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A dry or dirty trap in that room: run water, clean the trap.
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Bad Smell From the Drain: Where Does the Sewer Smell Come From?
A sewer smell in the bathroom, kitchen or cellar, sometimes only in warm weather or when it is windy? Our technicians track down the source of the smell and get rid of it: dry trap, dirty pipe, open joint or missing vent. Price given before the work.
5,0on Google· 22 years of experience
Source foundTrap, joint, vent
CleaningSnake and jetting
CameraFor hidden leaks
Price given firstBefore the work
Dry traps and dirty waste pipes
Every fitting has a trap: a small reserve of water that blocks sewer gases. If a basin, shower or floor drain is not used for a few weeks, the water evaporates and the smell gets into the room. Running a little water then solves it.
If the smell persists while everything is in use, the waste pipe itself is dirty: grease in the kitchen, hair and soap in the bathroom. These deposits ferment and smell, especially in warm weather.
The technician dismantles and cleans the traps, then runs a snake or high-pressure water through the pipe to remove deposits along its length. The smell goes as the drainage gets back to normal.
Washing machines and dishwashers connected without a trap, or with a hose pushed too far into the waste, can also let smells into a kitchen or utility room.
An open joint or a broken pipe
A smell that comes back for no obvious reason, often in a cellar or behind furniture, can come from a pipe letting gases out: a displaced joint, a badly fitted toilet connector, a cracked pipe, a missing access cap or a badly closed chamber cover.
The technician first checks the visible connections. If nothing shows, he runs a camera through the pipe to spot an open joint or a break and locate it from above.
He then proposes the right repair: remaking a joint, replacing a connector, fitting a sealed cap or replacing a section of pipe. The price is given before the work.
Venting the drains and the bathroom
A waste system must be vented, usually by the soil stack rising through the roof. Without this vent, water running down sucks the water out of the traps as it passes: they empty, gurgle and let smells through.
The technician checks the stack vent is not blocked by a nest or debris, and that it was not removed during a renovation. Where it is missing, an air admittance valve fitted on the pipe can replace it in some cases.
A poorly ventilated bathroom also keeps damp and odours. Our ventilation technicians fit or replace extract grilles and fans to freshen the room.
Sewer smell in the garden or cellar
A smell coming from the inspection chamber, a gully or the cellar drain often comes from a dirty sewer: silt, grease and deposits sit in a pipe with too little fall or one that no longer empties completely.
High-pressure jetting cleans the whole pipe to the public sewer and removes the fermenting deposits. The technician also checks the inspection chamber cover is airtight.
If the smell comes from an old septic tank or soakaway still connected, he explains the options, including emptying with a vacuum tanker.
Finding the source of the smell
Smell after flushing or a bath
Stack vent missing or blocked: the traps are being emptied.
Smell in the cellar
Dry floor drain, poorly closed cover, open joint or dirty sewer.
Smell in the garden
Inspection chamber not sealed, dirty sewer or an old septic tank.
Smell in warm weather
Deposits ferment faster: clean the waste pipes.
Smell near the toilet
A pan connector or seal badly fitted lets gases out at the base, sometimes without any visible water.
Our visit
Your description
Where, when and since when the smell appears.
Search and price
The technician checks traps, joints, vents and sewer, then gives the price.
Smell gone
Cleaning, repair or ventilation, with a job sheet.
What our customers say
Where do we work?
Our technicians work throughout Belgium: Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia.
BrusselsWalloon BrabantFlemish BrabantHainautNamur provinceLiège provinceLuxembourg provinceAntwerpEast FlandersWest FlandersLimburg
Frequently asked questions
Why does my bathroom smell of sewage?
Most often a dry or dirty trap. Run water in every fitting; if the smell remains, the pipe or its vent is at fault.
Is the smell dangerous?
Sewer gases smell bad and are not healthy to breathe for long. A persistent smell should be dealt with.
Are vinegar and baking soda enough?
They can help with a slightly dirty trap, not with an open joint or a venting problem.
Do you have to break things to find the source?
Rarely. The camera locates an open joint before anything is opened, in the right place.
How much does it cost?
It depends on the cause. The price is given before starting. Call 0477 03 88 98.
The smell comes back after every holiday. Is that normal?
Yes, the traps evaporate while you are away. Run the taps when you get back; for long absences, a little cooking oil on the trap water slows evaporation.
How do I tell a sewer smell from a gas smell?
A sewer smell is like rotten eggs or waste water and comes from the drains. Natural gas has its own added odour: in that case, close the gas, ventilate, leave and call your network operator's emergency number.
A smell that won't go away?
Call us, book a slot or request a quote.