Blog

Have you recently entered your bathroom and noticed a stinky smell? What might be causing the stinky smell? There are several reasons why your shower has that stinky smell. Fortunately, they are all relatively easy to identify and resolve. In this post, you’ll learn some reasons for the pungent smell in your shower and how a drain cleaning service in Dalworthington, TX, can help. There aren’t many things worse than that noxious odor emanating from the shower.

The invasive smell is a thing that lingers. Therefore, it leaves a homeowner with no way to enjoy what was supposed to be a relaxing and soul-warming shower in the evening. You don’t have to put up with a foul-smelling shower drain. You should have a plumber deal with it by addressing the root cause in earnest to ensure you can enjoy your shower. If you have noticed that your showers are throwing that pungent smell, that shouldn’t be a cause for concern.

Hiring a plumber for an efficient drain cleaning service can help eradicate the foul stench and leave your bathroom looking neat. Additionally, homeowners are advised to have their drains cleaned regularly to ensure there isn’t any chance of a bad odor developing. Regular inspection, drain cleaning services, and maintenance can help keep the shower drains healthy. So, what are the reasons for the smelly shower drains? How can your plumber help?

Blocked Plumbing Vents

When the temperatures are extreme, the plumbing vents on top of your roof might get blocked by the ice or snow. This will make the foul stench start backing up from the shower drains. Whenever this happens, you should have a plumber safely clear the roof of the ice and snow. If the ice clogs the plumbing vents, the plumber will use various tools and their wealth of experience to melt the blockage forming at the exit of the vents. While this is a relatively easy issue to resolve, it might result in serious complications as far as your drainage system is concerned. The pungent smell emanating from the shower drains makes it uncomfortable for you and your family to take a shower.

Bacteria and Mold

Sadly, the drainage system is where mold and other stubborn bacteria might breed and thrive. Think of everything you throw down the drains and the materials washed through your shower drains. Then, consider the melting pot for all the bacteria colonies. The growth of bacteria is usually promoted by an incredible engineering design of p-trap drains and s-trap drains.

On the other hand, the drains should also ensure that the sewer gasses don’t rise into your Dalworthington, TX home’s bathroom. Hence, mold and bacteria often develop in dark, watery spaces. The bacteria then spread around your bathroom through splash back while you are showering or using the sink. The lack of regular drain cleaning service doesn’t help the situation. If you leave the drains alone for a long time, the bacteria will breed, thrive, grow, and spread out into other parts of your bathroom as a biofilm.

Fortunately, having a consistent drain cleaning service by the plumber eradicates the conditions that facilitate mold and bacterial growth while ensuring the biofilm levels are kept in check. Remember mold might result in serious respiratory health complications for you or your family. This means that you’ll spend a fortune on medical bills. Having the plumber clean them also ensures that the drains are fresh and there is less likely bacterial or mold growth.

Drain Clogs

One of the most common issues that impact the effectiveness of a plumbing system, especially the drains, is obstructions. This is particularly more prevalent for the drains because of the nature of the materials that flow through. Hence, homeowners should always consider clogged drains as a source of the foul odor they smell when using the bathroom.

Have you noticed that your Dalworthington, TX home’s shower drains are draining slowly? Do you hear gurgling emanating from your drains whenever water flows through them? These are signs that the drain pipes are constricted, or an obstruction down the drains prevents the flow of wastewater.

The clogs trap debris and grime and don’t allow the wastewater to flow properly to the sewer system. The trapped materials start decomposing and rotting, producing a foul stench that flows back into your bathroom through the shower drains. There are several causes of drain clogs, including the accumulation of hair, debris, dirt, sand, mineral deposits, and soap scum.

Further, tree roots and flushing non-flushable materials might also result in clogs. Most of the clogs comprise one or a combination of several of the items above. Do you suspect that your drains might have a clog? Enlist the help of a plumber for an inspection, drain cleaning service in Dalworthington, TX, and maintenance of the drainage system. After the drain cleaning, the foul odor will be an issue of the past.

Dirty or Dry P- or S-Trap

The other possible reason why you might notice the foul stench in your shower drains is because of a dirty or dry P- or S-trap. Do your shower drains throw a sewer-like smell? Then that is a sign of a P- or S-trap that isn’t doing its job properly. The P- or S-traps should block the sewer gasses from escaping into your bathroom or living space. If you are dealing with a general odor or a mustier smell, the issue could be the P- or S-trap. However, you need to have a plumber clean them in this case.

But what’s a P-trap? It is a U-shaped part of the pipes dipping below the other part of your shower drain lines before joining the main stack. P-traps can also be found under the kitchen or bathroom sinks. Unfortunately, the shower P-traps are hidden; to act on them; you should access them from the basement. This means that some homeowners will only think that they are the reason for the smelly shower drains after exhausting all the other causes. However, an experienced plumber knows which components of the drains are the likely reason for the smell.

