Do You Have Stinky Drains and Smelly Water? Here’s Why

For many plumbing problems, the inaccessible and technical nature of water pressure, pumps, and other elements means that you’ll need an expert to safely and efficiently find a problem, address it, and conduct a quality repair.

But some issues, even though they may be serious, actually have very simple solutions that anyone can—and should—try themselves before bringing in a plumber. When it comes to bad smells coming out of your plumbing, you may have some easy DIY options that you should try first, like the ones we’ve outlined here.

For Smelly Sewage Lines

Here’s where it may be time to call in the experts, depending on the nature of the problem.

With an entire sewage line, issues can be located in a much broader range and can either remain simple DIY problems, or require a professional response.

If you have a ventilation problem, you can fix this yourself if the issue is something basic, like leaves or other debris blocking the vent that normally allows gas to exit your home.

If the problem is with your sewage line itself, especially like a blockage deep in the system, you’ll need professional equipment and experience to deal with this problem.

For Smelly Water

When every faucet emits a smell when you turn it on, but that smell is only detectable when you run the hot water tap, you don’t have to worry about your water supply being compromised. What you have is a bacterial colony that has taken up residence in your water heater tank, and it’s that bacteria that’s causing the smell.

Of course, this isn’t a great situation to be in, since this means that you’re bathing in, drinking, and possibly cooking with bacteria, and some of these strains can cause illnesses like Legionnaire’s Disease. The way to deal with this problem is turn the heat up.

Right now, your water heater tank is warm and comfortable, but if you turn it up to around 135-140°F, bacteria can’t survive at that temperature range.

For A Stinky Drain

When the smell you detect is only coming from one source, and it’s not from a tap, then a stinky drain probably means you have an empty p-trap.

This is another of those problems with a very cheap, very simple solution that you don’t want to pay a professional to do for you. A p-trap is the series of bends in the pipe under your sink.

It’s designed to hold a quantity of water, and when that water is present, it acts as a vapor barrier, keeping gases that naturally drift in from the sewer out of your home.

If you’re smelling that sewer gas, just pour more water in. You’re far better off doing this yourself for free than paying someone else to come down to do the exact same thing.