There Is a Bad Smell from the Drain – What Should You Do?

So, you’ve noticed a bad smell coming from a drain and you are wondering what you should do about it. It can be very difficult to know exactly where the stink is coming from. It can also be frustrating if every time you go into the bathroom or the kitchen, you are faced with a smell similar to rotten eggs, or even worse, sewage.

Thankfully, in many cases, the bad odor could just be a buildup of waste material in P-trap under your sink and it can be easily solved.

However, sometimes the stench could come from a blocked sewer, and that can be a bigger problem to solve and will usually require the services of a professional plumber. It is also good to remember, that if the smell is very bad, it could be a sign that methane gasses are coming into your home which are both flammable and toxic.

What should you do if you notice a bad smell from a drain?

Usually, people will reach for some bleach, or other cleaner and squeeze this in the drain or down the toilet bowl. Very often that provides a temporary solution to get rid of the smell from a blocked drain. However, it rarely solves the problem.

The first easy fix is to run some water in the sink to make sure that the cause of the bad smell isn’t just because water has evaporated from the P-trap. If you notice that the bad smell has gone for good, you have successfully fixed the problem of your smelly drain.

If you still notice that a recurrent bad smell or the smell is in a bathroom that gets used frequently, then you may have to call a plumber to help identify the source of the smell. It could be a cracked pipe, a blockage further down the line, or a blocked air vent in the waste water pipe system.

Professional plumbers have the necessary equipment to quickly identify the source of the leak or blockage and will rectify the problem in no time at all. This also makes sure that any repairs are carried out efficiently and you are no longer faced with a bad smell coming from a drain.