The act of taking a shower is typically calming for a person. Nothing sounds better than hopping in the shower and letting the water take away all your stress after a long, stressful day at work. Showers do have a negative side, though, in that they may be rather embarrassing. Shower odors are frequently caused by a variety of factors.
Finding the Source of the Odor
Recording the type of foul odor you smell should be your first step when you notice new shower drain scents that make you wrinkle your nose in the bathroom. This will help you figure out where the smell is originating from.
1. A dingy or filthy P-trap
If the smell of sewage is coming from your shower drain, your P-trap may not be doing its job of keeping sewer gases out of your bathroom. If your P-trap is still blocked and you’re experiencing a mustier or overall stench, it probably needs to be cleaned.
How Does a Shower P-Trap Cause Odors, and What Is It?
An additional drain fitting known as a P-trap is found in many bathrooms. This specific plumbing fixture, which is intended to stop sewage gases from backing up into your home through your drain system, is frequently the cause of smelly shower drains. The trap itself is filled with water, which forms a seal to stop the odors from reentering the house.
If the P-trap is empty or has dried out, scents can easily enter the bathroom through the shower drain and spread around your feet as you use the facility. As a result, checking it is simple—all you need to do is shine a flashlight on it to determine if it seems to be dry or wet.
Shower P-Trap Cleaning Instructions
Look around for any debris in the trap of this portion of pipe and clean it out. Grab an old cloth or piece of paper to scoop out anything obstructing its path if it appears that something is caught inside there.
Once all the debris has been taken out, fill the bathroom sink tub with cold water and then pour it into the P-trap until it is filled enough to prevent any air pockets. Any more blockages that might be the source of the odor can be flushed out with this.
2. Broken Pipes
If your shower smells like rotting eggs or sulfur, there is probably a leak in one of the drain pipes under your house. Among other things, common causes of smelly shower drain like this include broken valves, rusty pipes, and leaky faucet joints.
Leaky Pipes: What Might Cause Them?
Due to the sulfurous fumes, they release through your drain system, which has a rotten egg-like odor, these leaks can result in the most unpleasant of shower odors. Corroded pipe segments and loose couplings, such as those on your sink taps or beneath your toilet seat, are frequent sources of smelly shower drains.
How to Repair Leaky Pipes
You’ll need to tighten every corroded junction and repair any pieces of pipe that may be rusting away if your shower scents are coming from your drain system because of leaking pipes. This can be a difficult process, but it is vitally necessary to keep the bathroom a safe place to live.
3. Biofilm Formation
If a drain blockage is difficult to remove with a plunger, biofilm has probably accumulated inside the bowl and is obstructing water flow. This particular issue is one of the most frequent reasons for stinky shower drains since everything in the bathroom starts to rot and decay more quickly when water isn’t flowing through the pipe system, which produces unpleasant odors.
Biofilm: What is it?
When hair and other debris start to rot and degrade, a film known as biofilm forms on the interior of drain pipes. The accumulation of dirt, dust and other foreign particles in one sticky layer inside your home’s drain system is a typical source of smelly shower drains like this.
How to Get Rid of Biofilm
After locating the source of the odor in your home, you must clean up every pipe segment in the space under your bathroom sink and between these spots. The drain line’s hardest-to-reach segment is typically where most people struggle to get rid of stubborn obstructions or odors.
You’ll need an enzyme-based treatment that specifically targets bacteria and other pathogens, as well as a few more ninja moves under your sleeve, to dissolve the biofilm. Unclean upkeep of these areas, which creates accumulation, is one of the typical reasons for odorous shower drains.
4. Clogged Drains
You must repair any clogs in your drain lines caused by hair or other debris as soon as possible to prevent the odor from getting worse. Drain clogs and leaks are frequent causes of smelly shower drains because when water lingers under a house for an extended period of time, it accelerates the pace of decomposition and decay.
What Brings About Shower Clogs?
Heavy use and bathtub overflow are two of the most frequent causes of clogs in shower drains, but other obstructions in your home’s plumbing system, such as debris buildup, can also contribute to these issues. Drain blockages are common because a wide range of factors could easily result in obstructions, including:
- Hair
- Dast
- Sand
- small things
- Towel scum
- Rubble
- Mineral Deposits
How to Remove a Clog in a Drain
You must remove the plunger’s face shield in order to acquire a stronger hold and plunge the tool into the obstruction in order to unclog a drain. Because you have to use one hand inside the filthy p-trap while using the other to plunge, which is at best uncomfortable, common causes of smelly shower drains like this can be very tough.
Your local plumbing authority is BJC Plumbers Jersey City
We’ve got you covered if you’re suffering from a nasty shower. Call (201) 885-7265 to reach our team right away. Our team of professionals will be more than pleased to help you and turn your shower back into a relaxing space.