It’s a Lot More Serious than “Something You Ate.” Why Your Toilet Smells Like Rotten Eggs.
It’s a smell that we all can identify, though we’d rather not. A particularly pungent smell and it’s coming from the toilet. Not a usual unpleasant odor though from someone using that toilet, but more of a sewage type scent. We all know that horrible aroma but never have known it to come from that area. So, what could be the reasoning? Why does is it the Toilet Smells Like Rotten Eggs?
Before we dive in, (no we aren’t actually “diving into a toilet.”) let’s make sure we know what this awful smell is. When you say the Toilet Smells Like Rotten Eggs, it is actually a gas from the sewer, hydrogen sulfide that makes the outdated egg scent we all know. It basically comes from raw sewage. If your pipes and plumbing system is working properly, you should not ever have to get a whiff of this terrible scent.
So What Could Be the Cause if My Toilet Smells Like Rotten Eggs?
Even though as we noted above, usually this is not an odor that should be coming from your toilet, it can occur. Why? Well, luckily, being the most trusted Raleigh plumbers for over two decades, we kind of know our stuff. Thus, below are three reasons your Toilet Smells Like Rotten Eggs courtesy of your friends at Poole’s Plumbing.
1- A Dry Trap- The first possibility is a dry trap. To explain, this can occur if a toilet is not used for an extended period of time. What happens is, the water that is in the pipes dries up and allows the gas from your sewer to back up into the toilet. Then, the gas emanates up through the water in the toilet bowl. One possible sign as a precursor to this can be if you notice rust stains in your toilet. But if the Toilet Smells Like Rotten Eggs, a dry trap is a definite possibility.
2- Clogs- A clogged toilet or drain can certainly be a cause of this sulfuric odor coming from the toilet
3- Broken Drain Line or Vent Pipe- This is definitely another possibility, but easily the most serious and in need of immediate attention. If you have a broken drain line or vent pipe you probably will be smelling that “rotten egg” scent all over the house and not just from the toilet though.
Is This a Dangerous Situation? What is it Recommended I Do if I Smell This?
Valid questions, and in both cases there are definitive answers. First, if the Toilet Smells Like Rotten Eggs, yes, this is a potentially dangerous situation. As for what to do, if you do smell this? The first thing is to not try to manage this yourself. Bacteria that can build up from contaminated water, when combined with this potentially dangerous gas is toxic and not anything to mess around with.
Especially in the case where this type of issue is left untreated, this can become increasingly dangerous. But it is not an uncommon problem that you need to lose sleep over. Simply call the pros here at Poole’s Plumbing. We have experts that will identify the source of the smell, safely clear a clog, or address whatever needs to be done and correct the issue quickly and without danger.
To reach us here at the number one name for Raleigh emergency plumbers, Poole’s Plumbing, visit poolesplumbing.com.
