer Smell In Bathroom

Broken Seal Around Toilet

Your toilet attaches to the drain with seals. If they are broken or loose, they will allow sewer gases into the home. If the seals are leaking water around the toilet, bacteria grows and creates a yucky smell.

The wax ring seals the toilet to the pipes, so if it is broken or missing, this can cause foul odors and is important to fix. You can do it yourself, but it is a good idea to contact a professional, as it involves removing the entire toilet. 

Dry P-Trap Piping

One common reason your drain smells bad is a dried P-trap. A dried P-trap will result in a sewer odor emitting from a sink that hasn’t been used in a while. 

The P-trap is designed to use water to block sewer gases from leaking up the drain. If a sink’s P-trap dries out, this can result in a bad smelling drain. 

To alleviate this problem, pour hot water down the drain to restore the water barrier in the P-trap. To prevent a drain that smells bad in the future, run water down the drain regularly as part of your routine plumbing maintenance.

Burst Pipe

If you can smell sewer gas in or around your home or building, this is a tell-tale symptom of a crack somewhere in your sewer system. A sanitary sewer should be airtight everywhere, with the exception of vent stacks on your roof which allow the sewage smell to move up and away from your home. 

Shower Drain

Smells in a shower drain can be caused by odor-causing bacteria that feed on debris in the pipe. Some of these anaerobic bacteria live in fetid water in the P-trap and produce hydrogen sulfide gas, which smells like sewage. 

When we shower, it is to clean the dirt off our bodies. However, did you know that the products we use can cause a biofilm to form?  Do you see an orange or pink film? If yes, this could be causing the shower drain to make the bathroom smell like sewage. Cleaning this biofilm is important as it is bacteria. 

Other odors can also be caused by the debris itself, like hair, or soap scum build-up. Mold can also grow on the soap and give the drain a musty odor. One easy way to eliminate odors is by thoroughly cleaning the drain.  

Jacuzzi Tubs

If you have a Jacuzzi tub, you may notice black flakes coming out of it. This could also be due to biofilm, just like you find in the shower as mentioned above. 

Sink

In bathrooms, a smelly sink is often caused by stray hairs that become lodged in soap scum lining the drain. Bits of bar soap and even a buildup of liquid hand soap can lead to a clog over time. Here are some simple strategies to clear sink clogs.

Collapsed Sewer Line 

Do you live in an older home? In the past, pipes were made of cast iron or clay piping, which didn’t last very long. Aging sewage systems can break down and crack, causing sewage backups and flooded basements.

Plastic sewer lines, usually referred to as PVC piping, are now the standard for sewer lines, as they require minimal maintenance. 

Clogged Plumbing Vent

Could you have dust, debris, or leaves clogging your plumbing vent? As water passes through plumbing pipes, it creates a vacuum. For the water to keep moving, it needs air to push it and replace the vacuum it creates. 

The plumbing vent acts as an air pressure regulator letting air into the plumbing system, which then pushes water throughout the pipes. It also gets rid of gasses and odors that wastewater can leave behind.

A clogged vent won’t let air through and into the pipes, so the water remains in the plumbing system. Stagnant water builds up in the pipes until the pipes can no longer handle it, resulting in the water flowing back up and out of drains and a sewage smell becomes overwhelming.

Bacteria Build-Up In Water Heater

Bacteria growing in the water heater can lead to a rotten egg or sewage-like smell. If hot water is not used, the water heater is turned off for a long period of time, or if the thermostat on the heater is set too low, you may end up with this smelly bacteria. 

Full Septic Tank

A septic tank should be emptied every one to two years. This is a good rule of thumb, but your particular schedule will depend on the tank’s size, the size of your family and your family’s needs. Regular maintenance could make it possible to go longer periods before you need to empty the tank

Sewer Backups

Usually the source of a toilet clog, which ends up backing up the sewer, is from packing the toilet with too much toilet paper or something that should not be flushed.

If all the toilets or bathtubs in your home are backflowed, there may be a clog in the main sewer line or the sump pump failed. Clogs can consist of hair, grease, or other solid materials that end up in the drains.

How to Fix Sewer Smell in Your Bathroom?

If your drains or toilet are clogged, you’ll need to remove it. If a leak is what’s causing your sewer smell, you’ll need the tools to tighten or patch the affected area. If your toilet has lost its seal, get ready to remove and reseal it. You may also need to service your water heater if you want to get rid of the sewage smell.

Remove Clogs

Remove the clog by hand, using a drain snake, a plunger, a hot pot of water, natural drain cleaner, or remove and clean the drain trap. If using hot water, pour it down the drain first, followed by baking soda, then vinegar, followed by more hot water after you’ve let the mixture sit in the drain for 10-15 minutes.

Fix Leaks 

If water is leaking from beneath the toilet, you might be able to stop it by simply tightening the bolts securing the toilet to the floor. Use a putty knife or slotted screwdriver to pry off the caps covering the bolts. Then use a wrench to alternately tighten each bolt, a little at a time. Be careful not to apply too much pressure or you’ll crack the toilet’s base. 

If it is your bathroom sink that is leaking you’ll need to find the leak. We recommend reassembling your bathroom sink to find the source of the leak. 

Replace / Reseal Toilet

Replacing and resealing your toilet is more important for a homeowner. You need to empty the toilet, detach the toilet, move it out of the way, remove the old wax seal, replace toilet flange bolts, attach the wax ring, position the toilet, and finally bolt it to the floor. 

Service Water Heater

Tank water heaters have a protective component called a sacrificial anode rod. The purpose of the anode rod is to draw corrosive minerals to it so that the rod corrodes instead of the inner lining of the tank.

Many anode rods are made of magnesium or aluminum. When these rods corrode, the metals react with the sulfates in the water, turning the sulfate into stinky hydrogen sulfide.

The water heater tank needs to be flushed and disinfected. Doing so will remove the bacteria and particles causing hydrogen sulfide. 

During a water heater flush, you may need a plumber to replace your anode rod if it is corroded to prevent the smell in the future.

When To Call A Professional

Thankfully, if you have a minor clog in your bathroom, odds are that you can fix it with a combination of hot water, vinegar, a drain snake, drainage chemicals, and a little elbow grease. Similarly, if the sewage smell is caused by a minor leak, you may be able to tighten or patch the offending pipe.

Your exposure to sewage is minimal when you’re removing a clog or patching a leak, but when digging equipment is used, your risk of harmful sewage exposure is increased exponentially. 

Conclusion

A sewer smell in your bathroom can often be resolved with a bit of investigation and maintenance. By checking the P-trap, clearing clogs, inspecting seals, and improving ventilation, you can restore freshness to your bathroom.

If the problem continues, don’t hesitate to consult a professional from https://www.directplumber.sg/. Keeping your bathroom smelling clean is essential for comfort and hygiene!