Have you just walked into your home and been blasted by that nasty sewer gas smell? Looked around for hours on end to find where this unlivable odor could possibly coming from? Finally, you decided to Google it didn't you. Well, glad you got here because Forrest Anderson is here to help.
Sewer gas is the term that is used for describing the combination of chemicals that are present in decaying waste. Typically sewer gas can include, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and methane. Being exposed to these different gases can cause you to have headaches, dizziness, memory loss, and other illnesses.
That being said, not all gas build ups are that dangerous. Knowing when the situation is urgent and needs professional help and when you can handle the situation on your own can be very important.
Simple Common Causes
Smelling gas in your home can be caused by a number of normal, treatable reasons. The Forrest Anderson team has brought together a few ideas on what might be causing your home to stink!
Water Traps
Commonly located near things like floor drains, bath tubs, and underneath every sink in your house is a water trap. Often referred to as P-traps or S-traps, their main function is to "trap" water inside the curve and block gas from traveling back into the house.
When this trap becomes dry, the sewer gas has a clear path back into your home. If you find that the smell is coming from your sink, simply run the water for a few seconds to restore the trap with water. If you find that the smell is coming from a floor drain, pour water down the drain to restore it to its proper function. Your traps may begin to dry out if they are not used often. Due to Arizona's dry heat your Phoenix valley home can become very dry and your traps can try out.
Missing Clean-Out Plug
Still can't find the stink? It's time to check your drains. Between your indoor system and your outdoor system is a cap known as the clean-out plug. At various points in your plumbing structure, clean-out lines are placed to easily remove clogs. The lines are capped so sewer gas cannot escape into the house. If you have pieces of your plumbing system that are missing this cap or it has been broken in someway, you may have found the reason for your smell. Most local hardware stores have replacement plug's for purchase.
Bad Wax Ring On The Toilet
Yep, it always comes back to the toilet. The throne of the home. Who would have thought?
Between the toilet flange and the bottom base of the toilet, there should be a wax ring that provides an airtight seal. This ring can at times leak or lose it's compression, this allows sewer gas into the home. In this case just replace the wax ring on your toilet to ensure that no stink will be coming through the stinker.
Problem Is A Little More Serious
There are other time's when the smell could be the cause of something a little deeper than your common cause. These typically take a little more experience and expense to repair.
Sewer or Septic Pipe Leaks
If the sewer gas smell is coming from your sewer or septic line, it will require a little more expertise to repair. If your sewer gas smell is accompanied by a gurgling toilet and slow drains, you might have a sewer line stoppage.
We recommend contacting Forrest Anderson to help solve the problem.
Loose Connections
Loose connections along the vent pipe or sewer line can also let the pungent gases into your home. Typically these are found inside of a wall or in the ceiling, so we recommend contacting one our experienced Forrest Anderson plumbers to assist you.
Preventative Measures
If you have experienced the smell of sewer gas in your home, it is safe to say it is not a pleasant small that you want to persist. Here are a few tips to prevent sewer gas from entering the home.
Keep Water In All Of The Traps
Locate all plumbing traps in your home, whether they are in the floor, wall, under a sink or toilet, and make sure the traps are full of water. One helpful tip for traps that are used rarely or dry out quickly is to try and add a teaspoon of vegetable oil to the water trap to slow down the process of evaporation.
Clean Out Your Drains
It is not just you. Each and every house is subject to drains being clogged with debris, hair, and all sorts of particles. Clean them often by removing the stopper, and removing any debris from it. Set the stopper aside, and bend a small hook towards the end of a wire, stick it down the drain, and pull out any and all debris. Do this until you can no longer feel any more debris inside the drain. Before replacing the stopper, run a few gallons of boiling water through the drain to flush everything out.
Bio Clean To The Rescue
Forrest Anderson has the secret sauce. Well it is not that secreat but a lot of people don't know what Bio Clean is. It is great for cleaning drain lines and septic tanks completely and is 100% safe for people, pets and the environment. Bio-Clean's Unique formula of bacteria and enzymes digests the dead organic waste found in your plumbing and septic system. Bio-Clean will not harm pipes, tanks, pumps or seals like chemicals do. Bio-Clean does not produce heat, fumes or boiling.
How Does Bio-Clean Work?
In nature all animal and plant matter is broken down and recycled by enzymes and bacteria. Bio-Clean uses this same principal to biodegrade the waste that accumulates in your plumbing system and septic tank. Like all living things bacteria must eat to survive. Fortunately the grease, soap film, paper products, hair and organic waste are food for the specialized bacteria in Bio-Clean. The enzymes prepare this "food" for the bacteria by breaking down the large molecules into a size the bacteria can "swallow."
When mixed with warm water, Bio-Clean immediately goes to work! The enzymes are very fast and start breaking down waste on contact.Bio-Clean contains billions of beneficial bacteria and as they eat they double in number every 30 minutes! Unrestricted by gravity, they spread through the entire plumbing system, devouring all the organic waste.
Nobody likes coming home to the smell of sewer gas. These helpful tips can keep your home smelling fresh and clean. As always if the situation rises above your stress level or experience feel free to Contact Forrest Anderson Plumbing and Air Conditioning, Inc. at 623.780.4060 or visit us online at www.forrestanderson.net CALL TODAY AND SAVE $10 ON YOUR NEXT SERVICE CALL
