Have you ever entered your basement, or seldom used bathroom, only to be confronted with a foul smell? You look around the room, but cannot seem to find the source.
Well, the foul smell could actually be coming from your floor drains. When the water in your p-trap evaporates, sewer gasses from below can creep up into your home. A p-trap is a curved shaped pipe, often found under bathroom and kitchen sinks.
When the water in the p-trap evaporates, any waste left sitting in the bend of the pipe will begin to decompose sending the foul smell up into your home.
For drains that you use often, there is less of a chance that they will start to smell bad. Filling your floor drains and unused showers and tubs with water is a great way to prevent any found smells from creeping into your home. To ensure your p-traps are filled, make sure that you use a good amount of water.
It is important that you keep an eye on drains that you do not use that often – basement floor drains, guest bathrooms, and laundry tubs are most often left unused. Not only will the water in the p-trap mist have evaporated, there is also a chance that the surrounding area could be dirty. Be diligent in removing any dirt or debris from the drain before flushing water through it. Flushing a large amount of material down a rarely used drain can cause much bigger problems as a result! Follow these easy steps and your home is sure be smelling fresh all year long!
If you have any questions about drain cleaning and drain repairs, don’t hesitate to let us know. The staff at Butler Plumbing are always happy to help!