The sun is shining, temperatures are rising and there’s not a cloud in the sky: a perfect time for a family vacation! You may return home after your getaway however, to find bad odours in your bathrooms or kitchen.  No worries, read below for a quick overview of why this happens and a simple and fuss-free solution.

All sinks, bathtubs, showers and toilets drain through a p-trap which is designed to retain an amount of water as a seal against sewer gases.  When the fixtures are used on a daily basis the seal is retained, but if the water is not run through over an extended period of time (like while you are enjoying your vacation away from home,) the water seal in the p-trap can evaporate.  Without this seal, sewer gases can enter your home resulting in foul odours.  This problem should be resolved as soon as possible as these gases may be flammable and toxic.

The remedy is quite simple.  The water equilibrium in the offending p-trap needs to be reestablished, allowing the seal to reconstitute.  Simply flush toilets and run faucets and the objectionable odour should soon dissipate.  To prevent future odour buildup always ensure that the water seal remains present in your home’s p-traps.