If your home uses a septic tank instead of a sewage system, sewage odors in the bathroom can be a sign that the tank needs to be pumped. This does not mean you cannot end up with sewage odors in the bathroom when you are on a municipal sewage system. You can. Five Star Plumbing is going to list the reasons why sewage odors make their way into bathrooms. You can call to schedule a plumbing inspection so we can find out why your bathroom smells like a sewer and fix the problem.
Dirty Drains
One reason why your bathroom smells like a sewer is that the sink and shower/tub drains are dirty. Your daily hygiene routine fills the drains with bacteria-causing substances such as skin cells and saliva. Soaps, shampoo, conditioner, and toothpaste can create a sticky backup inside the plumbing walls to which the bacteria-growing material adheres. Consequently, you will end up with smelly drains as your skin cells, hair, and saliva decompose inside the plumbing pipes.
Dry P-Trap
The bathroom sink’s plumbing has a U-shaped pipe that acts as a trap underneath the sink. This trap is called the P-trap and it is designed to prevent sewage odors from making their way up the pipe and out of the drain. When you drain the sink, water stays in the U-trap to create a seal between the main sewage line and the sink plumbing lines. This is the barrier needed to prevent sewage odors. If the P-trap does not have any water in it, the barrier is gone and you’ve got sewage odors in the bathroom.
Damaged Wax Ring
Between the toilet and the drainpipe is a wax ring that seals the sewage odors out of your bathroom. The wax ring also prevents the toilet from leaking water all over your bathroom floor. Over the years, the wax ring can dry out and crack. When this happens, you will end up with a leaking toilet and sewage odors in your bathroom. Replacing the wax ring can solve the problem.
Smelly Water
Finally, the sewage odors may be coming from your water supply. If the water is contaminated, it will smell. For example, if there is sulfur in the water, it will smell like rotten eggs. You might also be smelling some of the chemicals the water municipality adds to the water to treat it, although that should smell more like chemicals than sewage. If your water does smell like sewage, call us right away.
Five Star Plumbing in San Antonio, TX, would be happy to inspect your plumbing to find the source of the unpleasant odors. Call us today.
