

What Is Sewer Gas and Why Is It Dangerous? This is the reason why you now have a sewer smell problem! Watch this video from our friends at This Old House, How a Plumbing Trap Can Lose Water. The unintended consequence of this extra water velocity is that the discharged water is forced completely out of the P-Trap, creating a Dry-Trap and allowing the dangerous sewer gases to enter into your home.

Manufactures do this to create faster wash times with more water circulations during the wash cycle, which means cleaner clothes in less time for the homeowner. This is because discharge pumps on older model washing machines typically discharge at a rate of 10-12 Gallons per Minute (GPM), whereas new washing machines discharge at a much faster rate of 17-24 GPM. Many people won’t experience any sewer smell problem until they replace their old washing machine with a new model. There are many reasons why a “Dry-Trap” can occur, but in this situation it is usually due to the high velocity of the water being discharged from the washing machine into the standpipe. This means there is no longer a protective seal and nothing to prevent the sewer gases from entering into your home. If there is no water or not enough water in the standpipe’s trap, then a “Dry-Trap” situation occurs. Plumbing systems are intentionally designed with traps because the trapped water in the pipe creates an airtight seal, thus preventing the dangerous sewer gases and that terrible sewer smell from entering into the dwelling.

While this may be true, the real purpose of any Plumbing Trap is to “Trap” and keep water in the pipe. Many people think the purpose of a trap is to catch your valuables that unintentionally fall down the drain. The only thing preventing the extremely dangerous sewer gases and sewer smell from entering into your home is the water contained in the “P-Trap.” Traps are commonly seen under Kitchen & Vanity Sinks and they serve a very important purpose. These dangerous sewer gases are entering into your home because there is either no water or not enough water in the standpipe’s “P-Trap.” This condition is called a “Dry-Trap” and is very dangerous. What Is That Sewer Smell In My Laundry Room?Īre you experiencing an awful sewer smell in your laundry room before, after or even while you’re doing your laundry? Have you been wondering what that sewer smell in your laundry room is and where that sewer odor is coming from? Well here’s the answer that foul sewer smell in your laundry room that you’re experiencing is actually Dangerous Sewer Gas and it’s coming from your Laundry Room Standpipe! The Laundry Room Standpipe, aka Washing Machine Standpipe or Washing Machine Drain, is the pipe that the washing machine discharge hose drains into.
