Why Does My Kitchen Sink Smell Like Sewage?

Have you noticed a strange and unpleasant odor in your kitchen lately? If you can’t seem to find the source of the smell, it could be your kitchen skin. Your kitchen sink works hard to remove garbage and scraps of food from your dishes. It is possible that your food is sticking to the side of your pipes or garbage disposal. 

At times, your food or grease may get caught in the pipes of your kitchen sink and start to rot. Of course, this produces a foul smell and even becomes home to bacteria and other microorganisms. This terrible smell can attract pests like flies and rodents. This may even happen if you don’t have a garbage disposal. The scraps of food and grease may collect in your drain cleaning and start releasing horrible odors. 

If you would like some assistance with your smelly kitchen sink, you can call Stith Plumbing & HVAC, and we will provide a lasting solution. We don’t want our neighbors in Springdale to endure the nasty smells that can come from a problematic sink.

Why Does My Kitchen Sink Smell Like Sewage?

There are a number of reasons for your foul-smelling sink. There are also a few handy tricks that you can use to prevent it from happening again. 

Grease Collects in the Drain

Some homeowners pour grease or oil down their kitchen sink. This ends up congealing on the sides of your drain or garbage disposal. When the grease begins to decompose, it may trap other solids and falling debris in the gunk. Unfortunately, this will definitely cause a rotting smell to cloud your kitchen area. 

You can try to resolve this problem by throwing a cup of baking soda down your kitchen sink’s drain, followed by a cup of vinegar. Let these two things sit for approximately ten minutes, then pour a pot of boiling water down. You should see the vinegar and baking soda foam up and rid your drain of grease. The boiling water is to wash the gunk and vinegar and baking soda mixture down. 

Dirty Garbage Disposal

It is normal for scraps of food and other debris to collect on the blades of your garbage disposal. The foul smell in your kitchen is likely from this rotting food. If you use your garbage disposal a lot without running water, the problem may get worse. It can also get worse if your garbage disposal is old and you run hot water with it. 

You can try to remedy this with a cup of salt and two cups of ice cubes. Run some cold water from your kitchen sink for about 20 seconds while running your disposal, and then throw the ice cubes and salt down the garbage disposal. Don’t switch your disposal off until all the ice cubes have disappeared. When your garbage disposal cuts up the ice cubes in cold water, it should remove the gunk on your blades. You can also throw some citrus rinds down your disposal while you are grinding the ice for extra odor prevention.

Faulty Trap

So far, we have discussed a rotting food odor. However, if your kitchen sink smells more like a sewer, you may have a problem with your trap. Your kitchen sink trap is a P-shaped or U-shaped pipe under your sink. Your trap is supposed to prevent sewer gas from coming into your house from your pipes. The trap is also good for recovering small items that may have fallen down the sink.

If you are smelling the sewer odor in the kitchen, it means that the water that normally blocks the sewer gas has evaporated. This may happen when you don’t use your sink for a while, so you can run some water until your trap fills up again. Another trick you can try is to take your trap out and clean it with a toothbrush and detergent. It is normal for dirt to clog your trap and release a nasty smell. You should clean your kitchen and bathroom trap regularly to prevent this. If the problem persists, you may have a leak in your trap, which is why water doesn’t collect and cover the odor. Call a professional plumber to fix this.

Blocked Vents

Another reason for a strong sewerage smell is a blocked vent. Your plumbing drain vent is a long, vertical shaft that connects your main sewer line to the outside air. The shaft helps to equalize the pressure in the pipe that links your sewer. Without this handy part, your water may come out of your trap and allow sewer gas into your house. 

Your plumbing vents are situated on your roof. If they suddenly stop working, it could mean that something has gotten inside and is blocking it. This can be anything from leaves to a bird’s next. It may also be due to a leak in the shaft. A leak can get in the way of equalizing the pressure and allowing sewer gas into your home. In an instance like this, there is no quick DIY solution. It is best to call a professional. It can be dangerous and complicated to get onto your roof to remove the obstruction. 

Get the Best Plumbing in Springdale

We hope that some of these tricks came in handy. However, if you just can’t seem to shake that nasty odor, call your nearby plumber, Stith Plumbing & HVAC. We will find a way to make your kitchen sink smell fresh and clean again. There is always a solution. No homeowner should have to deal with a smelly sink. We have over 50 years of plumbing experience and strive to provide consistently high-quality service to all our customers. You can trust us to get the smell out of your kitchen sink and provide a long-lasting solution so it won’t happen again. 

For more information on our plumbing services, contact Stith Plumbing & HVAC at (479) 751-9691 or schedule an appointment online.