There is a reason modern toilets have a flushing mechanism. They make it possible to eject human waste from inside the home and send it into the sewer. Toilets and sewer lines are parts of a massive system designed to separate people from the foul odors created by raw sewage.
But sometimes, as Keyrenter Alexandria Property Management says, this system breaks, and the smell of sewage finds its way into your home. Usually, when this happens, you can trace the problem to a clear cause, such as a sewer backup. But there are times when you only have this problem after a spell of rainfall.
In perfectly dry weather, the atmosphere inside your home is pleasant. But when it rains, you may notice the smell of sewage in the indoor and sometimes outdoor areas. This odor will often go away after a few days if it doesn’t rain again.
Why does this happen, and what can you do about it?
The usual reason sewer gas enters a home is because of clogged drains and damaged sewer lines. When a sewer line is broken or backed up, sewer gases will smell in the house when it rains or doesn’t rain. If your home smells like sewage only after it rains, chances are the problem is caused by at least one of the following:
Water pressure inside the sewer line
If your city’s sewer line is connected to the storm drains, it could cause sewer gases to leak into your home. That happens after heavy rainfall as sewer pipes are overwhelmed with rainwater runoff. The water displaces the air inside the sewer, causing pressure to build up in the pipes. Since they have no place to go, those sewer gases will back up until they find an exit inside the home.
Normally, your home should have a vent stack to prevent this issue. If the vent stacks are intact, the displaced air inside the sewer line cannot escape through that route. It may also be due to a poorly-designed plumbing system with no vent stacks. If you think this might be the problem with your home, get a plumber to look at the plumbing.
Open floor drains and dried-out water barrier
Open floor drains are not as common as they used to be. But if you still have them in your home, they could serve as a passageway for sewer gases to enter your home. Open floor drains will release sewer gases into the home if the stagnant air inside them is displaced by a rising water table. The water table will usually rise after heavy rainfall.
Floor drains that have not been used in years will also release sewer gasses into your home. Floor drains are usually designed with a water barrier to seal and prevent gases from entering the house. However, if a drain has not been used in years, the water inside that water barrier will dry up, leaving the way open for gases to enter your home.
The way to deal with this problem is to pour a bucket of water into the floor drain to fill the trap and restore its seal. If the odors persist after you do this, you may consider sealing up the drain (if it is never in use). But ask your plumber before you do this. Another option is to pour a mild household cleaner into the drain to prevent odors.
Loose toilets, poorly positioned vents, and cracked foundation
Modern toilets have a u-shaped trap where water accumulates to form a barrier between gases emanating from the sewer and your home. Sometimes this trap is not properly sealed, or the seal comes loose. If the toilet is not tightly fixed to the pipe which connects it to the sewer line, pungent gases will escape the sewer line into your home.
Sewer gas may also leak into your home from vents if those vents are too close to a window or an air intake. Sewer gases can also find their way into the house through cracks in the foundation. The possibility of these happening increases with rainfall because rainfall raises the volume of water inside the sewer line.
Issues with your septic tank system
If your home uses a septic tank, sewage could find its way into the house through several avenues. After heavy rains, due to changes in atmospheric pressure, foul-smelling gases that should disperse into the air may stay low to the ground. Downdrafts from strong winds or a blocked venting system could also force sewer gases to flow backward into your home.
To conclude, note that sewer gases can enter your home through multiple points. To solve the problem permanently, you should approach it holistically. Have a professional plumber conduct a thorough camera inspection of your home’s plumbing. It is important because sewer fumes contain gases that are harmful to your health.