Do you assume the smell of the toilet reflects its cleanliness? In fact, more than 80% of people associate foul toilet odors with poor hygiene. You’ll agree that poor hygiene is generally associated with germs, bacteria, and poor personal hygiene.
Now, if you ever frown and wonder, “Why my toilet smells like sewage when flushed?” It’s time to find the causes and do everything necessary to get rid of them.
The first possibility is that the wax seal ring has broken. The other possibilities are a clogged bathroom vent, a cracked toilet bowl, and not enough water in the bowl. How to fix It could be simple, complex, or require the purchase of a new toilet.
If flushing the toilet causes you to wince and feel anxious, there is a problem with your toilet system. If you don’t take action right away, it can snowball into a bigger problem.
Relax, we’ve got more information on why your toilet stinks after flushing and how to fix it—also, some simple tips for getting rid of foul odors and preventing the same problem from recurring.
Why My Toilet Smells like Sewage when Flushed?
We provide more information about what can cause a sewage smell to come out of your toilet when you flush it below:
A Broken Sealing Ring
Your toilet has a wax seal ring between the toilet and the sewer line. If the ring eventually wears out, it may break the seal that keeps sewage odors. A rocky toilet or water gathering around the bottom of the toilet are two of the most apparent signs of a failed wax seal.
Furthermore, if you use the plunger too regularly, it will generate too much pressure. As a result, it may damage the toilet’s seal. The solution: replace the wax ring to fix the broken seal.
A Clogged Sewer Vent
A clogged vent is another possible answer to your question about why my toilet smells like sewage when flushed. It means the air will only swirl inside the bathroom. It is a common issue that occurs during the winter when frost blocks the ventilation pipe that runs thru the roof. As a result, you may hear a gurgling sound in your tub when you flush the toilet.
Clean the bathroom vents to provide efficient airflow through the vents, allowing the gases to escape into the drain.
A Blocked Drain Pipe
Why my toilet smells like sewage when flushed ? Well, there’s a good reason you shouldn’t flush anything other than what needs to be flushed down the toilet. The waste accumulated by those objects can clog toilet traps or drain pipes. The smell of the waste is when you flush the toilet.
The solution is to use a plunger to open the blockage or add a baking soda and vinegar mixture to take down the waste. If that doesn’t work, hire a professional plumber as early as possible to check your pipes and remove any clogs to avoid a repeat blockage or a more significant disaster, such as an overflowing toilet.
A Cracked Toilet
Since it often occurs beneath the toilet bowl, a cracked toilet problem frequently goes unnoticed. At the same time, this can be your “why my toilet smells like sewage when flushed” answer. Water can leak through a cracked toilet, allowing gas to enter your bathroom slowly. So, if you’ve always assumed that a cracked toilet was always noticeable with water leaking, you’re misleading. Sometimes the only sign of a cracked toilet is a foul smell.
Unfortunately, repairing a cracked toilet bowl may be stressful. It is preferable to hire a professional to do it for you.
A Rarely-Used Toilet
If you have a toilet that you don’t use quite often, such as one in the basement, you may notice a foul odor when you finally flush it. Commonly, the P-trap acts as a water-retaining seal after rinsing, preventing sewer odors from entering your bathroom.
However, in rarely used toilets, the water in the P-trap may evaporate, allowing an odor from the drainpipe to emanate from the toilet. Pouring water down the drain may help to get rid of the smell. You can also fill the P-Trap by flushing the toilet.
Flushing your toilet on a regular basis will help you avoid similar issues in the future. It keeps water in the P-trap and keeps unpleasant gases entering and filling the bathroom.
Other Conditions
You’re scrolling through the article but still can’t find an answer to your question: why my toilet smells like sewage when flushed? Your toilet may also smell like sewage if any of the following conditions exist:
● A cut, cracked or incorrectly installed vent pipe. Contact an experienced plumber to fix the problem.
● Is the seal that attaches the toilet to the wall loose? If this is the case, sewage and water may leak into the crevices around the toilet, luring bacteria and producing a foul odor as they grow. To fix it, simply apply caulk to your toilet seal.
● Harmful bacteria from the sewer system can enter and multiply in the toilet under hot and humid conditions. Pouring chlorine bleach or white vinegar down an overflow pipe or flush valve effectively kills bacteria.
DIY How to Get Rid of Sewer Smell
Are you still struggling with why my toilet smells like sewage when flushed? Before you call a plumbing service, consider the possible causes. If you’re sure there’s no plumbing issue, you can use a disinfectant or odor-neutralizing cleaner. Here are some simple tips:
Disinfectant for Toilet Drains
Use white vinegar or chlorine bleach, whichever you have on hand. Pour the liquid into the toilet and simply flush it. You can also use this disinfectant to clean the toilet tank, keeping it fresh and odor-free.
Toilet Deodorizer
Prepare 1 cup each of white vinegar and baking soda. Check that there is enough water in the toilet bowl; hot water is preferable. Pour the baking soda into the water, followed by the white vinegar. Allow it to fizz for 20 minutes before flushing to get the bacteria out of the pipe.
When the toilet plunger fails, the combination of baking soda and white vinegar kills bacteria and opens clogged toilets.
Cleaner for Toilet Drains
Prepare each 1/2 cup lemon juice and baking soda. Fill the toilet bowl with lemon juice and baking soda. Allow it to work for 10 minutes before flushing. Baking soda and lemon juice are also excellent for removing clogs while leaving a pleasant aroma. Vinegar is a perfect substitute if you don’t have any lemon juice on hand.
Now you have everything you need to know about why my toilet smells like sewage when flushed. A sewer odor from the toilet is an unpleasant and embarrassing situation, so why not share these tips with your relatives and friends so they, too, can learn about them?