Why Does My Shower Drain Smell?

Having the dreaded rotten egg smell in the house is unappealing, to say the least. Fortunately, having your shower drain smell like something rotten is common and an easily fixable problem. If your shower drain smells rotten, or there is a sewage smell coming from your shower, it’s possible that your water is contaminated. Check with a plumber to see if this the case. If that’s not it, then onto some other possible scenarios:

It Needs Cleaning

So, how to clean your shower drain? First, deal with any potential clogs. Minor clogs can be removed with a wire hanger, but deeper clogs may need to be removed with a plunger or drain opener. This could be all you have to do! But if the shower drain smells persist, you may need to do a more thorough cleaning to get rid of the biological waste (such as the oils of your skin) that went down the drain and is now clinging to the walls of the pipe. The waste is called biofilm, and it’s not hard to get rid of. Just take any old soap and brush and scrub the pipe. Simple! If the smell goes away, you’ve likely found the source and could be in the clear! It’s an easy solution, and probably the one that you’re looking for.

HVAC Problems

However, if there is still a smell coming from the shower drain, it could be your HVAC. This is also a strong possibility as odors from the HVAC tend to accumulate in areas where there is not enough ventilation—such as a shower! Your house might not have enough ventilation in general, either, causing the odor to spread throughout the home. With no ventilation, HVAC units cannot gather enough air for combustion. If you suspect the HVAC unit is the source of the rotten egg smell, this would make sense as some providers make the normally odorless gas have a strong smell so you can notice if there is a natural gas leak. If you believe a gas leak is the case, open all the windows and get out of the house! Call your gas company right away.

Seek Professional Help

Problems with your HVAC don’t always have a simple solution. That’s why it’s important to have your unit looked at by a professional at least once a year. This way, any lingering problems can be identified and resolved—and hopefully, spotted before they even happen! There are many other odors besides rotten eggs that can come from your HVAC that signify problems, such as the smell of something overheating, a gas smell, a moldy smell, or even the smell of oil. All these odors could mean problems such as air filter issues, leaky pipes, moisture that didn’t drain properly, or an oil leak. These issues require calling a professional to fix the HVAC and have the unit running smoothly. Calling a technician to check things out is probably your best bet when it comes to funky smells!