Top 3 Causes for Smelly Drains and Stinky Water

Although unpleasant odors in your home can be bothersome, in many cases they are easily removed. There are a number of things that can cause foul smells to be generated from your pipes and for your water to be smelly too.

Once you determine the cause, you’ll figure out the solution. As a first step, check all the faucets and drains. If you have smells coming from all of them, there is a very good chance that the problem rests with your water source. You probably have a cracked or damaged sewer line that should be looked at soon.

Otherwise, here are the top three causes of that foul odor:

1 The P-Trap is Dry

Is the smell coming from a sink or shower that doesn’t get used very often? It is possible that the P-trap is dry. The P-trap is the curved part attached to the pipe.

Its job is to hold a cache of water to block smells from coming up the sewer and into your home.

If you haven’t run the water recently, the trap has likely dried out. To fix this, just run the water. How easy is that?

If that doesn’t work, it might be because the water is leaking out due to a faulty seal. Call for help to fix it.

2 Rotten Egg Smell?

If the odor is sulfuric (i.e. like a rotten egg), there may be something up with your water heater. Your water heater has an anode rod which is actually in place to prevent corrosion.

The more active the anode rod is, because it is reacting with various minerals in the water, the more sulfide gas is produced, which is what creates the smell. The solution is to replace the rod, which is a fairly easy DIY job, or you can always call a professional for help.

3 Challenges with Ventilation

Pipes are prone to blockage, which not only stops the flow of water; it also interrupts air flow too.

Air needs to be able to pass so that stinky sewer gases can flow away from your home.

If the pipe is blocked, the gases have nowhere to go but back into your home, which is why you’ve got that funky smell going on.

Blockage can be from something you’ve accidentally put in the pipe or from a tree root.

Consider regular drain cleaning as a preventative measure. For really stubborn clogs, hydrojetting is the best method.