If your drain smells bad, you could drive yourself crazy trying to figure out what’s going on. You may have cleaned, cleaned and then cleaned some more but you just can’t get rid of that maddening odor. While it can be extremely difficult to determine the source of the drain odor, once the cause is identified the solution is typically not that hard – and more importantly, not that expensive – to correct.

Potential Reasons

Again, there are several potential reasons why your drain smells bad. Here are a few of the more common ones:

  • The drain is clogged with debris or particles of food.
  • There is some sort of sewage backup in your plumbing.
  • Sewer gas could be coming up through the drain.

The last common reason should be a cause of concern, because if methane is allowed to accumulate in large enough quantities, it could not just be flammable, it could even pose a health hazard. This problem needs to be addressed by a professional plumber as quickly as possible.

Simple Fixes

If your drain smells bad simply because you haven’t used a fixture in a while (it could be the sink in a guest bathroom or a tub that doesn’t get used that often, for instance), that could be due to the fact that the P-trap is dry. This is the part below a fixture that keeps sewer gases from coming through the drain opening. All you need to do in this instance is to run some water and fill the trap. If that doesn’t fix the problem, then you may have a leak in the P-trap. If the P-trap isn’t the culprit, then you will probably need to call in a pro to investigate the cause of the issue.

The professionals with Benjamin Franklin are experts at all types of plumbing problems. When you call us, we’ll be able to quickly determine why your drain smells bad and take care of the issue. Call us or contact us online to schedule an appointment.