Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have a question similar to some I've seen. Our bathroom sink drain has a really bad sewer smell. It comes and goes, and I only notice it when I run the water. It first appeared about two months ago, then disappeared. I thought we were rid of it, but it has returned again. Any idea what is causing this? Thank you!!!
It is designed to trap water in the lower loop creating a seal that keeps sewer gas where it belongs. It sounds like you have one of two problems. A leak in the drain pipe that allows water to run out leaving sewer gas to vent thru the sink. If this is the case simply replace the leaking section. Since you said it occurs when water is running it is possible that when faucet is running it is aimed directly at drain. The force of water going directly into drain creates an air pocket thru the trap which lets sewer gas in. In this case replace faucet airator with swivel unit and keep it aimed away from drain.
This may sound odd but, are you sure it is the sink and not the water? If it is the hot water, it could be the anode in your hot water tank. If so, just take it out.
Another possibility, try removing the sink drain stopper and cleaning it out. Maybe it has never been cleaned and you have a nasty colony of moldy stuff growing all over the inside of the sink drain stopper. It's not a pretty sight. Does the water drain slowly out of the sink if you close the sink drain stopper, fill the sink and then open the drain stopper? That's a second hint that the sink drain stopper might be all plugged up with gunk.
It is designed to trap water in the lower loop creating a seal that keeps sewer gas where it belongs. It sounds like you have one of two problems. A leak in the drain pipe that allows water to run out leaving sewer gas to vent thru the sink. If this is the case simply replace the leaking section. Since you said it occurs when water is running it is possible that when faucet is running it is aimed directly at drain. The force of water going directly into drain creates an air pocket thru the trap which lets sewer gas in. In this case replace faucet airator with swivel unit and keep it aimed away from drain.
Thank you for the valuable information. My husband took the pipe off and cleaned some gunk out of it, and put it back on, but now it leaks. Is there a secret to getting the tight seal that was there before? This is brand new system, less than six months old. I am sorry if this is the dumbest question ever; we are working on becoming more "handy" people. THANKS!
You're not crazy. We have the exaxt same thing on a sink that is less than a year old in our newly reno'd master bath. It's only one of the sinks and it's only when the water is running and it's only some of the time. I definitely figure it is related to the p-trap as we have had other issues with p traps before, too.
Thank you for the valuable information. My husband took the pipe off and cleaned some gunk out of it, and put it back on, but now it leaks. Is there a secret to getting the tight seal that was there before? This is brand new system, less than six months old. I am sorry if this is the dumbest question ever; we are working on becoming more "handy" people. THANKS!
Alignment of the parts is critical to a leak-proof seal.
There's one more thing which can cause smells - as you saw in the previous
nice explanation, there needs to be water in the lower loop to seal out sewer
gasses. If water goes down the drain with enough force, it can create a vacuum which sucks the water out of the loop. There is supposed to be a vent pipe in the wall leading to the roof which conducts sewer gases to the outdoors, as well as allowing air into the system, preventing the water from being sucked out. Sometimes the vent isn't there, is improperly installed, or is stopped up (squirrels, perhaps).You may be able to tell if this is happening by looking down the drain with a good flashlight. If that is the problem, you'll probably need a plumber to fix it.
If it's leaking look at the rings that seal the joints. They will sometimes roll over and cause a bad seal. New p-trap is less than $20.00. I would throw the old one away and start with new.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
uhhh...what did we do wrong?
THANKS!
