Now that warmer weather is here, this is the time of year when some homeowners start noticing unpleasant smells coming from the basement, laundry room, or a rarely used bathroom.
One common cause is actually pretty simple: a dried-out P-trap.
For those who don’t know, a P-trap is (strangely) that U-shaped pipe you see under your kitchen and bathroom sinks. Every floor drain, sink, shower, and tub has a P-trap that’s designed to hold water, which acts as a barrier to help keep sewer gas from coming back into your home. But if a drain hasn’t been used in a while, especially in warmer weather, the water in the P-trap can evaporate.
A quick check to make sure you’re covered
If you notice a smell in your basement or know that you have fixtures that haven’t been used in quite some time, pour about a gallon of water into those fixtures. Any smells should go away within a day, as pouring the water into the drain has re-established the water seal and has stopped allowing sewer gases in!
If the smell persists or comes back in a few days, or you’re also noticing issues like slow drains and bubbling toilets, that may point to a larger issue like a crack in the drain allowing that water to escape, or even a partially blocked main drain. Unfortunately, that’s when it’s time to call the plumber and have a professional assessment done.
In Conclusion…
Sewer smells in the basement are not only annoying, they can also be concerning from a health and comfort perspective.
Take a few minutes to pour water into any unused drains, especially floor drains, basement sinks, laundry tubs, showers, or bathrooms that don’t get used very often. If the smell goes away and stays away, great - you may have solved it yourself! If it keeps coming back, that’s the sign that something else may be going on and it’s worth having a plumber take a proper look.
As a reminder, because you signed up for our newsletter, you’re eligible to receive our $50 First Time Customer Credit! The reason we offer this credit to our first time customers is that we're very confident that once you use us one time, you'll want to use us again in the future. We want to make your first decision a little easier and in the process give ourselves the opportunity to show you what it's like to work with us!
If you’re a Toronto homeowner and STILL have a plumbing issue after reading this, we’re here to help! You can reach us by email at [email protected], by phone at 416-587-4302, or on the web at www.watermarkplumbing.ca!
