If you are smelling a sewer odor in your home, especially in the bathroom, you need to contact your local plumber immediately. This is methane gas and/or hydrogen sulfide gas. It is mostly odorless, so if you’re smelling it, there is a lot present, and it is toxic and poisonous.The repair is usually affordable and easy, but must be fixed. Now.
If you’re in Phoenix, call us. We specialize in sewer repairs and are reasonable and honest.
What does sewer odor smell like?
Sewer odors are like car noises; everyone describes them a bit differently, and often they do smell a bit different from home to home. Most people describe sewer odors as smelling like rotten eggs. The odor will be foul. Odors can vary as the odor is a mixture of gases.
Is sewer gas really that dangerous?
Hydrogen sulfide results from the bacterial breakdown of organic matter found in your sewer lines. It is heavier than air and poisonous, affecting the human nervous system.
Sewer gas may include any of the following gases: hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, methane, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and/or nitrogen oxide. Sewer gases can also potentially create fire or explosions.
In most homes, the biggest problem is unpleasant odor, but as you can see, it is pretty serious, and all cases are different.
Isn’t my home protected from these gases?
Water seals, in your toilet for example, keep gas from entering the home. There are also gas traps to prevent it. And you also have sewer vents on top of your home. All of these things can break. In Phoenix, our dry weather can evaporate the water seals in infrequently used plumbing fixtures, allowing sewer gas to enter the home. Sewer gas exposure also occurs via leaking plumbing drains, broken toilet seals, and a variety of other malfunctioning equipment.
Plumbing repair for sewer gas smells
Dry traps, cracked drain lines, broken vent pipes, oh my. Any of these things which are broken are repaired by us. Over the last 30 years of plumbing in the area, we have seen a bit of everything.