A sewage smell in the bathroom is something you just can’t ignore. Like many potential home disasters, it’s best caught and treated at the outset.
Here’s all you need to know about how to remove a sewer smell from the bathroom in Los Angeles. We’ll also cover what it means if a bathroom smells like sewage at night, when it rains, or when a new bathroom smells like sewage.
Why Does It Smell Like Sewage In My Bathroom?
When your bathroom smells like sewage it can be due to a number of reasons.
A Broken Toilet Seal
If the seal is broken it means that the sewage can seep into other parts of your home instead of being flushed away. Then bacteria grows on the foul water and creates that awful smell.
A Pipe Leaking
Has a pipe burst? Or is one leaking? If you’ve noticed a change in water pressure recently, you may have a leak you haven’t seen. Have a look for moisture stains, including dried puddles, around the toilet.
Is there a room below the toilet? Then check for the same on the ceiling of that room too.
An Issue With The Main Drain Or Sewer
Debris could have collected at the bottom, and this causes a blockage. If the main drain or sewer collapses or decays, there are likely to be gaps in it.
Water Evaporating In The P-Trap Piping
The clean water in the p-trap is the only thing between you and the smell of sewage. If it’s been very dry, it can cause evaporation here. The water here can also evaporate because of a leak.
The Bathroom Smells Like Sewage At Night
If there’s a sewage smell in the bathroom at night it suggests a problem with the vent pipes. They could be broken or clogged. Unfortunately this is often the case if they were installed improperly in the first place.
Nocturnal Showering
Do you shower at night? Then the smell may just be after you have a shower, rather than it being nighttime.
Can you smell something bad after you have a shower at night? Then it may be a clogged shower drain, or a problem with the shower vent.
My New Bathroom Smells Like Sewage
It seems counterintuitive that a brand new bathroom smells like sewage. If it can’t be a product of decay, it was probably installed poorly.
Seals
All the seals need to be in place correctly in order to be watertight.
Vent Pipes
These may have been cut to the wrong size, or installed incorrectly.
Water Evaporation
If you’re lucky, the smell could just be that the water has evaporated from the P-trap piping.
There’s A Stagnant Water Smell In The Bathroom
You may be talking about the guest bathroom. Because really, does this toilet or wash basin get a lot of use? The smell may just be an infrequently used P-trap.
Try running the water or flushing the toilet more often and see if this gets rid of the sewage smell in the bathroom.
Los Angeles sees some pretty hot, dry summers. So if you notice a stagnant smell in the heat, it may be that the water in the P-trap has evaporated.
The Bathroom Smells Like Sewage When It Rains
Any professional sewage cleanup team like Save The Day Restoration will tell you that if a bathroom smells like sewage when it rains, or after it rains, it’s likely to be the following.
Clogged Drains
If the methane gas can’t flow through a septic tank properly, it can flow right back up into your home.
How does it work? The waste that goes down the sewer causes bacteria to grow. And that process makes hydrogen sulfide gas, which smells like rotten eggs, or plain old sewage.
Leaking Pipes
Is there a tree near your home? Because the most common culprit for damaging pipes and sewers is in fact tree roots.
Are the trees far off? Consider this. Roots can extend up to three times the width of the whole tree. So it’s well worth calculating whether they could reach your pipes.
Is A Sewer Smell In The Home Dangerous?
Yes. A sewage smell in the bathroom is not only disgusting but it could be toxic.
If you have sewage leaking, this is obviously a huge health hazard.
And if it’s just the smell? It can still be dangerous to inhale. Hydrogen sulfide gas can cause problems in the eyes and respiratory system in small doses. And in large doses? Organ damage and even death.
How Do I Get Rid Of A Sewer Smell In My Bathroom?
When people have a sewage smell in the bathroom, it generally gets worse the longer they leave it. If there’s a sewage leak, the smell will only get stronger and the moisture will structurally damage your home.
So you may be wondering how to remove a sewer smell from the bathroom yourself.
DIY Sewer Smell Tricks To Try
If the bad smell is coming from the sink, you can certainly try putting bleach or vinegar down it. However, if there’s a blockage, you’ll just be sanitizing what’s blocked. If you’re sure there’s not a leak, try pouring boiling water down it.
However, there’s a better way.
Professional Sewage Cleanup In Los Angeles
The Save The Day Restoration team has years of experience in all types of sanitation, sewage cleanup, and restoring homes affected by water damage.
We’ll get to the root of the problem straight away and leave your home odor free with everything working as it should.
Sewage Smell In The Bathroom? Call Save The Day Restoration Today
Don’t let your home suffer long-term, expensive structural damage from sewage. A sewage smell in the bathroom points to a serious issue that needs addressing right now.
If your bathroom smells like sewage give our friendly Los Angeles team a call 24/7, even on holidays. Save The Day Restoration specializes in sewage cleanup, sanitation and water damage restoration. We’re ready for your call at (562) 246-9908 or you can get in touch by email.
