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Sewer gas smells in your home can signal underlying plumbing issues and pose health risks. Rainbow Restoration highlights some key causes and solutions:
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Sewer gas smells like rotten eggsusually indicating plumbing issues. While exposure to high concentrations of the gas can cause serious health problemsit's generally not a cause for concern. Professionals can quickly remedy the issue and eliminate any lingering odors.
Any unusual smell inside a building — especially a sewer-like smell — should be taken seriously. A sewer gas smell is often a sign of plumbing issueslike a sewage backup in the basement or damaged drains.
While it's easy to confuse the smell of sewer gas with a natural gas leakas both can smell like rotten eggsnatural gas smells a bit more like the spray from a skunk than raw sewage. In this guidewe’ll explain more about the causes of a sewer gas smellhow to identify the sourceand when to call a professional for sewage cleanup services.
What Does Sewer Gas Smell Like?
Sewer gas has a distinct odor that smells like rotten eggs. When organic matter breaks downit produces a mix of chemicalsincluding methanehydrogen sulfideammoniacarbon dioxidehydrogenand nitrogen. Hydrogen sulfidein particularproduces that eggy stench.
Is Sewer Gas Dangerous?
Hydrogen sulfideor "sewer gas," is more than just an unpleasant odor. It's a toxic gas that can be extremely dangerous in high concentrations or after prolonged exposure. While this is common in industrial settings like wastewater treatment plants or petroleum drilling sitesit's still helpful to be aware of the health implications of sewer gas in residential and commercial settings.
Exposure to hydrogen sulfide in low concentrations can cause a coughshortness of breathor irritation of the eyesnoseand throat. The health risks increase with exposure to moderate concentrations and may result in:
- Severe irritation of the respiratory system
- Difficulty breathing
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Exposure to high concentrations of sewer gas may lead to serious health problemsincluding shockconvulsionsorgan damageand even death. Hydrogen sulfide is also extremely flammable and is a high risk of fire or explosion.
While minimizing sewer gas smell from a property could be addressed with a DIY approacheradicating the smell may also necessitate professional odor removal services. Services offered by an experienced odor removal company like Rainbow Restoration® can quickly find and address the source of the smellkeeping the building and its occupants safe from any potential risks.
8 Common Causes of Sewer Gas Smell
The smell of sewer gas on a property shouldn't be ignored. Here are eight of the most common causes of a sewer gas smell. An experienced odor removal professional will be able to quickly identify the source of the smell and determine the best way to eliminate it.
1. Dry Water Traps or Drains
Water trapslike P-traps and S-trapsare plumbing attachments located underneath sinks and other drains. They trap water inside to create a barrierpreventing sewer gas from entering a building.
Howeverthe traps can dry out if they're not used often or if there's a leak in the pipegiving the gas full access to the interior of the building.
2. Damaged Sewer Vents or Lines
Damaged sewer vents or lines allow water and gas to escape from a plumbing systemcausing that dreaded sewer gas smell. Look for signs of a water leaklike drippingstanding wateror water damage.
3. Sewer Line Backup
Sewer line backups can occur for various reasonsincluding heavy rainfallclogged pipestree rootsor an aging sewer system. A foul odor is often the first sign of a sewer line backupbut slow drainsgurgling noisesand overflowing toilets and sinks may also indicate a sewer line issue. Don't ignore these signs — turn off the building's water supply and call a professional for sewage backup cleanup.
4. Wax Ring Leakage
A wax ring connects the base of a toilet to the drainage systemkeeping water and gas inside the fixture. Signs of a damaged wax ring include leaksan unstable toiletand a stinky smell coming from the base of the toilet. Individuals may be able to replace the wax ring themselvesbut a plumber can also get the job done quickly and easily.
5. Incorrectly Installed Plumbing Fixtures
Just like the wax ring keeps water and gasses inside the toiletother plumbing fixtures like traps and vents require proper installation to keep the sewer gas smell at bay. This means they have a secure sealtrapping foul odors inside the fixture and keeping them out of the building. Call a plumber to identify and fix improperly installed or damaged plumbing fixtures.
6. Blocked Drains or Vents
It's not uncommon for drains and vents to get clogged over time with debris or residue buildup. This issue prevents proper airflow and drainage throughout the systemallowing sewer gasses to seep into a building. Cleaning a smelly drain will keep things functioning properly and prevent future blockages.
7. Broken or Missing Clean-Out Caps or Plugs
The drain clean-out is a pipe that connects a plumbing system to the main underground sewer line — clean-out caps shield the entrance to that pipe. Since clean-out caps block sewer gas smells and keep rainwaterpestsand debris from clogging the clean-outa missing or broken cap could be the reason for a sudden stench. Fortunatelythey're fairly easy to replace.
8. Residual Odor From Sewage Backup
Raw sewage is toxic wasteso a sewage backup can leave a property and its occupants exposed to various health hazards. Even if the sewage backup in a basement was treatedsome smells may linger. Request an appointment with a service professional to remove the odor and return the property to its best possible condition.
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How To Identify the Source of the Smell
To find the source of that stinky smellturn to the building's plumbing system. Check sinksdrainstoiletsand other plumbing fixtures for obvious signs of damageleakingor loose connections. It's also good to check sewer vents and the clean-out drain outside the building.
While these are common sources of a sewer gas smellit may be something more serious that requires professional restoration. Contact professionals to identify the source and get rid of the smell once and for all.
When To Contact a Professional for Sewer Smells
If simple home remedies like running the water in seldom-used bathroom sinks and cleaning out clogged drains don't eliminate the smellit's time to contact a professional. While the source of the odor could certainly be due to minor plumbing issuesit could also be something bigger that requires professional restoration expertise.
Experienced professionals can access specialty equipment that is unavailable to many home or business owners. They can:
- Extract excess water after a sewage backup
- Dry carpet and other affected materials
- Identify and remove mold
- Eliminate odors
Don't risk turning a small problem into something catastrophic. When in doubtcall a professional for sewage cleanup and odor removal services.
FAQ About a Sewage Smell
What Does Sewer Gas Smell Like?
Sewer gas smells like rotten eggs. Some people may mistake the odor for methane gasbut methane is actually odorless. Hydrogen sulfide is what gives raw sewage its characteristic stench.
Should You Leave Your House If You Smell Sewer Gas?
While unpleasantmost instances of a sewer gas smell do not pose a serious health risk. Howevermild exposure to low concentrations of hydrogen sulfide present in sewer gas could cause irritated eyesnoseor throat. If this is the caseleave the property until a professional arrives.
Is It Harmful To Smell Sewer Gas?
It can be harmful to smell sewer gas in high concentrations or for prolonged periods. Though raresevere exposure could result in organ damage or even death in extreme cases.
Contact Rainbow Restoration for Sewage Cleanup Services
Whether minor plumbing issues caused the sewer gas smell or the odor is leftover from a sewage disasteryour local Rainbow Restoration team can help. Rainbow Restoration professionals have the training and proper equipment to perform sewage backup cleanup and remove any lingering odors to get the property back to normal as soon as possible.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and may not be applicable to every situation. You are responsible for determining the proper course of action for your property. Services should be performed by licensed and experienced professionals. Rainbow Restoration is not responsible for any damages that occur as a result of this blog content or your actions. For the most accurate guidancecontact a Rainbow Restoration professional for a customon-site assessment.
