Odor coming from under Kitchen sink
I have noticed an odor coming from the cabinets where the kitchen sink is. I have looked for any leaks where the sink is, but have not found any. Could the odor be coming from the sewage? How can I tell? If so, then what can I do to get rid of it? Any help would be a appreciated. Thanks.
Re: Odor coming from under Kitchen sink
If you have a dishwasher next to it, check it for leaks. Make sure there is a trap in both the sink drain and dishwasher drain, the double "U" shaped thing where it goes down, turns, and turns and goes back down. The bottom turn should stay full of water, preventing sewer gas from coming up the drain.
If you can, check the crawl space below the sink, and see if there is any sign of a leak. Something could be leaking between the sink cabinet bottom and the floor. A mouse or rat could have gotten in there and died.
Could be a tough problem. Maybe somebody else will have another idea.
Odor coming from under Kitchen sink
Hey Rusty, Labman gave you some great places to start looking. However all dishwashers discharge into one of two places. If you have a disposal it discharges into the opening provided for it and if no disposal then we install a "dishwasher branch" that replaces the tail piece from the kitchen sink drain. So you will always be trapped. Try this. Pour 1/2 gallon of bleach into your disposal,( if you have one, if not then down the sink drain) Let it set overnight next morning flush it out with a pan of boiling water. If you have a disposal, you can then cut a lemon into quarters and run it through the disposal. For a odor that originates from UNDER the cabinet I like Labmans sugestion. If you can, check the crawl space below the sink, and see if there is any sign of a leak. Something could be leaking between the sink cabinet bottom and the floor. A mouse or rat could have gotten in there and died. Good luck, Tom
Odor coming from under Kitchen sink
I do not have a dish washer or a disposal. Have cleaned out the cabinets to see if something like mouse might have been there,but no signs of that. I think it is coming from sink pipes. I think it is sewer gases. Any idea how to fix this?
Re: Odor coming from under Kitchen sink
If the drain has the proper trap, and no leaks in the pipe, the sewer gas shouldn't be able to come out. It is possible some foul smelling material is sticking to the pipe above the trap. Try filling the sink with hot, soapy water and suddenly letting it out. Pouring boiling water down the drain might help. Some of you foaming drain cleaner might solve the problem too.
I don't think that's it...
I have the same problem in my house. There is a very strong sewage smell coming from UNDER the sink. Opening the cabinet doors makes this very clear (juck).
Since the smell is coming from under the sink, it indicates to me that the problem has nothing to do with the sink itself.
It seems to me that this means that one of two things is happening:
1) An animal is dead in the wall. I don't think that's it, because it is smelly only under the sink cabinet. An animal could have died in any wall in the house. That doesn't eliminate this option of course, just make it less likely.
2) The smell is coming from a crack or leak in the pipe.
Going with option 2 as the most likely, and checking for leaks under the sink revealed nothing. However, the crack may be in the wall past the point where the pipe is visible.
I was thinking that one way of checking this would be to disconnect the pipes and cap that end of the pipe (just use duct tape) for a day. I don't want to get into tearing up the wall if I'm not sure.
Is there a way that sewage gasses could leak out if water doesn't leak out? There is no water leak under the sink.
Any other suggestions how the smell could originate from UNDER the sink?
In wall or under sink somewhere?
Hi Speedball1.
Yes, that is my fear, and capping the pipe should clear up whether it's in the wall or not. If the smell goes away, then it is not in the wall, if it persists, then it is in the wall. Here's my reasoning.
If the smell comes from a section of pipe that is in the wall, then after capping the pipe, the smell would still come through, because it is not going through the pipe, it is coming out somewhere in the wall.
If the smell has to do with the part under the sink, then capping the pipe will stop the smell, provided of course I flush everything with hot water first. Capping the pipe will stop the smell from coming into the area under the sink.
In wall or under sink somewhere?
The area under your sink is called,(from the drain on through the wall) Basket strainer, tailpiece, trap,("J" bend) and the part the goes into the stubout is called the trap tail. If sewer gas were escaping from any one of those that would mean moisture could also get out. If running your hand from the sink to the wall didn't pick up any moisture then the cause of the smell is somewhere in the wall. While capping off the pipe would prevent fresh moisture from escaping that would still leave the liquid that is smelling up the place intact. It wouldn't just dry up overnight. There's a great difference between the rotting flesh smell of a dead critter, sewer gas and the smell of a leaky drain. You can tell the difference by sniffing the basket strainer and then sniffing under the cabinet. While it's possible you have a dead mouse under the cabinet floor my bet's on a leak in the wall. Do you have a basement where you can check for moisture or are you on a slab? Regards, Tom
Odor coming from under Kitchen sink
If the pipe's ate up don't try to repair it. It will just leak again. When mine went it ate the bottom right out of a 1 1/2" type L copper pipe. I had to break a outside block wall to get to it. That was two years ago and I replaced the pipe that went from the stubout ell to the stack. This year the stubout went and I had to break into the wall again to replace it. Profit from my mistake. If you find a section of the lateral drain line bad, replace the whole arm and stubout with PVC. Good luck Tom