Common Causes of a Smelly Shower

The average person finds that taking a shower is a really soothing part of their day. You’ve had a long and stressful day at work, and the only thing that sounds better than jumping into the shower and letting the water wash away all of your worries is getting into the shower. On the other hand, there is another aspect to showers, and that is the fact that they can be rather embarrassing. A stinky shower can have a variety of different causes, but the most common ones are listed here.

Identifying the Source of the Smell

If you notice a strange new scent coming from the shower drain that causes you to scrunch up your nose while you’re in the bathroom, the first thing you should do is make a note of the type of offensive odour it is so that you can figure out where it’s coming from.

1. Dry or Dirty P-Trap

If your shower drain stinks of sewage, it’s an indication that your P-trap isn’t effectively preventing sewer gases from leaking into your bathroom. If you’re dealing with a mustier or general odor and your P-trap is still clogged, it’s probably because it needs to be cleaned.

What Is a Shower P-Trap, and How Can It Cause Odors?

The extra drain fitting known as a P-trap can be found in many different types of bathrooms. This particular piece of plumbing, which is designed to prevent sewer gases from backing up into your house through your drain system, is often the cause of smelly shower drains. The purpose of this particular piece of plumbing is to prevent sewer gases from entering your home through your drain system. The trap itself has water in it, which forms a barrier that prevents noxious odours from re-entering the residence through the chimney or other openings.

How to Clean Shower P-Traps

In order to clear out this part of the pipe, look around its trap to see if there is any material there. If it seems as though anything is caught up inside of it, get an old cloth or a piece of paper towel and use it to scoop out anything that is obstructing its path.

After ensuring that the interior is clear of any and all debris, fill the tub of your bathroom sink with ice-cold water and then slowly pour the water into the P-trap until it is completely full and leaves no room for air pockets. This may be of use in removing any other kind of obstruction that might be the source of the foul odour.

If there is no water in the P-trap or if it has dried out, then scents will easily be able to drift up into the bathroom through the shower drain and around your feet while you use your facility. This makes it simple to examine it; all you have to do is beam a flashlight on it and determine whether or not it appears to be dry or devoid of any water.

2. Leaky Pipes

In most cases, a foul odour emanating from your shower, such as rotten eggs or sulphur, is an indication that there is a leak somewhere in the drain lines running underneath your home. One of the most common reasons for odorous shower drains like this one is a problem with the valves. Other possible causes include rusted pipes, leaky faucet joints, and malfunctioning valves.

What Can Cause Leaky Pipes?

Because these leaks send sulphurous fumes, which can smell like rotten eggs or sour milk, drifting up through your drain system, they can generate the scent in your shower that is the most offensive to your senses. Corroded sections of pipe and loose connections, such as those on your sink taps or behind your toilet seat, are common reasons of a foul-smelling shower drain. Another common cause is hair and soap scum buildup in the drain.

How to Fix Leaking Pipes

If you want to get rid of smells coming from your shower drain system because of leaking pipes, you will need to tighten every corroded junction and replace parts of pipe that could be rusting away. This will allow you to get rid of the odours. This might be a challenging task, but it is one that is vitally required for ensuring that residents of the bathroom continue to enjoy a secure and risk-free living environment.

3. Biofilm Buildup

If there is a drain clog that you are unable to clear with a plunger, then it is likely that biofilm has built up inside the bowl and is preventing water from draining through it. This can be determined if there is a clog that you are unable to remove with a plunger. This particular problem may be one of the common causes of stinky shower drains. This is due to the fact that when water doesn’t flow through the pipe system in the bathroom, everything starts to rot and decay at a faster rate, which gives off odours that are unpleasant.

What is Biofilm?

A biofilm is a film that forms on the interior of drain pipes as a result of the breakdown and decomposition of material such as hair and other particles. The accumulation of debris, dust, and other foreign particles in the form of a single sticky coating within the plumbing system of your home is one of the most common reasons for a smelly shower drain like this.

How to Clear Out Biofilm

After you have determined the location within your home where the odour is emanating from, you will need to clear out all sections of pipe in the region under your bathroom sink as well as in the space in between these spots. Because of how difficult it is to get to this part of the drain line, it is typically the region of the drain line where people have the greatest problems getting rid of stubborn obstructions or unpleasant odours.

In order to eradicate the biofilm, you will need a specialised enzyme-based solution that attacks bacteria and germs in general, in addition to a few additional aces up your sleeve. A lack of proper cleaning and maintenance in these areas, which can lead to buildup, is one of the most common reasons for smelly shower drains.

4. Drain Clogs

If there is a blockage in your drain line caused by hair or other debris, you will need to take care of it as soon as possible so that the odour doesn’t get any worse. The reason that leaks and clogs in shower drains are common causes is that when water pools beneath a house for an extended period of time, the wood and other materials begin to rot and deteriorate at a much quicker rate.

What Causes Clogs in the Shower?

The collection of debris and other foreign objects that obstruct your home’s plumbing system are two of the most prevalent causes of obstructions in the shower drain; however, heavy usage of the shower and overflow from the bathtub are other significant contributors to this problem. Blockages in drains are common for a variety of reasons, any one of which could easily result in a clog, including the following:

• Hair
• Dast
• Sand
• Small items
• Soap scum
• Dirt
• Mineral Deposits

How to Clear a Drain Clog

In order to remove a clog from a drain, you will need to remove the face cover from your plunger. This will allow you to gain a better hold on the tool before you attempt to force it through the obstruction. The common causes of a smelly shower drain like this one can be very challenging because it requires you to use one hand inside the dirty p-trap while using the other hand for the plunge, which is at best uncomfortable. However, this can be avoided by plunging the drain in a counterclockwise direction.