Fix That Stinky Drain

No one likes walking into their kitchen or bathroom and immediately smelling something stinky. Sometimes you might try to open a window, light a candle, or start an exhaust fan if you have one. But maybe that’s not enough. That’s when you realize that the smell is coming from the drain!

Not to worry, there are only a couple culprits responsible for this smelly situation and EPS is here to help!

Pull Out Those Gloves To Unstuff The Stopper

The most common cause of stinky drain is a stuffed stopper. Your stopper (or strainer) catches all the debris and chunks so your pipes don’t clog. Here’s how you can check it to see if it’s the problem.

1. Pull out a screwdriver, remove the drain and pull out the stopper. 
2. Soak it in hot water and start removing any caked on debris. 
3. While you have your stopper surfaced, grab a mold or mildew remover and add it to the cleansing process. 

Check The P-Trap

If cleaning the stopper doesn’t un-stink the drain, then the p-tap is the next probable problem. The p-trap is a curved section of your pipes just under the stopper that blocks any potential sewer gasses from escaping the pipes by keeping a bit of water as a barrier. If the smell is sulfurous (rotten egg vibes), then you’d better have a chat with the old p-trap.

1. Grab your phone or a flashlight, shine it down and check the water level. 
2. If you don’t see any water, it’s time to test it. 
3. Grab a cup or bowl and pour some water down the drain. 
4. Come back a couple hours later, and if it’s gone, you have a venting problem.

Your vents give the air hanging out in the pipes a much needed escape when you turn on the water, but sometimes it gets clogged with shower debris. If you know where this vent lets out, you can try to remove the blockage yourself! If not, you may need to call in our professional plumbers to take a look.

If there’s still a stinking issue or you want to avoid messing with the pipes, give our expert plumbers a  24 Hour On Call Plumbers, if you live on the Big Island, call (855) 420-8572.