Dear Plumber: Sometimes when running the water in the bathroom and now in the kitchen I smell an odor. I am not sure if it is coming from the water or the plumbing. I don't seem to smell it in the shower. What can this be? Thank you

Lets try to eliminate the water itself. Fill a pan with water and take to another room, put your face in the pan and take a whiff. If there is no smell to the water then it can be a bad vent or just rotting debris in the drain. Check the traps to make sure they have water, a bad vent cam siphon out the water. If the traps are full then lets try mom's recipe for cleaning drains. Mix 1/2 cup table salt with 1/2 cup baking soda and dump into the drain followed by a cup of vinegar, step back. The next day dump a bucket of really hot water down the drain. Write back to me the day the odor comes back, if it ever does.

Wait, are you on septic or sewer?

If septic, go to Lowe's, or any hardware store and get septic system treatment.

Or alternatively and more expensive in long run, put at least 3 packets of dry yeast into toilet and flush down, once a month. It helps degrade septic material. Getting a yeast derived septic system treatment is more economical and created for septic treatment though

ILuv, I greatly appreciate your compliment but must differ with you regarding the septic. Dumping some bleach into a septic will not kill the needed bacteria. You would have to repeatedly dump hundreds of gallons of bleach into a septic to kill it and the next flush of human waste would restart the anarobic bacteria. A properly functioning septic needs no treatment or yeast. How to Care for Your Septic Tank and Septic System (http://homebuying.about.com/cs/septicsystems/a/septic_care.htm)

Oh, I would NEVER dump bleach down a septic tank drain.

Some say bleach, some say lemon juice. For sewer systems


I prefer the septic system treatments or, calling a plumber if sewer hahahha

;) Seriously though, you mis-understood me. I was talking about bleach down drain if a SEWER, Heloise says the same, shame on her...

Seriously I agree with you, just thoughts on what others try, baking soda down drain can work but it is like a daily chore and expensive after a while... something is rotting in there, OP needs to find out what.

I live on a septic right now, get the nasty smell of threatening backup by my washer.

I add the septic treatment to toilet and in a day smell is gone. It is worth a shot less than 10 bucks at Lowe's...

If it doesn't work, they will still have funds for a plumber next month if needed

Your washer should not allow sewer gas to back up if it is properly trapped. Many washers I work on just have an open stand pipe that they drain into, open ivitation to sewer gas. All drains need traps and proper vents.