A P-trap is supposed to hold enough water at any time. This water prevents the sewer gasses from escaping through the sink and shower drains into your living space. When you begin smelling a foul odor when you pass near the drains or when taking a shower, that is a sign that the P-trap isn’t functioning as it should. It isn’t holding water that prevents the backflow of the sewer gasses. How often do you use the sink or shower? If you rarely do, there is also a high probability that the water in the P-trap has evaporated. Running water for several minutes might fix the issue.

However, if you frequently run the water and are still getting the sewer-like smell emanating from the drains, there might be a problem with the P- or S-trap that requires immediate attention from a plumber. The plumber will inspect the P- or S-trap and determine the problem and how they can resolve it (by either replacing or refitting it). The problem might also be because the vent stack is broken or blocked.

Whenever this happens, a vacuum that empties the P- or S-trap is created. However, you might be dealing with a dirty P-trap if the foul odor doesn’t have a sewer-like smell. This is a common problem because the shape of the S- and P-trap allows debris, grime, and dirt to settle. To stay ahead of the issue, enlist the assistance of a plumber for a routine inspection and maintenance.

Biofilm Buildup

Most homeowners will likely describe biofilm as slime or muck. In some cases, some mistake it for mold. However, biofilm is a substance that forms from bacterial wastes or a colony of bacteria. The bacteria are then held together by a glue-like substance that feels slimy when touched. The sticky substance clings to surfaces such as birdbaths, showers, and river rocks, among other places.

The glue-like substance might build up inside the shower drains or on your shower, resulting in a musty and unpleasant odor. Do you notice that the shower drains are throwing a mildew-like smell? That is a sign that mildew and mold might be developing within your drains. Unfortunately, biofilm might develop on your teeth in what is called plaque.

Because of the many types of bacteria, many kinds of biofilm might form within your shower. One most common kind that will often form in your shower is nicknamed pink mold. However, this isn’t mold but a layer of biofilm that features a bacterium called Serratia Marcescens. The biofilm has an orange or pinkish tone.

Unfortunately, biofilm might prove dangerous to one’s health, resulting in the spread of E. coli, Salmonella, and MRSA, among many other bacteria. Hence, you might notice the foul odor emanating from your shower. Particularly, S. marcescens infects open wounds and might result in urinary tract infections and other respiratory issues among immunocompromised people. Hence, having a plumber in Dalworthington, TX come on for a drain cleaning service is the best way to eliminate biofilm and the foul stench.

Leaking Pipes

Though you might be able to resolve the issues causing the pungent smell discussed above, you will have to seek help when dealing with leakages. Leaks can also result in a foul smell emanating from the shower drains. The leaking pipes behind your bathroom walls, under the slab or shower, allows the sewer gasses to escape into your living space.

The sewer gasses usually comprise hydrogen sulfide. Hence, whenever you notice a sewer or rotten eggs smell, there most likely is a leakage in your plumbing system. The drainage pipes have been designed to ensure that the sewer gasses are contained and limited to sewer and drain lines. Hence, you should call a plumber to inspect the drain lines whenever you smell the sewer gasses. Never ignore the sewer-like smells at your home.

Leakages may be caused by the pipes’ perforations or the loose fittings in the piping. For certain metallic pipes, the leakages might develop because of corrosion. In the case of the loose fittings, the problem might result from poorly done installation work. This usually affects the PVC pipes. This is usually the reason for the foul smell in the newly constructed or renovated homes.

Using harsh drain cleaning agents to remove a clog might also result in leakage. Whenever you pour the chemical drain cleaning agent, it might corrode the interior walls of your drain pipes or even react with the plastic pipes. The weakened pipe then springs some pinhole leaks where the sewer gasses might escape into your home. In this case, the homeowners are advised to enlist the help of a plumber for a professional drain cleaning service to remove the blockage.

Grease and Soap

Looks can sometimes be deceiving when considering the liquids flowing down your drains. From natural oils on one’s hair, soap, and sweat, all things that entangle with soap or body wash ultimately end up in the drains. Unfortunately, these materials harden when they cool down. The greasy and soap substances act like the glue that holds the materials that cause a blockage together. When the materials settle in your drains for long, they start to rot, resulting in a bad smell.

The blockage will also eventually prevent the wastewater from flowing into the sewer or septic tank, resulting in backflows and bathroom flooding. To ensure this doesn’t arise, enlist the help of a plumber to have a drain cleaning service performed regularly. Rather than use harmful drain cleaning agents, the plumbers in Dalworthington, TX, use acceptable cleaning methods to ensure that waste flows properly to the sewer system or septic tank.

Need A Plumbing Pro for a Drain Cleaning Service?

Your shower drains can, at times, through an awful smell. This is especially because of either or a combination of the issues above. Hence, homeowners must leave nothing to chance in ensuring that the smell never arises. This is critical in ensuring a comfortable shower or bath at your Dalworthington, TX home. Part of this is hiring a professional plumber for a routing drain cleaning service and shower drain inspection. Have you noticed a pungent smell emanating from your shower drains? Don’t hold back. Call us at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth today for an inspection and drain cleaning to resolve the issue.

Photo By KURJANPHOTO at istock