Plumbing
Plumbing services in Jacksonville, FL

Much of the plumbing system in your Jacksonville, FL home is hidden behind drywall or buried underground. Thus, when it’s working as it should, it’s easy to overlook. Fortunately, pipes, drains, and sewer lines always send out tell-tale signs of developing problems. Being alert to these signs enables homeowners to promptly address minor problems before they escalate into major issues that are more difficult and costly to resolve. Foul odors are among the first symptoms of plumbing trouble. Read on to find out what these odors mean and how to avoid them.

Common Plumbing Odors

When your plumbing system is clean and functioning properly, it shouldn’t emit any foul smells. Clean, open pipes rapidly route odorous waste away from the building. If your drains stink or there are unpleasant smells in your yard just above your sewer line, you may be able to pinpoint the underlying problem by their fragrance alone.

Sewer Gas

Sewer gas is a collection of obnoxious-smelling non-toxic and toxic gases. These gases are produced in municipal sewer systems and residential sewer lines as organic waste and industrial contaminants break down. The primary odor-causing component in sewer gas is hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide smells a lot like rotten eggs or aging cabbage.

If you smell sewer gas outdoors, there’s a good chance that your sewer line is leaking. You might have a cracked, offset, or crushed sewer pipe. Sewer gas odors can also be a sign of tree root encroachment.

If you smell sewer gases indoors, you may have a whole-house backup on the way. Whole-house backups occur when outdoor sewer lines are fully or partially obstructed. Sewer pipe obstructions leave effluence with nowhere to go but back into homes. As backflowing wastewater nears homes, it brings the unpleasant aroma of the sewer with it.

Sometimes drains smell like sewer gas due to dirty or dry p-traps. P-traps are tiny dips in drain pipes that hold water. This water prevents sewer gases from entering buildings. If one or more of your p-traps is dry, dirty, or broken, you need a plumber.

Stagnant Water

Moving water cleans itself. Stagnant water grows increasingly dirty as time passes. If you have standing pools of water in or near your home, you may have a cracked or ruptured pipe or a loose plumbing connection. As bacteria and other microorganisms flourish in stagnant water, these pools become thick, slimy, and smelly.

You can schedule a whole-house plumbing inspection to identify the source of standing water. You might have a loose connection at the back of your dishwasher, washing machine, or other plumbing-reliant appliance. You may have a leaky water supply line or a leaky water heater tank.

Rotten Food

Rotten food is the most common plumbing system odor. It occurs when kitchen sinks are slow-moving, blocked, or improperly maintained. Buildups of grease and general food waste can flood your kitchen with rank smells and attract a variety of pests. Rotten food odors can also develop in garbage disposals when homeowners put the wrong items in these appliances, overuse them, or use them incorrectly.

Among the many food items that you should never put into your garbage disposal are:

  • Nuts and seeds
  • Eggshells
  • Potato peelings
  • Citrus peels
  • Dry rice, pasta, flour, or oatmeal

You should always run warm water while using your garbage disposal to prevent sticky or pasty foods from clumping up and causing problems. It’s also important to follow your garbage disposal manufacturer’s instructions for basic cleaning and maintenance.

Biofilm and Odor-Causing Pathogens

Biofilm is a slimy sheath of microorganisms that have coated themselves in a protective polymer matrix. Thick, black, and sticky, biofilm adheres to drains and pipe walls. It’s rife with bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, and other pathogens. Depending upon its composition, biofilm can smell like many things. However, many people describe it as smelling moldy, like rotten garbage, or like rotten eggs.

Bathroom Drain Odors

Biofilm is the most likely cause of bathroom drain odors. However, much like kitchen sinks, bathroom drains are often coated in organic waste, including soap scum, toothpaste, spit, hair, body oils, and phlegm. If you smell your drains whenever you turn your shower on or brush your teeth, it’s time to schedule professional drain maintenance.

Wet Building Materials, Mildew, and Mold

Everything smells a bit different when wet. You don’t have to have a broken wastewater pipe or sewer line to develop plumbing odors in your home. Even a leaking water supply line can affect how your living space smells. If you smell wet drywall or carpeting, call a plumber. We have cutting-edge leak detection tools that can identify leaks hidden behind walls, in crawlspaces, or in other remote areas.

Leaky pipes raise indoor humidity and create the perfect conditions for mildew and mold. If you have a slow, hidden leak in the building, you might smell mold and mildew before you see them.

Exploring the Top Causes of Plumbing Odors

The top causes of plumbing odors are general wear and insufficient maintenance. Without regular, professional maintenance, hard-working plumbing components will eventually start to stink.

Dirty Plumbing Fixtures

Before questioning the integrity of your drains and pipes, consider whether dirty plumbing fixtures are the source of foul odors. Build-ups of organic waste in sinks, tubs, and toilets can develop an unpleasant smell over time. If they aren’t properly installed or cleaned, plumbing fixtures can also develop rank biofilm.

Dirty P-Traps

P-traps can develop heavy buildups of food and other organic waste. Not only does this lead to unpleasant plumbing odors, but it also creates the perfect conditions for drain gnat infestations. P-trap cleaning is a standard part of professional drain maintenance.

Dirty Drains

Homeowners are advised to schedule professional drain cleaning services like hydro-jetting, hydro-steaming, or rooter service once each year. Professional drain cleaning removes build-ups of biofilm and organic waste. It also limits the risk of clogs and whole-house backups. If you haven’t scheduled professional drain cleaning for quite some time, dirty drains are the most likely cause of your foul plumbing odors.

Blocked Sewer Lines

All of the waste that exits your home passes through your sewer line. If this line clogs, none of your drains, plumbing fixtures, or plumbing-connected appliances will work correctly. Sewer line blockages are often the result of:

  • Tree root encroachment
  • Built-up sediment, silt, and sand
  • Collapsed or compressed pipe sections
  • Trapped, slow-degrading waste

You can prevent these problems or keep them from spiraling out of control by scheduling sewer line inspection and drain cleaning services every 18 to 22 months.

Don’t Attempt to Mask Foul Odors

If you have a blocked sewer line, a clogged drain, or a dirty p-trap, you can disinfect and deodorize to your heart’s content, but you won’t enjoy lasting benefits. To eliminate plumbing odors, you must address the underlying plumbing problems. Room freshening sprays, plug-in air fresheners, bleach, and ammonia won’t do the trick. Using these things to fight unpleasant plumbing smells will add chemical contaminants to your air and worsen an already poor indoor air quality (IAQ). Hiring seasoned plumbers is always the best form of odor control.

We’ve been proudly serving Jacksonville and the surrounding cities since 2010. We offer top-notch heating, cooling, indoor air quality and, of course, plumbing services. If you have foul plumbing odors in or around your home, give Buehler Air Conditioning & Plumbing a call today!

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