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What Would Cause Sewer Smells to Come Into the House?

by | Mar 20, 2025 | Commercial Drain Services, Diagnostic Services, Maintenance, Residential Drain Services

Overpowering and unpleasant sewer smell inside the house can be the result of numerous failures. The sewage disposal system depends on other systems like plumbing, vent and trap systems in order to function correctly.

Smelly Odor In Home
Smelly Odor in Home

Sewage waste, when degraded by bacteria (which has a vile odor of its own, as well), releases various pungent gases like methane and hydrogen sulfide. In addition to the strong offensive odor, these gases can be combustible and hazardous.

The possible causes include:

  1. Incorrect or a lack of vents in the traps - Vents on a drain let the sewer gases exit the drain system without coming into the house through plumbing fixtures while the traps form an airlock seal against sewer gases that prevent them from entering the home.
  2. A clogged drain – doesn't allow the odors to get to the vents, which will force them into your home.
  3. Improperly assembled toilet - broken seals around the toilet that allow water to leak or dry out the traps which will cause the odor. An airtight seal between the toilet and floor is absolutely vital in preventing sewer smell from coming indoors. Old, rotting or damp wood can also be blamed.
  4. Leaky, faulty pipes, especially if they are old cast iron – Gasses can collect inside the pipes and escape into the house.
  5. Low water level in the toilet – is another possible cause especially in toilets that don’t get used often.

These are just a few reasons why you may be smelling sewer inside the house. Please contact us at Drain King, where our professionals can determine the exact cause of the sewer smell and eliminate it. It is important to note that sewer smells are dangerous. You and your family should not be exposed to them for long periods of time.

Oil Line Freezing?

by | Feb 18, 2025 | Uncategorized

Frozen Pipeline

Whenever the temperature at your home or business is expected to drop below 32°F for longer than a few days, it is important to make sure your outside oil lines and heating tanks are well protected.

Oil will not freeze, but tanks and oil lines that are located outside a home or in an unheated space could freeze and lose their heat. The main reason for this is, the oil in the lines will get cloudy and then become gelled or waxed, preventing it from flowing. When this happens, you will lose your heat.

There are a few steps you can take to make sure you are prepared for a prolonged cold spell. Start by adding a fuel oil treatment to help prevent the oil from gelling or waxing. After adding a fuel oil treatment, the simplest and least expensive solution is to insulate the piping and fittings at the tank with pipe insulation and a strong tape, like duct tape. This step will need to be done before a problem occurs and the tank freezes, but is an easy way to winterize your tank before the cold snap hits.

Protecting your tank and the oil lines from freezing may be accomplished by wrapping the exposed areas in insulation and heat tape. Should the lines already be frozen, you will need to thaw them with sustained heat until they begin flowing again—then apply the insulation and tape. Follow the instructions carefully or call a Drain King professional plumber to avoid overheating the pipes.

We also recommend using only a single line extending from the tank that stores the oil rather than a two-pipe system. The single oil line will keep the oil warmer and will have less time away from the heat exchange.

Another option for an outside tank is to use kerosene instead of heating oil. Kerosene will store at colder temperatures and will not need any additives or treatments to keep the lines from clogging. This is a headache-free solution.  While kerosene is more expensive, it may be a more suitable option if you live in a region where it stays cold for long periods of time and if building a shed or protecting the unit from the elements is not an option.

Tips to Avoid Needing a Plumber

by | Feb 1, 2025 | Residential Drain Services

Plumber
Plumber

The winter holidays are full of visiting friends and relatives. Parties, dinners, gift exchanges and game nights are just a few of the many reasons people get together. With all the extra guests in your home increasing sink, shower, and toilet usage, it's a good time to take some simple steps to avoid a Griswold-style plumbing catastrophe. Nothing screams disaster like a porta-potty in the front yard!

The most important thing you can do to prevent drains clogging is to make sure they are working correctly before the holidays begin. If you notice a sluggish drain, take the necessary steps to unclog it. If your toilet isn't flushing properly, have it checked. These aren't issues that will be fixed with increased usage. In fact, the opposite is true: The more guests you welcome, the more you are overwhelming an already-burdened plumbing system.

Be careful about what you put in your kitchen sink. Never dump fats or cooking oils down the drain; they will solidify in the pipe and cause a blockage. If congealed grease is left in a pan, wipe it out with a paper towel and throw it away. Avoid putting stringy, fibrous, starchy, or hard-to-grind foods in the garbage disposal. (These types of food include celery, pumpkin, banana peels, poultry skins, and carrot and potato peelings.) They can wrap around the blades and keep the motor from turning. Run cold water for at least 15 seconds before and after you turn on the disposal, and always make sure the disposal is running before you add food scraps. Scraping plates into the garbage instead of the sink will save your disposal and dishwasher from potential clogs. And finally, run the dishwasher at night so there will be plenty of hot water for showers in the morning.

