The bathroom is supposed to be the place of comfort, rest and pleasant escape from the troubles and busyness of the day but when you enter your bathroom and smell foul odor right away, something must be wrong and the issue needs to be addressed asap!
There are a number of reasons why your bathroom/ toilet might smell, so it’s crucial to first identify where the smell is coming from and what causes it.
The following are three of the most widespread reasons leading to that nasty smell.
A lot of waste is poured down bathroom sinks every day from shaving cream and toothpaste to dead skin cells and soapy water. The wet pipes beneath your bathroom provide the best environment for smelly bacteria to grow, and biofilm (a slimy black filth) may start to collect down your pipes. If you happened to notice this biofilm substance in the sink stopper, most likely your pipes are covered in this filth as well.
This problem isn’t very difficult to fix. Pouring cleaning products designed for bathroom sinks down the drain can help remove the odor. Also rinsing out the pipes with a vinegar solution is a great tool in dealing with smells. However, remember to never mix vinegar and bleach – doing so produces highly toxic fumes. Carefully follow the instructions on the cleaner bottle.
If the bathroom biofilm buildup is severe, it’s always better to call a professional plumber to tackle this task.
If the stink coming from your bathroom smells like sewage, then sewage may be the actual reason for it. All your water waste drains to the same place, so the runoff from your bathroom will be sharing a pipe with sewage down the line. Usually two elements (the P-trap and the vent) keep the sewer gases from seeping out of your drains. Failure of one of these elements can cause sewer gases to leak into your bathroom.
The P-trap is a U-shaped pipe that holds a small amount of water in it, forming a so-called seal against sewer gases that try to enter your home. In some cases the P-trap allows these gases to escape through a leak, a broken seal, or because of its rare use. Sometimes it is enough to check the P-trap and if it is dried out, pour a glass of water in it.
Even with a functioning P-trap, smelly gas inside the pipes would eventually find the way out and up through the drain. For this reason plumbing systems are usually equipped with vents and trapped gases easily travel through the pipes and then escape outside through vents. However, if your vent is blocked, the unpleasant odor can fill your bathroom and entire house if these gases will start leaking out through the drains. If that’s the case, it would be best to invite a professional plumber, who can clean out the vents and restore the proper functioning of your venting system.
Sometimes you find out that nasty smell of urine is evaporating from your toilet when you are taking a bath. This is discouraging, especially if your toilet looks clean and sparkly on the outside. A constant urine smell stays in your bathroom due to a leaking wax seal, which is located under the toilet and seals the point between the toilet and the drain. What causes this wax seal to leak? Improper initial installation and usual wear and tear of your toilet are the main reasons. Urine from the toilet seeps out on the bathroom floor through this seal no matter how often you clean and disinfect. This is disgusting even to think about it…
Fortunately, replacing this seal is possible and a quick call to your local plumbing professional can fix the problem.
If you live in South OC and are in need of professional bathroom plumbing services, look no further than South OC Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning. We offer complete bathroom plumbing repairs, installations, and maintenance. Whether your household is suffering from a constantly smelly toilet or another plumbing issue, we are there to help, offering unmatched customer service!
Orange County, Tustin, 92780 | (714) 400-2913
