Noticing an unpleasant smell in bathroom areas can be confronting, especially when you’re not sure how to fix the problem.
For the comfort and health of yourself and anyone else living in or visiting your home, you’ll want to eradicate any sewage odours and restore a clean-smelling bathroom as quickly as possible.
The good news is that it may be easier than you think to get rid of bathroom smells through DIY solutions and bathroom cleaning. However, if these approaches cannot eliminate the problem, hiring professionals with extensive knowledge may be the best option.
If you’re wondering how to get rid of sewer smell from toilet areas in your home, the information in the blog to follow will take you through the process, step by step.
Key takeaways
- The sewer gas smell emitting from the plumbing system in your bathroom doesn’t have to be a cause of anxiety – at least, not once you understand the potential causes and how to resolve them.
- Possible causes include a broken seal, cracked pipes, and a water trap in your u-shaped pipe.
- Removing that rotten egg smell could be as simple as learning about the pipes in your plumbing system, as well as the home methods that work to eliminate the bacteria that causes a sewer odour; for example, baking soda and hot water.
Common Causes of the Sewer Smell in Toilets
Dry P-Trap
Named because of its shape, a P-Trap is a piping section that combines two 90-degree joints with a horizontal overflow pipe. The P-Trap is designed to “trap” water and sewer gases, preventing the sewage smell from reaching your bathroom. Lack of usage may cause it to dry out.
Damaged Pan Collar Rubber or Wax Ring
The pan collar rubber seals the toilet to the floor. As it wears over time and eventually fails, the watertight seal can weaken and break, causing a leak from toilet waste pipes. This in turn damages floors and creates sewer odours in your bathroom.
Blocked Vent Pipe
The vent pipe plays an important role in waste removal and odour control, allowing toilets as well as sinks and showers to drain freely and preventing unpleasant odours from developing as a result.
By supplying fresh air to plumbing systems, vent pipes help sewage systems to move water through drains with each flush. Blocked drains and pipes slow the draining process, leading to a buildup of bacteria which can cause a sewer smell in bathroom spaces.
Dry Floor Waste Gully Trap
A floor waste gully is a fitting that collects wastewater from fixtures, including the toilet. It might dry out if it isn’t properly connected to the appropriate drainage systems, which then allows sewer gas smells to be released into the atmosphere.
Clogged Sewer Line
A clogged sewer line can be caused by an accumulation of grease, hair, garden debris or rubbish in any combination. This typically causes water to flow out, spiking the concentration of the sewage smell emitted into bathroom spaces.
Plumber-Approved Methods to Get Rid of the Sewer Smell
Ensure the P-Trap Has Water
If your P-Trap has run dry, it may be possible to fix the problem in three steps: flush the toilet, pour water into the floor drain, and then pour it into the sink drain. This process should be sufficient to refill the P-Trap and restore the toilet to its normal operational capacity.
Inspect and Replace the Wax Ring
If you suspect your toilet might have a faulty wax ring, look out for clear signs such as bad odours coming from the toilet, water around the toilet base, and damage to your ceiling or floor. These things indicate that the ring is no longer keeping toilet water inside the unit as intended.
When it’s time to replace a faulty wax ring, first turn off the water connection and disconnect the water supply tube. Then, remove the toilet and the ring. Finally, install new bolts and replace, re-install and secure the toilet.
As this process involves some heavy lifting, it may be wise to have a plumber assist with this process.
Unclog the Vent Pipe
When you see early signs of a clogged vent pipe – gurgling toilets, sluggish drains, and strong sewage smells, for example – it might be time to check for pipe blockages.
If you can hear a gurgling noise or suspect that a pipe might be blocked, use a flashlight to search for blockages and remove them with a plumber’s snake (also known as a drain snake) of electricians’ fish tape. Alternatively, if you’re feeling brave, you can gauge whether the sewer vent is working by putting your hand over the sewer vent on the roof and feeling for suction when someone else flushes the toilet.
In any case, if and when you detect a blockage, you can flush it out by simply running a garden hose down the pipe.
Clear the Sewer Line
Telltale signs of clogged sewer lines include a regularly blocked drain, gurgling noises, bad smells, and bubbles in the toilet bowl. Also, if you notice that one fixture in the plumbing system affects another – for example, if turning on the sink tap affects the shower drains – it’s time to explore practical solutions.
Regular Maintenance Tips
Even if your toilet is running as it should, the toilet water can still be contaminated by a buildup of hydrogen sulphide and bacteria as organic matter decomposes, causing a sewer smell in your bathroom.
Most bathroom drain system problems can be prevented with routine checks following best practices; for example, it’s important to check the internal components underneath the cistern lid of your toilet every six months.
If you’re already noticing a smell in your bathroom, some home remedies may be surprisingly effective; for example, lemon juice, baking soda and white vinegar all absorb sewer smells effectively.
When using baking soda, follow it up with a kettle of hot water to wash away any residue. Alternatively, leave a half-cup of white vinegar in a dish by the bathroom sink to minimise the odour.
When to Call a Professional
How do you know when fixing the sewer gas smell is beyond your DIY capabilities and requires professional intervention?
The interconnections between your bathroom fixtures, drains, and sewer pipes are complicated, so if you’ve tried boiling water, and it hasn’t eliminated the unpleasant bathroom smell, it likely indicates that regular essential maintenance has been neglected.
At that point, the sewer gas smell may require attention from professional plumbers with specialised equipment.
Also, if the idea of trying to fix the drains and get rid of the bathroom smell yourself is causing confusion and stress, calling a professional plumber may be the best way to de-escalate a potentially significant issue.
Trust D&S Plumbing to Eliminate the Sewer Gas Smell
When you notice a foul odour from your bathroom drains or toilet bowl, having an idea of what to do next can eliminate a lot of anxiety about the state of your bathroom spaces as well as your health.
Effectively removing the sewer gas smell coming from your bathroom drains is easiest when you have the knowledge and support necessary to ensure that your pipes and drain system – from the main shower drain and the bathroom sink to the guest bathroom – receive proper ventilation, and that any blocked sewer line is cleared.
If you’ve noticed a bathroom smell similar to a sewer odour in your home and want to eliminate it as soon as possible, reach out to the team at D&S Plumbing on 07 3254 8221 or via our contact form.