With health and safety concerns at an all-time high, the last thing you want is an unknown smell coming from your commercial building. Hygiene and cleanliness are important to your customers and employees alike, so if you have a sewer odor lingering in your building, it’s time to call in the plumbing professionals at Quality Plumbing and Heating Inc. to track down the problem. Below, we’ve listed the most common potential causes of sewer odor in your building.
Leaking or Faulty Plumbing Vents
You may have never given a second thought to your sewer vents before now, but they are actually very important to maintaining the pressure in your system. The vents are there to allow sewer gas in the drainage system to rise and escape through the roof. If leaks develop along the sewer vent pipes, it will allow the gas to enter rooms through the walls. If this is the case, your plumber will need to find the location of the leak and repair it as soon as possible. Likewise, if your drain vents are faulty or installed incorrectly, a professional will need to replace the pipes to let the gas escape properly.Clogged Plumbing Vents
Another common problem with plumbing vents is a clog. Vents can be obstructed by animal nests, or damaged in stormy weather. If this is the case, the vents will be unable to release the sewer gas so it will be pushed back down into the pipes and up through the drains. In addition to the sewer odor, you may notice a gurgling sound coming from the drains. A professional plumber is needed to assess the clog, and it is not recommended that you scale the roof yourself to remove the clog.Sewer Line Clogs or Leaks
Finally, the sewer line (or septic line, if your facility uses a septic tank), may become clogged with debris or obstructed by a tree root. This will lead to a backup in the line that will affect the entire building. Professional sewer line cleaning or repair is necessary to fix this issue and, in extreme cases, the sewer line may need to be replaced altogether.
Odors are often the first warning sign of a major issue, so don’t wait to contact your friends at QPH. Located in Kokomo, we’re the only call you need to make for commercial HVAC or plumbing problems. Contact us today at (765) 450-4008 or request service online.