As most are well aware, the bathroom can occasionally be a somewhat smelly area due to the natural waste we flush down the toilet. But for some home and business owners, odors related to the toilet are a bit different – one common plumbing issue is a sewer-like smell that becomes present after every flush of a given toilet, even when smelly bodily wastes aren’t involved at all.
When you call the pros with At Your Service Plumbing, Heating & Air, we’re proud to assist you with any toilet-related issues, from handling odor issues to servicing modern low-flow toilets and much more. What are some of the culprits that might be behind this sort of odor leaking out from a given toilet after every flush? Here are a few potential explanations, plus what you might be able to do about them.
Irregular Use
One immediate question to ask yourself if you notice this smell after a given flush or two: How often is the toilet in question used? In cases where a certain toilet in the home or building is not used very often, water that sits in the bowl will often evaporate, leaving nothing but a dry bowl behind.
When this happens, poor odors from the drain pipe can make their way up and into your bathroom – there’s no water to act as a buffer zone. To solve this issue, note any toilets in the building that don’t get regular use, and make a point of flushing them every so often just to make sure there’s still water in the bowl and these smells don’t develop.
Wax Seal Breakage
Another form of issue that can cause odors to leak up from the piping below: When the wax ring that seals your toilet to the ground in the bathroom is broken. This seal is valuable for blocking both water and smells, but when it’s broken, air from inside the toilet and drain pipe can be pushed upward and released into the room every time you flush.
If this issue is allowed to persist, water damage may begin taking place on top of poor smells. If you notice the toilet seat rocking every time you sit down, this could be a sign that the seal is broken – and you should call our plumbers for an inspection and potential replacement.
Drain Pipe Blockages
Finally, another common cause of these smells is a blockage forming in the drain pipe. Not all drain pipe clogs lead to immediate flushing issues – some build up over time, with stinky clog items that stay stuck near the top of the pipe and lead to lasting odors. In these cases, quality drain cleaning services from our plumbers will get the job done quickly.
For more on the common culprits behind fouls odors coming from your toilet after each flush, or to learn about any of our plumbing or HVAC services, speak to the staff with At Your Service Plumbing, Heating & Air today.
