Every drain has a U-shaped trap holding water that blocks sewer gas. A floor drain, guest bathroom or laundry sink that goes unused for weeks dries out. Pour a quart of water down every unused drain and see if the smell disappears.
If the smell is strongest near a toilet and the toilet rocks, the wax seal has failed. Sewer gas escapes at the base. Resealing the toilet fixes it.
Plumbing vents let sewer gas escape above the roof. When they clog, gas is pushed back through traps. This often comes with gurgling drains.
A sour smell from one sink is usually bacteria in the overflow or drain. A thorough drain cleaning removes it.
A persistent sewage odor with no fixture source, especially with wet spots or lush grass outside, points to a broken sewer lateral. Sewer gas migrates through soil and slab cracks. A sewer camera inspection confirms it.
Homes with a below-grade bathroom have an ejector pit. A cracked lid seal or failed vent lets gas out. Resealing the lid solves it.
Our plumbers use smoke testing and camera inspection to locate the source of sewer odors anywhere in Florida.
Florida Cracker Plumbing offers sewer camera inspection across Florida, including Fleming Island, Santa Rosa Beach, Lake Panasoffkee, Fedhaven, Big Pine Key, Starke, La Crosse, Sopchoppy and every other Florida city. Call (888) 809-6756 24/7.
Live dispatchers answer 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
(888) 809-6756