Why is there an occasional septic smell coming from my kitchen sink?
The most overlooked cause in a smelly sink, is actually that ‘P’ trap, sometimes called a ‘J’ trap. The way that trap works, to prevent sewer gases from coming back up the drain, is that it uses water to form a block. If there is no water, or not enough water, in that trap to form a seal, then the gases can come up through the drain. Some drain/waste/vent systems are not adequately vented, for one reason or another, and a sudden drain at another location in the home, for example the washing machine, or toilet, may have enough suction, to pull the water out of that trap, or at least enough of it to allow the gases to get up the drain. I would recommend that you take some notes…. what was going on in the home before you noticed the smell? You can probably figure out which other drain, is causing the ‘vacuum’ on the sink drain. Simplest fix, of course, is to simply shoot some more water into the drain from the faucet….this is a quick fix, and will help you determine if this is actuall
