SERVING 
If you’re asking, “Why does my bathroom smell like sewage?,” your problem might not be as serious as it seems. We say that because a lot of people dealing with sewage smells struggle to identify where the smell is coming from. In many cases, they smell sewage throughout their whole house.
If you know the smell is coming from your bathroom, you’re already somewhat ahead of the problem. That’s a good thing!
When the bathroom smells like sewage (and it’s only the bathroom), it also helps your plumber home in on the problem. Usually, it means you can spend less time troubleshooting and more time dealing with whatever the issue is.
Here are some of the most common reasons your bathroom smells like sewage:
1. Sewage backup
If you smell sewage from a bathroom drain or, worse, you actually see sewage accumulating in a sink or tub, you’ve got a sewage backup problem.
Sewage backup usually happens for one of two different reasons:
- Buildup of objects that are incompatible with plumbing systems (paper towels, wet wipes, feminine hygiene products, etc.)
- Damage caused to sewer lines, typically from tree roots that grow into the pipe itself
Depending on what’s causing the backup, there are different possible solutions. One is hydrojetting, which is a common remedy when something is clogging the sewer line. This is when a sewer line professional sprays a high-pressure water jet down the sewer line to destroy the material causing the backup.
When the sewer line itself is damaged, it’s usually necessary to replace the compromised section of pipe. Either way, a professional will need to do a camera inspection to pinpoint the clog or pipe damage before deciding on a solution.
2. Dry P-trap
The P-trap is the curved section of pipe beneath every sink and shower drain in your home. Water stays inside the P-trap all the time, preventing sewer gasses from entering your home.
So if the bathroom sink smells like sewage, there might be a leak in the P-trap.
A leaky P-trap is a pretty easy problem to solve. If you’re handy around the house, you can replace the leaky section of pipe. Problem solved! Many people prefer to call a plumber for this job.
Occasionally, P-traps can stink due to microbial growth. This won’t smell like sewage, but it will still smell pretty bad. The solution is to pour baking soda followed by vinegar into the P-trap and let it sit for about half an hour before running water. This should wipe out most of the bacteria and eliminate the smell.
3. Broken toilet seal
If this is your problem, you may even notice that the smell is worse around the toilet.
What happens is that the wax seal between the toilet and the floor drain starts to fail. When it cracks or breaks, sewer gasses can escape. You’ll need to shut off the water supply to the toilet, remove the toilet from the floor, and clean up the broken bits of wax. After that, you or a plumber will install a new wax seal before reinstalling the toilet. This should prevent the sewer gasses from entering your bathroom.
A broken toilet seal is fairly simple to fix, although most people will need to call a plumber. Another benefit of hiring a professional is figuring out whether a broken toilet seal really is the source of the problem. It might not be. You might actually have…
4. A leaky sewer pipe
Sewer pipes can leak anywhere in or around your home. However, if you know the smell is coming from your bathroom, it can help a plumber isolate the problem.
Typically, a plumber will need to perform a smoke test. By sending non-toxic smoke through the plumbing system and observing where the smoke exits the pipes, a plumber can identify which section of pipe to replace. If we already know the leaky pipe is in or around a certain bathroom, it’s that much easier to locate.
5. Honorable mention: A clogged shower drain
The smell that comes from a clogged shower drain usually isn’t from sewage, although it’s often bad enough to be mistaken for sewage!
In most cases, the smell is a mixture of soap scum and human biological material (bits of skin and hair) that collects inside your pipes. It forms a material called biofilm, and it can really smell terrible. In some cases, the smell is exacerbated by a clog consisting of biofilm and wads of hair. Gross, right?
Anyway, the solution is pretty simple. You can unclog the shower drain by reaching in and pulling out the hair either with your fingers or a coat hanger that you straighten into a hook. If that doesn’t work, try pouring boiling water down the drain to dislodge the goop blocking the drain.
The vinegar-plus-baking soda trick can also work. First pour some baking soda down the drain. Then pour a cup or so of vinegar on top of it. Let it sit for half an hour and then pour more boiling water down the drain.
Depending on severity, other solutions include plunging the shower drain or removing the clog with a plumber’s snake. If you don’t have experience with a plumber’s snake, a professional plumber can help you unclog the drain.
Let’s get rid of that sewage smell in your bathroom
A stinky bathroom is gross! When your bathroom smells like sewage, you want to eliminate the smell as soon as possible.
If you live in Metro Atlanta and need help diagnosing a sewage smell in your bathroom or any other part of your home, call PV Heating, Cooling & Plumbing today! You can reach us at (404) 282-2915 or fill out the form on this page to schedule an appointment.
