The kitchen should be filled with mouth-watering smells from food such as freshly baked bread. However, it is not uncommon to enter your kitchen and notice an inky odour. Did you forget some dirty dishes with food on the counter, or is it the garbage?
You clean the kitchen and empty the garbage, but the odour remains. Eventually, you narrow down the odour to the area around the kitchen sink.
Don’t worry; odour in the kitchen sink now and then is quite common. Finding the cause is your first step to getting rid of this problem.
This is why we will cover the common cause of kitchen sink odour below. Additionally, we mention some DIY and professional ways of solving or preventing the build-up of odour.
Common Causes Of Sink Odour
Matter build-up in the drain pipes
One of the most common causes of kitchen odour in many homes is the build-up of food and grease from cleaning dirty kitchenware. Over time, pieces of food accumulate in the drain pipes allowing bacteria to thrive, leading to the stinky sink.
A common sign of matter build-up in the sink is a slow drain or complete clogging of the drain pipes.
You can pour sink-unclogging chemicals or enzyme treatments down the drain to unclog the pipes and eliminate the smell.
Please note that some aggressive chemicals, such as those used in the toilet, may corrode metal parts, permanently damaging your system. Therefore, be careful when picking the treatments.
If available, you can also use a plunger or a plumber’s snake (a long wire used to unclog drains).
However, if the sink is completely clogged and none of the methods above is working, removal of the P- trap (the curved part of the drain pipe under the sink) may be needed. But this solution is best left to the professionals.
Dry P-trap, U-trap or bottle trap
Water traps are required for all waste drain pipes. The trap creates a water seal that prevents insects, odours or harmful gases from the drainage from entering the house.
Directly below the sink is a P-trap, U-trap or bottle trap– the taps are named after the shapes they resemble.
When you stay for too long without pouring any water down the kitchen sink, the water in the trap can evaporate, breaking the seal between the house and the drainage. This allows odour and bacteria from farther down the pipe to rise to the house. It is a common occurrence after travelling.
Simply allowing the tap to run for a few seconds will refill the trap fixing the problem by creating a water seal and keeping the drainage pipe odour out. However, if the odour persists after filling the water traps and allowing the kitchen to air out, it indicates another problem.
Clogged vent pipes
Like water traps, most houses have a vent pipe in the drain system. The purpose of the vent pipe is to allow any sewer gases or odours to vent outside the house.
Additionally, vent pipes allow air to ‘escape’ as water drains down the pipes freely.
Sewer systems generate harmful and odorous gases requiring the vent pipes to air out the gases upwards and out of the roof.
Due to their location, the pipes can be clogged by snow, dry leaves or bird nests forcing the sewer gases back into the drain and the house through the kitchen sink.
Solving this issue requires physically checking the vent pipe for any blockages. The vent pipe can be located somewhere on the roof, and unclogging it usually solves the problem immediately.
However, accessing the roof may be dangerous; therefore, call in professionals to avoid accidents.
Garbage disposal is gunky
An accumulation of food particles may cause a smelly sink in houses with garbage disposal machines.
To know if the garbage disposal is the source of the odour, turn off the disposal and then use a light source to look inside the chute for mould or food.
If there is any gunk inside the disposal, pour warm or hot water and a cup of baking powder or dish soap down the drain.
Similarly, if it is connected to the dishwasher, run it with warm water and dish soap. The dish soap or baking powder will break up the gunk allowing the warm water to drain it away, leaving the disposal clean and odour free.
Also Read: Why does toilet keep clogging
Water damage under the sink
Multiple water lines, drain pipes and disposal machines are connected to the sink, so there is always a chance of leaking. Clean water or drain water can leak from any of the pipes. The slow leaks may cause mould growth in the damp areas if it goes unnoticed, damaging natural fibres such as wood.
If you open the cabinet under the sink and notice damp spots, the mould or dirty drain water may be the cause of the unpleasant smell.
Fixing the problem involves locating the leaky pipes and tightening the joints if loose or replacing the broken pipes. It also involves mould removal and replacement of any damaged or mouldy wood. Replacing the broken pipes will require professional help to prevent future leaks.
Professional Recommendations For Tackling Sink Odour
Tackling kitchen sink odour can be as easy as using basic household items such as dish soap, vinegar, baking powder and warm water. This is because the most common cause of sink odour is gunk build-up. So, the solutions provided above can be effective at solving the issue.
However, some of the underlying issues may require special plumbing equipment and skills that may not be readily available.
Fixing complex parts with DIY knowledge may temporarily solve the issue. However, it is not effective long term. Also, attempting the repair yourself increases the risk of damaging your water and drainage systems.
We provide emergency plumbing services in Bromley, West Wickham and surrounding areas for diagnosing and solving sink odour issues. Please feel free to reach out with your problem. We will send a professional plumber to your house, allowing your kitchen to be filled with mouth-watering aromas once again.