Why Does My Shower Drain Smell. The bathroom can be a relaxing place where you can prepare for the day or relax for the night. Unfortunately, the foul odor out of your shower drain makes that impossible.
On top of your own discomfort, you have the embarrassment of having guests wonder about what is wrong with your McHenry plumbing.
Instead of living with the smell and frustration, have a plumber find out what could be wrong with it by having them check whether it’s due to any of these common reasons.
Why Does My Shower Drain Smell
Mix a cup of bleach with a cup of water and pour them down the drain. Pour one cup of baking soda down the drain. Afterward, pour in one cup vinegar. Cover the drain as soon as the mixture begins to fizz, then flush it with hot water
The purpose of this article is to explain why shower drains smell.
Leaking Pipes Issue
To add to the long list of reasons that leaky pipes are an absolute nightmare, they can also allow black mold and mildew to grow on the inside.
In particular, a sewage-like smell may emerge from your shower drain when water is allowed to seep through uninsulated pipes. It’s important that you seek out a professional plumber as soon as possible.
The professional will ensure that any leaks are detected and addressed appropriately without causing additional damage to your pipe system or preventing future corrosion.
Drain Clogged
If you take a shower, you will notice a strainer or stopper in the drain. The item is there to catch hair and anything else that might not belong in your plumbing.
Because it does an important job, it tends to collect scum, hair, and other gunk. The grime also begins to develop a foul odor.
To get rid of the smell before calling a plumber, take out the filter and clean it with hot water and an old toothbrush. Notice how much of the debris can be removed via this method.
After cleaning out the grime from there as well as removing any residue inside of the pipe, clean out the filter if possible.
Dry Or Dirty P-Trap
Your P-trap is the U-shaped fixture that’s used under a sink alongside your drain and waste piping. The shape of this type of fixture holds water at all times, preventing any gas that may be emitted from your sewer lines up into the air inside the building or structure you’re in.
If the water evaporates, gases don’t have anywhere to go except back up into the living space via your drain pipes, creating a foul and unpleasant odor. Simply running your drain during a cycle should be sufficient to refill the drain pipe that leads from the trap.
It is also common for soil, sediment or debris to settle into the curve of the pipes leading to or from a P-trap. To clean it, you’ll start by pouring ½ cup of baking soda down your drain and following it up with ½ cup white distilled vinegar.
Then cover your drain pipe with a small lid. Give the mixture time to dissolve any unwanted material in the pipes prior to washing everything away with warm running water.
Biofilms Or Mold
If the scent you’re experiencing is a musty, mildew smell, your pipes may have developed mold or a substance called biofilm. Biofilm is a pink-orange toned, slimy coating that is made up of bacterial waste.
Eventually, biofilm can line your drain and form a large blockage as additional waste moves through your pipes. You can be just about positive that if you notice orange-tinged stains in your shower, it is probable that you’re dealing with biofilm because it is actually not a stain but rather mold growing on the insides of the pipe.
To remove this bacterial substance from your shower, first, you’ll need to remove the drain cover. Then use a cylindrical cleaning device to remove the biofilm that has accumulated in your drain.
Soak the brush in a cleaning solution and then insert it down your pipe. Remove the brush, rinse it off and reinsert it until no more biofilm can be seen on it.
FAQs
What causes the smell of sewage in my bathroom?
When the sewer gets out of order, sewage gas can come back up through the drains and toilet, resulting in a really nasty and pungent odor.
You may observe a bubbling sound coming from the toilet or drains as the gases force their way into your bathroom.
What can you do about a smelly P-trap?
In order to eliminate odors coming from a dry p-trap, pour half a gallon of water into the trap to restore the barrier. Not only will this prevent odors from seeping through the drain but it’ll also slow down evaporation.
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