sewer smell Archives - City Wide Plumbing

Feb 09

Troubleshooting Sewer Gas Smells

By City Wide Plumbing clogged drain, sewer smell No Comments

When your house smells like sewer gas or methane, here are 5 things to know and check:

The first step is finding where the odor is coming from. Because methane is a heavier gas, it’ll sink rather than rise. When the smell seems to be coming from an area completely away from any drain, look higher and upstream from the air current. Float a feather or a small piece of thin paper to determine air current direction rather than lighting a match when you’ve got methane. Methane can be flammable.
Check the drains. Dry drains can be a major culprit for sewer gas leaks. The drain trap dries out and gets smaller, causing a break in the seal. Re-wet the drain by pouring a 5-gallon bucket of water into the drain, or running the faucet for approximately 30 seconds.
Check the pipes under the sink. Is the odor stronger there? If so, is there a leak that you can see? Is there a vent? Call a professional to replace worn and broken parts, ensuring a proper fit and a better smelling area.
The sewer line may be clogged. Do you have a lot of larger trees nearby? Do you have older clay sewage pipes that link your home or business to the city’s sewer lines? Tree roots can grow into clay lines and block waste water leaving your premises. It can make toilets flush slower or incompletely, or even create a sewage backup in your mechanic’s room or basement. When you live with a lot of trees or have older clay pipes, call a professional to clean your sewer line cleanout regularly. It’s well worth it to have good flushing toilets and free-flowing drains!
The roof line stack might be blocked. This feature is usually found around your roofline, and helps pressurize your plumbing, creating the “oomph” to make toilets flush and waste water leave your building. The biggest tipoff to a blocked stack is when toilets don’t flush. A professional can help you here, too, by having the right equipment and experience to clear the blockage and bring back free-running drains.

Keep your place smelling great by keeping these five tips in mind.

Mar 27

Gas Line RepairsGas Line Repairs

By City Wide Plumbing gas line repairs, Phoenix Plumbing, plumbing repairs, sewer smell No Comments

Gas Line Repairs

Do not try this at home!

If you are not a professional plumber, you shouldn’t try to handle a Gas line repair.

You should never attempt to repair a gas line yourself and in emergencies you should always call 911 if you suspect a gas leak. As a safety precaution, a sulfur-like odor is added to natural gas to help people identify gas leaks. If you smell this odor in an emergency situation, leave the building then call 911 immediately. City Wide Plumbing Service and Company will assess your situation and advise your next safe steps as well as handle repairs and replacement of necessary gas lines.

Know How to Recognize and Respond to a Gas Emergency

Take immediate action if you encounter any of the following signs when you clean out a sewer line with a rooter device:

A natural gas odor at the cleanout or inside the building served by the sewer line, even if it’s faint or momentary
Bubbles rising through standing water or in the toilet bowl

If these signs are present, stop what you’re doing, and:

Leave the area immediately.
Don’t use an automated door or turn on or off any electric switches, thermostats or appliance controls.
From a safe place call 911 and Southwest Gas at 1-877-860-6020 immediately, day or night. A Southwest Gas representative will be there as soon as possible.
Don’t smoke or use lighters or matches.

Dec 10

Does your water stink?

By City Wide Plumbing p-trap, Phoenix Plumbing, sewer, sewer smell No Comments

If you have a nasty sewer odor try running water down all your drains. It could just be a p-trap that has dried out and not holding water. The water acts as a barrier to keep sewer smell from coming into your home. If that does not solve the problem then call your local, trustworthy plumber 480-966-8795.

water-sewer-gas

May 17

Sewer Smell Plumbing Tip

By City Wide Plumbing Phoenix Plumbing, plumbing repairs, plumbing tips, plumbing trouble, sewer, sewer smell No Comments

P-trap

A sewer smell can be an unpleasant experience and can usually be solved by a process of elimination. Here are some tips you can do to try and resolve the nasty odor.

Drains are designed to hold water in what is called a P-trap, the water acts as a barrier to keep sewer gas from permeating the home. Start by running water down the drains and flushing toilets especially the ones that do not get used often to restore the water in the p-trap.

Check your clean outs to make sure the plugs are installed and secured.

Another culprit could be a bad wax ring seal between the toilet flange and the base of the toilet.

This wax ring can occasionally leak, sometimes from a rocking toilet that has broken the seal causing sewer gas to find its way out from under the toilet. If that’s the case, you’ll have to remove the toilet and replace the wax ring. If the toilet rocks, use shims between the stool and the floor and caulk the joint. This will ensure that a rocking toilet doesn’t ruin the new wax ring.

A more serious problem would be a broken or cracked sewer line or even a loose connection joint in the vent in the ceiling or wall. If you’ve addressed the three easier possibilities, contact a plumber who specializes in hunting down leaks .