Showers are normally a soothing part of a person’s day. After a long, stressful day at work, there’s nothing better than getting into the shower and letting the water wash away your worries. However, there is another aspect of showers that can be rather embarrassing. Many different factors can contribute to a smelly shower.
Detecting the Source of the Odor
When you notice unusual new shower drain odors that make you wrinkle your nose in the restroom, the first thing you should do is document the type of unpleasant stench so you can figure out where it’s coming from.
1. A Dirty or Dry P-Trap
If your shower drain smells like sewage, it means your P-trap isn’t successfully stopping sewer gases from escaping into your bathroom. If you have a musty or general odor and your P-trap is still clogged, it’s likely that it needs to be cleaned.
What Is a Shower P-Trap and Why Does It Cause Odors?
Many bathrooms include an extra drain fitting known as a P-trap. This particular piece of plumbing, which is designed to prevent sewage gases from backing up into your property through your drain system, is commonly the source of smelly shower drains. The trap itself includes water, which forms a seal that prevents unpleasant odors from entering the residence.
If the P-trap is dry or has no water in it, scents will readily drift up into the bathroom through the shower drain and around your feet while you use your facility. This simplifies inspection because all you have to do is shine a flashlight at it and observe if it seems dry or free of water.
Shower P-Trap Cleaning
Check around for any debris in the pipe’s trap to clean it out. If it appears like something is stuck within, use an old rag or paper towel to scoop out whatever is obstructing its progress.
Once all debris has been removed, fill your bathroom sink tub with cold water before pouring it into the P-trap until it is completely full, with no air pockets. This can assist flush out any other blockages that may be producing the foul odor.
2. Pipe Leaks
If your shower smells like rotting eggs or sulfur, it’s usually a symptom of a leak somewhere in your home’s drain pipes. Faulty valves, rusty pipes, and leaky faucet joints are some of the most common reasons for smelly shower drains.
What Can Cause Pipe Leaks?
Because they send sulfurous fumes, which can smell like rotten eggs, wafting up through your drain system, these leaks can generate the most vexing shower odors. Corroded pieces of pipe and lose couplings, such as those on your sink taps or behind your toilet seat, are common reasons for smelly shower drains.
How to Repair Leaky Pipes
To eliminate shower odors caused by leaking pipes in your drain system, tighten every corroded joint and replace any portions of pipe that are rusting away. This is difficult work, but it is vitally required for keeping a safe living environment within the bathroom.
3. Biofilm Formation
If you can’t clear a drain blockage using a plunger, it’s possible that biofilm has formed inside the bowl and is blocking water from draining through. This is a common cause of stinky shower drains because when water does not flow through the pipe system in the bathroom, everything begins to rot and decay at a faster rate, giving off terrible odors.
What exactly is biofilm?
When hair and other debris begin to rot and dissolve, biofilm builds on the insides of drain pipes. Dirt, dust, and other foreign particles all collected in one sticky film inside your home’s drain system are common causes of smelly shower drains like this.
How to Remove Biofilm
Once you’ve determined the source of the odor in your home, wipe up any sections of pipe in the area under your bathroom sink and between these spots. Because this area of the drain system is difficult to access, most individuals have difficulty removing severe clogs or odors.
You’ll need a particular enzyme-based solution that targets bacteria and germs in general, as well as a few additional tricks up your sleeve, to break down the biofilm. Unclean upkeep on these locations, which leads to buildup, is a common source of smelly shower drains.
4. Drain Blockages
If there is a clog in your drain line caused by hair or other debris, you must fix it immediately before the odor worsens. Drain obstructions and leaks are two common reasons for smelly shower drains. When water lingers for too long under the house, it begins to rot and decay at a much faster rate.
What Are the Causes of Shower Clogs?
Heavy use and overflow from the bathtub are the most common causes of obstructions in your shower drain, but these issues can also be caused by the collection of debris and other foreign particles that jam up your home’s plumbing system. Drain clogs are common because they can be caused by a variety of factors, including:
- Hair
- Dast
- Sand
- Items of little importance
- Scum from soap
- Mineral Deposits
- Dirt
How to Unclog a Drain
To dislodge a drain clog, remove the plunger’s face shield to acquire a stronger hold before plunging it into the blockage. Common causes of smelly shower drain like this can be difficult to identify since they need you to put one hand inside the dirty p-trap while using the other to plunge – which is awkward at best.
BJC Plumbers North Bergen is your neighborhood plumber.
We’ve got you covered if you have a stinky shower. Call us right now at (201) 389-9959 or visit the website https://plumbernorthbergen.com/. Our team of specialists will gladly assist you in making your shower a relaxing environment once more.