Learn Why Your Household Drains and Water Smell so Bad

What’s that foul smell? Is it coming from your drains or your water? It can seem really gross, but there are only a few things that can be causing the problem.

You can always call your plumber for help, but there are a few primary DIY tests that you can do on your own to help narrow it down.

These are the usual suspects that can be blamed for the smell coming from your drains and water.

Check Your Sewer Line

The first place that you should check is your sewer line. Are there musty odors coming from numerous drains in your household? Is it really strong in your basement? It sounds like wastewater is not leaving your home the way it should via your sewer line.

Other reasons for concern include sunken patches on your lawn, mold growth, damp spots, low water pressure and a weird increase in your water bill that you can’t explain.With this problem, don’t delay repairs. You could be at risk for flooding.

What’s Going on with the P-Trap?

If your plumbing has been installed properly and to code, there should be a P-trap attached to the piping.

It has a very important job when it comes to keeping your household smell-free.

The P-trap gathers water which acts as a barrier between the drain and the smelly gases that coming floating up from the sewer.

What happens is if the water isn’t in the trap, nothing is blocking the gas from flowing through your drains.

Common reasons for the P-trap to dry out are lack of use or if the seal is broken.

If the seal is broken, fix it. If it’s ok, run the water to refill the trap, which should do the trick.

Blocked Pipes= Bad Smells

If you let food scraps fall down your drains in your kitchen, eventually you are going to be dealing with a clog. As the clog is organic, it will start to decompose, and a foul odor will creep up the drain.

To fix these, make sure that all food waste goes in the garbage. To freshen the smelly drain, sprinkle baking soda followed by a liberal dose of white vinegar.

Together these will foam up and break up the clog while deodorizing the drain.

It’s also advisable to get your drains professionally cleaned every year or so to prevent all clogs from happening.

Replace Your Anode Rod

If your water smells like rotten eggs, you’ve probably got to do something about the anode rod. The anode rod is the part in your water heater that prevents corrosion of the tank. When the water is too hard, too soft or is otherwise out of balance, a chemical reaction is created with the anode rod which releases sulfuric gas.

It’s that gas that makes your water smell so bad.

The advised course of action is to replace the anode rod. Don’t remove it altogether, because in many cases that will void your warranty. Depending on your water, it might be a good idea to replace it with an aluminum one.