Sewer odors in the home are as unpleasant as they are dangerous. Methane among other toxic gases can cause hydrogen sulfide poisoning and asphyxiation if exposure is severe enough, and may also risk explosions. Take a moment to learn about the reasons for these nasty odors before calling your local plumbers for drain services.

Top 4 Reasons for Sewer Odors

1. Damaged Wax Ring

Your toilet features a wax ring around the exit hole to create a tight seal between the fixture and the anchor or closet flange. It serves as flashing to prevent bathroom leaks but eventually wears out and requires replacing to prevent sewer drain pipe odors from escaping. If your toilet rocks when you push on it, the wax ring has worn down and requires professional work.

2. Sewer Vent Issue

The plumbing vent, or vent stack, works in conjunction with drainage pipes to eliminate greywater and waste from your home. Vent pipes remove foul air from the drainage system while also providing fresh air to all household fixtures. This helps water move through the plumbing system whenever you use a sink or flush the toilet. They are often found on roofs to keep foul odors away from the home. If a vent stack becomes blocked from bird nests, dead animals, wasp nests, or leaves and other debris, sewer gas cannot escape, resulting in household odors. The stack must be dismantled and cleaned to eliminate sewer odors in the home.

3. Dried House Trap Sump

In addition to pipes and vents, your sewer system features traps. House traps allow waste to pass while capturing water to create effective barriers against sewer gases so they do not enter your home. Every plumbing fixture in your home includes a trap. If a fixture does not get used much, such as one in a guest bathroom, the water barrier will dry up, resulting in odors. Running the fixture to recreate the barrier is sometimes enough to solve the issue.

4. Cracked Plumbing Drain Line Or Vent Pipe

Odors may also occur because of cracks in drain lines and vent pipes. Drain line cracks usually include water leaks and are easy for plumbers to identify; however, vent pipe cracks require deeper drain services. Plumbers usually close both ends of vent pipes and inject them with artificial smoke to determine the precise location of the leak.

 

Don’t let sewage odors go unchecked — contact the expert team at American Rooter in Watertown, CT to identify and fix the problem. A family-owned business for 38 years, this drain service company provides Connecticut and Rhode Island residents with the assistance they need to maintain efficient plumbing systems. Call (860) 274-7338 to schedule an appointment or visit the website for more information on drain services. Like them on Facebook for additional plumbing maintenance tips.