Smelly Kitchen Sink & How To Fix It

Why does my kitchen sink smell so bad?

Here's the deal - we spend a lot of time around a lot of smelly things. One question that we get asked most often? Why does my kitchen sink smell the way it does? So, lets dive into it as there are 2 main reasons.

Causes

First: We see a large amount of food/bio buildup between your sink and the p-trap underneath. Along with all of the nuts and washers that hold together the drainage system, we're also contending with a round pipe. This allows for small particles to become lodged into small nooks and crannies as well as get stuck on the side of the pipe. Over the course of time as these begin to break down and rot, they begin to smell. Simple enough, right?

Second: Improper venting. Your homes plumbing system is designed just like you and I. It's got to breathe in order to function properly. What happens when it doesn't? As wild as it may sound, improper venting on your drain, waste & venting (DWV) system can create a vacuum / suction. That washing machine around the corner from your kitchen sink pumps out a whole lot of water very quickly. When the pump for the washer turns on and discharges 20 gallons of water, it sucks the water right out of your kitchens p-trap.

How do I get rid of this?

The first problem is typically the easier of the 2 to correct but let me first say to never use any sort of "drain cleaner" liquid or acid to remove rotting organic material. It doesn't work, it's going to do more harm than good to your plumbing system, and quite frankly there are better ways to spend your hard earned cash.

What we do suggest (clinically proven!) is if you have a garbage disposal, toss some ice cubes and fresh squeezed lemon juice in it while it is turned to the "on" position. The ice will easily be chopped up while at the same time getting into those unreachable places to get the decomposing material out. The lemon juice will leave your disposal smelling clean & fresh. Follow this up by a small amount of baking soda and vinegar, then rinse it all down the drain! Secondly, there are organic products/enzymes that are designed to speed up the decomposition process of that good ol' smelly stuff! We keep a fast acting enzyme on the shelves in our vans that will take care of the smell + help with cleaning out the inside of your plumbing drainage system.

The second and more difficult issue of improper venting can sometimes be not so simple. As plumbing advances and we learn more about how things work, fixtures change, water consumption requirements change, etc. We've been in 80 year old houses that have no vent at all but an oversized drain line. We've seen hundreds of older homes with one massive 4" vent out the roof that is able to supply the whole house with the air it needs to breathe. A newer home may have 4+ smaller diameter vents that all connect in the attic. The kitchen sink is the one area that is used the most, but is also the most oddly placed fixture in the home. Because of this, venting of this fixture is often missed or not in the right place. You can have your plumber (us) connect a new vent in on the kitchens drain line and run it into the attic, though sometimes in the right place we are able to put an air admittance valve underneath the kitchen sink (will require reconfiguring what's under the sink). Although not nearly as easy as the first problem, it is certainly doable by a qualified and licensed plumber.

If you find yourself dealing with either situation and you would like to have one of our great technicians come and fix your problem, please give us a call (423)833-7590 or fill out the form on our website to contact us and we will reach out to you within 1 business day.