What Causes Odors in Your Drains?

Dependable Service Since 1926

No homeowner wants to think about odors and their origin, but a pungent smell from anywhere in your home can be distracting and unpleasant, to say the least. If you’ve noticed a pervasive odor emanating from one of your drains, and many times it will be the kitchen drain, it’s time to have one of the plumbing professionals from Bell Plumbing and Heating clean your drain out.

Causes

Here is a list of common causes of drain odors:

  • Food particles – we put a whole lot of things down our drains, especially the kitchen drain. And if you have a garbage disposal, you are likely putting even more food down your drain than a homeowner who doesn’t. The problem is that food particles can stick to the sides of the drain pipe, and like any other discarded food, it will break down, causing serious odors.
  • Soap scum – soap has a certain amount of fat in it. It isn’t unusual for soap scum to build up in your drain over time, but if it is allowed to build for a long time, it can start to smell. Soap scum build-up can be formidable, so it’s important to hire a trained expert to clean it from your drain.
  • Fats, oils, grease (FOG) – most homeowners have heard the age-old advice about never pouring grease, fat or oil down a drain. Unlike many passed-along suggestions, this one is 100% true: you really don’t want to put FOG down any drain. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, these kinds of food byproducts are clingers; they don’t just wash down your drain because they congeal when they cool. And contrary to popular belief, running hot water doesn’t clear them from your drain at all. Hot water simply melts FOG, driving it further into your plumbing system where it congeals again. Second, food particles are easily caught-up in FOG because it is sticky. This makes it a 1-2 punch for developing odors.

You don’t have to live with smelly drains in Denver, CO. Simply give our plumbing experts a call and we’ll get your drains clean!

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