- Toilets have a wax seal under the base of the toilet bowl that prevents sewer gases from the drain from entering your home. Occasionally these seals deteriorate with age or become damaged. Replacing the wax seal will eliminate sewage smells coming from your toilet.
- A drain trap is typically located in your basement floor and is designed to trap waste water and act as a seal to prevent sewer gas from entering your home. If this trap is dry because the drain line connected to it is infrequently used or the trap itself is damaged, the seal breaks, allowing the gas into your home. If the drain line itself is damaged, sewer gases will enter your home as well. Pour about 2 gallons of water into the drain, and examine the opening. If there is enough water standing inside to fill the pipe, the drain trap is working properly. Check a couple of hours later to ensure the water is still there. If there is no water inside, the trap is either damaged or nonexistent. A plumber can replace or install a drain trap properly to stop the sewage gases from entering your home.
- Sulfur-reducing bacteria in your hot water tank can also produce a sewage smell in your home. Cover your sink drain and run first the cold and then the hot water faucet. If the smell is only present while running the hot water, likely this is the source of the sewage odor. Magnesium rods used in hot water tanks to control corrosion may react with sulfates to create these bacteria. Replacing these rods with a rod made of metal such as aluminum can help remove the bacteria and eliminate the odor.
- Toilet and sink drains that remain unused for a period of days will eventually dry out as the water evaporates. Water is necessary inside these drains to prevent sewer gases from entering your home through them. In areas of your home where faucets and toilets are rarely used, pour 1/2 cup of bleach down the drains and rinse with hot water weekly. Flush toilets weekly as well to ensure that water in the trap doesn't evaporate.
- Leaves or bird's nests can block the roof plumbing vent, which may lead to sewer odors in your home. The vent system in your home's plumbing balances the pressure variations caused by waste water flowing through the pipes and allows sewer gases to leave the system by venting them above the house. If the vent system is blocked, the gases can't escape and must find another point of exit inside your home. Inspect and clean roof plumbing vents regularly to ensure gases escape where they should.
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