A toilet leaking from the base is both inconvenient and a cause for concern. Neglecting leaks causes them to worsen, leading to significant water waste, damage to your home, and other problems. Understanding the causes of toilet base leaks and how to troubleshoot them helps you address toilet leaks promptly. If DIY fixes aren’t enough and you need plumbing services in the Greater Denver Metro area, rely on the qualified team at High 5 Plumbing.
A foul sewer smell in your house is frustrating and unpleasant. Homeowners don’t often think about their sewage systems when they’re running properly, but when there’s an issue causing a disgusting odor in your home, you want to get the problem fixed as quickly as possible.
Learn about six common causes of sewage odors in the house, preventative measures to take, and when it’s time to contact the plumbing experts at High 5 for a sewer repair.
Importance of Addressing Sewage Odors
Sewer gas smells in the house are more than an unpleasant inconvenience — they can also pose a serious threat to your family’s health. Sewage can emit hazardous gases, such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and methane. Prolonged sewer gas exposure also puts you at risk of coming into contact with viruses and bacteria, possibly making you sick. Sewage odors indoors should be addressed as quickly as possible.
Six Common Causes of Sewage Odors
What causes sewer smells in the house? Here are the six most common causes of sewer odors in your Greater Denver Metro Area home.
1) Blocked or damaged sewer lines
Sewer lines divert wastewater away from your home and into your septic tank or municipal wastewater system. However, if they become clogged with debris, start to crack due to age, or collapse from a tree root intrusion, sewage backups and unpleasant smells may enter your home.
2) Clogged vents or drains
Foul smells could be caused by issues with your drains or vent pipes. Drains in the home, including showers and sinks, can produce foul odors if they become clogged with dirt, hair, soap scum, or mineral buildup.
Vent pipes are another common culprit for sewage odors. Your home’s plumbing system relies on the vent pipe to regulate air pressure and allow unpleasant-smelling gases to escape outside. If the vent is blocked, cracked, collapsed, or incorrectly installed, the gases get trapped in the system and find their way into your home.
3) Dry P-traps
Many residential drains have a P-trap, which is a U-shaped pipe that holds water in the bottom. The purpose of this P-trap is to prevent sewage odors and gases from backing up into your home. However, P-trap water can evaporate in drains that aren’t used often, allowing foul odors to seep into the home through the drain.
4) Sewer gas leaks
Even the smallest leak in your sewer system can lead to dangerous, foul-smelling gas entering your home. This happens when vents and pipes are improperly placed and installed, such as moving a sewer vent too close to a window or air intake. Properties that use a septic tank may experience foul odors seeping into the home through cracks in the foundation.
5) Malfunctioning sewage systems
Your home’s plumbing will wear out with time and regular use. Ground instability speeds up this process, causing pipes to move out of place, crack, or otherwise malfunction. If a pipe breaks or moves out of place, wastewater begins to saturate the surrounding area, potentially causing a sewage backup. This quickly leads to other plumbing issues, including foul smells in the home.
6) Improperly installed plumbing fixtures
Poor installation is another leading cause of foul sewage smells in the home. The odor could be caused by a faulty toilet seal, which is designed to allow the toilet to drain while keeping gases trapped in the sewage system. If this seal is poorly installed or not maintained, it eventually fails, allowing noxious gases to seep into the home from the base of the toilet.
Diagnosing Sewage Odors
Here are a few ways to quickly diagnose sewage odors in your house:
- Check all drains, toilets, and other plumbing fixtures for visible leaks or damage.
- Check sewer vents outside the home for damage.
- See if the smell is stronger at certain fixtures or vents.
- Look for related plumbing issues, such as a gurgling toilet or slow drain, to narrow down the cause of the issue.
- Run all taps for a minute or so to refill P-traps — if the issue stops, dry P-traps are the source of the issue.
- Clear all drains of debris and buildup to make sure they aren’t the cause of the problem.
- Check your home’s vent stack for debris or other blockages.
Preventive Measures
How can you prevent sewage smell in the house in the first place? Here are a few tips to avoid this troublesome problem:
- Run taps regularly to prevent P-traps from drying out.
- Use one-way drain seals to block odors.
- Use drain strainers to prevent debris from entering drains.
- Get regular plumbing inspections and maintenance from a professional.
- Regularly check plumbing vents for blockages and damage.
- Only flush human waste and toilet paper down toilets.
- Schedule annual sewer line inspections with an expert.
Importance of Professional Assistance
Sewer gas smells are a dangerous and difficult problem to solve without professional help. A High 5 plumber can assist by conducting a video sewer inspection to check for blocks and damage, helping you figure out the best way to fix the issue.
If tree roots are the problem, your plumbing pro may use hydro-jetting, a repair method that uses a high-pressure water stream to cut through the tree material and remove it. To detect sewer gas leaks, your plumber may use a smoke machine, filling the system with a visible fog. They’ll then check the house for any signs of this smoke to pinpoint the location of leaks and other damage.
Professionals also inspect fixtures, drains, and vent pipes, verifying proper installation or fixing them if needed.
Need Help Resolving Sewage Odors? Contact High 5
If you’re dealing with sewage odors in your home, you need a trustworthy plumber to address the issue as quickly as possible. At High 5, we work hard to earn our customers’ trust and satisfaction. We offer comprehensive, expert plumbing services that focus on what’s needed. True to our core values, our team is always upfront about our affordable pricing, and we won’t call it a day until the job is done right.
Contact us today to schedule a service appointment with our team of plumbing professionals.
