No one likes to walk into a stinky bathroom. Typically, the foul smell can be attributed to the toilet and a little air freshener and an open window fixes the problem. However, sometimes the toilet is not the source of the odor, in fact the source of the odor can’t be pinpointed. The toilet is clean, the sink and shower drains don’t smell when you get close to them – so why is there a foul odor in your bathroom?
The drains in your bathroom are circular and typically have a small screen over them. However, under the fixture the drain pipe is actually curved and the U-shaped section of that curve is called a P-trap. The idea is that a small amount of water sits in the curve and blocks any odors or gases from rising up and out of the drain. If you have an unexplained sewage odor in your bathroom, chances are something is not working properly.
Evaporation. If the fixtures in the bathroom have not been used recently, it is possible that the water in the P-trap has evaporated. This typically happens in guest bathrooms or, utility sinks where the water doesn’t get turned on all the time. The easiest way to fix this problem is simply to run the water for a few seconds to allow the P-trap to fill up again.
Leaks. If the pipes or joints around the P-trap have even a small leak, the reduction in water will cause sewage gases to escape and come out of your drain. Check around the P-trap and the pipes under the fixture for any leaks or cracks.
Clogs. The materials that make up drain clogs can themselves become rotted and smelly. It is possible for a drain clog to be narrow enough that it allows water to pass through and doesn’t cause the fixture to overflow with water. This leaves only the smell as your clue that a clog exists. If you can’t pinpoint any other cause for the smell, treat the fixture as though there is a clog and have it cleared before assuming something worse is happening.
Broken seal. When a bathroom smells, it is always assumed that the cause is the toilet. However, if the toilet is clean and there is water in the bowl, chances are the toilet is not the culprit. The water in the toilet bowl acts as a smell barrier the same way water in the P-trap does. However, if the toilet bowl does not fill with water as quickly as it should, there might be a broken seal. For this problem you will need to call a plumber.
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