In the bathroom, use a shower drain screen to help filter hair and clumps of soap that are notorious for clogging pipes, and be sure to clean it out between showers. Make sure there is a lined wastebasket near the toilet to hold unflushables like sanitary pads, cotton balls, baby wipes, Q-tips, and facial tissue. Nothing should ever go into a toilet except human waste and toilet paper. Follow the 10/10 rule: Keep showers to 10 minutes or less, and wait 10 minutes between each shower so the hot water can replenish itself.

If you find yourself with a drain emergency, the most important thing is to call Drain King right away. We are available 24/7 service emergencies.

Winter Preparation for Your Plumbing

by | Jan 22, 2025 | Commercial Drain Services, Residential Drain Services

Ice Dam
Ice Dam on a commercial building

No homeowner wants to deal with frozen pipes in the middle of winter. They are messy and expensive to take care of, as well as inconvenient. Water expands as it freezes, causing tremendous pressure in whatever contains it. Sometimes the pressure is so great, it causes the container to burst. Luckily, there are steps you can take to protect your pipes and avoid the headache of fixing leaky plumbing in freezing temperatures.

  • Drain water from garden hoses, sprinkler pipes and swimming pool supply lines, and store them indoors.
  • Check indoor pipes in unheated areas like basements, crawl spaces, attics and garages. When possible, insulate the pipes with UL-listed heat tape or pipe sleeves. Newspaper can also be used, although it offers less protection.
  • Have your home's exterior walls insulated. Make sure windows and doors are caulked and sealed to avoid drafts. Close attic and crawl space doors.
  • Keep warm air circulating around the pipes by leaving cabinet doors open under sinks in the kitchen and bathrooms.
  • If you're going to be away from home for an extended period of time, set the thermostat no lower than 55 degrees.
  • Make sure heat vents are open and unobstructed by furniture.
  • Change furnace filters regularly to ensure that heat will be distributed properly to all areas of your house.
  • Let a small amount of water trickle through the pipes that are in unheated spaces or outdoor walls. Running water doesn't freeze.

Know where the master shutoff valve is. It is almost always located near an outdoor water meter or indoor appliance (furnace, washing machine, water heater, etc.). Paint it a bright color so it is easily identifiable, and show each member of your family where it is and how to turn it off. Sometimes, no matter how many precautions are taken, the pipes still freeze. If a water line is broken, you may not notice a leak until the ice melts. That leak may manifest as a trickle or a gush, but it's best to know how to stop the flow of water before it turns into a flood.

Preventing Frozen Pipes

by | Jan 12, 2025 | Uncategorized

A brown metal drainpipe with icicles and ice buildup at the opening, attached to a textured wall above snow-covered ground—a clear reminder of the importance of preventing frozen pipes in winter.
Frozen pipe

As the crisp fall temperatures slowly give way to frigid winter weather, it's a good idea to think about your plumbing, and how to keep your pipes from freezing. Frozen pipes are inconvenient, expensive to repair and can cause extensive damage to structures in a very short amount of time. With a little preparation, you can save yourself the headache of a major home maintenance disaster.

There are three main causes of frozen pipes: rapid drops in temperature, thermostats set too low and inadequate insulation. The good news is, these are easy to remedy. Before winter weather sets in, consider doing the following:

  • Seal leaks that allow cold air to enter the home. Even small bursts of cold air are enough to freeze a pipe. Wind chill is worse for pipes than cold temperatures. Look for drafts around electrical wiring, dryer vents, attics, crawl spaces and pipes, and then seal them with caulk or insulation.
  • Disconnect garden hoses for the winter. Drain the water from them and store before the first hard freeze. Water left in the hose or spigot can freeze, which puts pressure on indoor pipes as the ice expands. Use a faucet cover for extra protection. Don't forget to winterize your outdoor kitchen.
  • Even if you live in a climate where freezing temperatures are uncommon, insulate the pipes in your home's crawlspace, attic and basement. Exposed pipes are the most susceptible to freezing. Wrap them with heat tape or pipe sleeves specifically designed to insulate pipes and keep them from freezing. The more insulation that protects them, the less likely they'll be to freeze. Also, open cabinet doors in bathrooms and kitchens to let heat circulate around the pipes.
  • Keep the thermostat set at the same temperature day and night. If you turn it down while you sleep, the drop in indoor temperature, coupled with the cold outdoors, could trigger a freeze. The thermostat should never be set lower than 55 degrees, even if you are away from home for an extended period of time.

If you're still worried about your pipes freezing, you may want to think about running the hot and cold water at a trickle during the night, especially if the pipes are on an outside, less-insulated wall. It is difficult for running water to freeze, so by leaving the lines open and allowing consistent pressure release, the pipes are protected from rupture.

If you have further questions about protecting your pipes during winter, contact the plumbing experts at Drain King.