Why Does My Toilet Smell?
Can’t get rid of bad toilet smells? Not able to figure out why your toilet smells?
No one wants to walk into their bathroom only to be greeted by an offensive odor coming from a smelly toilet. What’s worse is these toilet smells are often carried into other parts of your home, giving your entire house an unpleasant smell.
Learn some of the most common reasons why your toilet smells and how to get rid of the odors.
Toilet Smells Like Sewage
Does your toilet smell like sewage? If you smell a sewage odor coming up from your toilet, then chances are there’s an issue with your p-trap. The p-trap is a u-shaped pipe that contains a small amount of water used to form a preventive seal from sewer gases. If there is a leak, broken seal, or the water evaporates as a result of not flushing the toilet for a long time, then the sewer gases can come up from your toilet and into your home.
Solution: If this is happening for a toilet you rarely use, try flushing your toilet and see if that fixes the problem. If you continue to have problems, then contact a local plumber to inspect for a leak or broken seal.
Toilet Smells Like Sewage When Flushing
If your toilet smells like sewage when you flush it, your issue is most likely with the wax seal. If the wax seal is broken or loose, sewer gases can escape and disperse into your home when you flush the toilet. If you can pinpoint a sewage smell to the bottom of your toilet, then this is probably your issue.
Solution: Contact a local plumber to replace the wax seal.
Toilet Smells Like Urine Even After Cleaning
Does your toilet still smell like urine even after cleaning it inside and out? If this is your problem, try performing a heavy cleaning in and around the toilet using a bleach based cleaner. Make sure to clean the floor and anything close to the toilet, even the wall behind the toilet.
If you are sure your toilet has been cleaned and disinfected entirely, then you may have a leaking wax seal. The wax seal sits under the toilet between the toilet and the drain and if it’s not installed properly or worn out, it can leak. If you can pinpoint the smell to the bottom of the toilet, then this is most likely your issue.
Solution: Try deep cleaning with a bleach based cleaner. If that doesn’t work check if the wax seal needs to be replaced. Replacing the wax seal involves removing the entire toilet, so it’s best to contact a local plumber to confirm this is the problem.
Toilet Smells Like Rotten Eggs or Sulfur
Does your toilet smell like rotten eggs? If you smell a rotten eggs or sulfur odor coming from your toilet it most likely means you have bacteria in your water. This is especially true in humid environments or during the summer because hot, humid conditions allow bacteria to thrive.
Solution: Try disinfecting the drains. If that doesn’t fix your problem, you’ll have to call a local plumber to replace the pipes.
