2 Possible Plumbing Issues That Are Making Your Kitchen Stink

Lately, you may have noticed that your kitchen smells really bad. Even after doing a thorough cleaning of the room, the odor still lingers, making you wonder if there is something unseen that is causing the offending smell. 

If so, there may be an issue with your home's plumbing that is allowing sewer fumes back into the kitchen. Besides a clogged drain or broken sewer line, there are a couple of possible plumbing issues causing the stink in your kitchen that needs the attention of a plumbing professional.

1. P-trap under the Kitchen Sink Is Drying Out Because of a Slow Leak

One possible reason your kitchen smells like sewage is that there is a problem with the P-trap under the sink. As part of its primary function, this U-shaped trap always has water in the bottom that helps prevent sewer gases from coming back up through the drains from your home's main sewer line.

If this trap dries out, the barrier between your kitchen and the gases is gone. If running water in the sink for a few minutes does not resolve the issue, the P-trap may be leaking and should be replaced by a plumbing professional.

2. Drain Vent Is Either Blocked or Has a Crack in the Pipe

Another possible reason your kitchen stinks is a problem with the drain's vent pipe. Along with the P-trap, the vent pipe keeps sewer gases out of your home by diverting them up through the pipe that sticks out of your home's roof.

However, if there is a crack in this ordinarily closed system, the air infiltrating the pipe through the crack can carry the gases back down and into your kitchen. The vent pipe may also have a blockage that is preventing the release of the gases, such as a bird's nest built near the top of the opening. If you suspect this is the case, a plumber will need to investigate the problem with the vent pipe and either remove the blockage or replace it if damaged.

If your kitchen smells like sewage and you know there are no clogged sewer lines, fumes from the lines may be coming back up through the sink because the p-trap is leaking and staying dried out. Or, the drain vent may be damaged or blocked by debris such as a bird's nest. Since fixing either of these issues must be done correctly to keep the sewage fumes out of your kitchen, call a plumbing service in your area.