Why does my drain smell like sewage in Belmar Park?

First, a clarification that matters in Lakewood. Belmar Park is a residential neighborhood of mid-century homes. The Belmar district is the commercial and shopping area nearby. They are not the same place, and the plumbing in them is not the same either. This guide is about Belmar Park, the residential neighborhood, where the homes are old enough that dry traps, venting problems, and aging sewer laterals are the usual causes of a sewage smell. If your home is in Belmar Park and a drain smells like sewage, the cause is almost always one of a small number of things, and most of them are diagnosable without tearing anything apart.

What the smell is

The smell is sewer gas, a mix of gases produced when waste breaks down in the sewer system. It smells like rotten eggs, and it enters a home when the barrier that is supposed to keep it out has failed. That barrier is water. Every drain in your home has a trap, a curved section of pipe that holds water and blocks gas from coming back up the drain. Every plumbing system also has vents that run through the roof and let sewer gas escape outside. When a trap dries out, a vent is blocked, or a pipe is cracked, sewer gas finds its way into the living space. The smell is unpleasant, and it is also a warning. Sewer gas in a home should not be ignored, and a strong or persistent smell is a reason to call a plumber.

A dry trap is the most common cause

A trap dries out when the fixture is not used for a while. The water in the trap evaporates, and once the water seal is gone, sewer gas flows freely up the drain. In Belmar Park this happens most often with floor drains in basements, laundry sinks, guest bathrooms, and showers that are rarely used. It is worse in winter, when dry indoor air speeds evaporation, and in homes where a fixture has been out of service for weeks. The check is simple. If the smell comes from one drain, and that drain belongs to a fixture you rarely use, the trap is the likely cause. Run water into the drain for thirty seconds to refill the trap, and see if the smell clears within a few hours. If it does, the trap was dry, and running water into the fixture once a week will keep it sealed. If the smell comes back within days, something else is wrong, and a plumber should look at it.

A floor drain in a basement deserves attention because it is the lowest drain in the house. If the trap is dry and the smell is strong, refill it and watch it. If the floor drain is also the place where water backs up when the sewer line is blocked, a smell from it can be an early warning of a line problem rather than a dry trap. Our drain cleaning page covers what a plumber does when a drain problem goes beyond a dry trap.

Venting problems

Plumbing vents run from the drain system up through the roof, and they do two jobs: they let sewer gas escape outside, and they let air into the drain system so water flows smoothly. When a vent is blocked, the drain system cannot breathe. Flushing a toilet or draining a tub can pull water out of a nearby trap, breaking the seal and letting sewer gas in. The signs of a venting problem are a smell that appears after a fixture is used, gurgling from a drain or toilet, and slow drainage that comes and goes. In Lakewood, vent blockages are often caused by leaves, a bird's nest, or ice forming over the vent opening in winter. A blocked vent is not a homeowner repair. Clearing a vent means working on the roof, and diagnosing a venting problem means checking the whole drain system, not just one fixture. Call a plumber.

A cracked pipe or a failed seal

Belmar Park's homes are old enough that the drain piping itself can be the problem. Cast-iron drain pipe, common in mid-century Lakewood homes, corrodes and can crack or develop holes, especially at joints and at the base of a stack. A wax ring under a toilet can fail and let sewer gas escape around the base. A drain connection under a sink can loosen. The signs are a smell that is strongest near a particular fixture or in a particular room, a stain or dampness on a ceiling below a bathroom, or a smell that gets worse when the wind blows a certain way. If you can see water damage, dampness, or a stain, do not wait. A cracked drain pipe leaks wastewater into the structure of the house, and the damage gets worse the longer it runs.

Sewer line problems

A smell that comes from several drains at once, or that is accompanied by slow drainage throughout the house, points further down the line, toward the sewer lateral. Belmar Park's laterals are typically clay tile from the mid-century building era, laid in short sections with a joint every few feet. Roots enter at the joints, expansive bentonite soil shifts the pipe, and bellies form where the line sags. A partially blocked lateral lets sewer gas back up into the house, and it is often the first sign of a line that is heading toward a full backup. A camera inspection shows whether the line needs cleaning, a spot repair, or replacement, and it is the right step when the smell is house-wide rather than limited to one drain. Our sewer camera inspection page explains how the inspection works.

When to call a plumber, and a safety note

Call a plumber when the smell persists after you have refilled the trap, when it comes from several drains at once, when it is accompanied by gurgling or slow drainage, when you see dampness or staining, or when the smell is strong enough to be noticeable throughout the house. Do not try to seal a drain with a rag or a plug as a long-term fix. That hides the symptom and leaves the cause in place.

One safety note matters here. Sewer gas smells like rotten eggs, and so does the odorant added to natural gas. If you smell gas and you are not sure whether it is sewer gas or a natural gas leak, do not try to work it out yourself. Leave the property and call 911 and Xcel Energy first, then call a plumber. A natural gas leak is an emergency, and the safe response is to leave and let the gas company check it. If the smell is confirmed as sewer gas, a plumber can find the failed trap, vent, or pipe and fix it. For Belmar Park homes, call Emergency Plumber Lakewood at (720) 909-6690. We are open 24 hours, every day.

Get help with plumbing in Lakewood

If you would rather have a plumber take it from here, call Emergency Plumber Lakewood at (720) 909-6690. We serve homes across Lakewood, and we are open 24 hours, every day.

Your questions, answered

Why does my drain smell like sewage in Belmar Park?

Usually a dry trap, a blocked vent, a cracked drain pipe, or a problem in the sewer lateral. A smell from one rarely used drain is most often a dry trap. A smell from several drains at once points further down the line.

How do I fix a dry trap?

Run water into the drain for about thirty seconds to refill the trap, then see if the smell clears within a few hours. Run water into rarely used fixtures once a week to keep the trap sealed. If the smell comes back within days, call a plumber.

What is the difference between Belmar Park and the Belmar district?

Belmar Park is a residential neighborhood of mid-century homes in Lakewood. The Belmar district is the commercial and shopping area nearby. They are not the same place, and this guide covers the residential neighborhood.

Can a blocked vent cause a sewage smell?

Yes. When a vent is blocked, flushing or draining can pull water out of a nearby trap, breaking the water seal and letting sewer gas in. Signs include a smell that appears after a fixture is used, gurgling drains, and slow drainage that comes and goes.

When is a sewage smell an emergency?

If you smell gas and you are not sure whether it is sewer gas or a natural gas leak, leave the property and call 911 and Xcel Energy first. A strong or persistent sewer gas smell, or a smell with dampness or staining, is also a reason to call a plumber promptly.

Sources

• Lakewood Municipal Code, Chapter 14.05 — 2021 International Plumbing Code — trap and vent requirements for Lakewood drains.