It’s never pleasant to come home to a sink or a drain smelling like an open sewer. The bad news is that smells emanating from the drains is one of the more common service calls we attend to here in Paradise, NV. The good news is that they’re usually very simple to solve, and if you know what some of the causes are, you can help yourself out without needing to contact a plumber. Here’s a list of the three most common causes of drain smells:

1. A Dry U-Bend

The u-bend is that funny little turn in the pipes beneath your sink. It’s there to keep smells from traveling back up the pipe from the sewer. It works as long as the u-bend stays wet, but if it dries out, those smells could start again. Luckily, turning the tap on and letting it run for a bit should solve the problem nicely, without needing to call a plumber.

2. Sewage in the Pipes

Sewage in this case can be anything from leftover food to waste material from the bathroom. In some cases, it can get stuck on the sides of your pipe’s walls and start to stink the longer they go untreated. You can treat such problems with chemical cleansers, though we recommend a formal drain cleaning service to make sure the problem gets solved.

3. Bigger Problems

Bigger problems usually stem from your main sewer lines and unfortunately they do require the attentions of a professional. It could be anything from a breach to a clog. You can usually spot them because the smells are coming from multiple pipes in the household instead of just one. If this is the case, shut the water off to your home and call in a professional.

Trust Butter Plumbing for quality drain cleaning services throughout the Paradise, NV area!