Safety first: a strong sewage or rotten-egg smell with symptoms such as dizziness or difficulty breathing can be an emergency. Leave the building and call 911 or your gas or water utility.
What is sewer gas?
Sewer gas is a mix of gases produced as waste breaks down, including hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and methane. A leak can smell like rotten eggs or dirty diapers; the rotten-egg smell is hydrogen sulfide. Plumbing is designed to keep these gases out of your home, but small failures can let them in, often intermittently, so it’s easy to dismiss.
Common sources in a home
- Drain traps (P-traps) that dry out in guest bathrooms, basement floor drains or unused showers and tubs. Bacteria growing in dried-out traps can also release endotoxins.
- Cracked, disconnected or blocked plumbing vent pipes
- A failed wax ring under a toilet
- Damaged sewer lines or septic problems
The same leaks that let sewer gas in can also cause water damage and mold, so the two exposures sometimes travel together.
Finding a leak: the smoke test
Sewer gas leaks are often hidden inside walls, vents or under floors. Getting a well-trained plumber to do a smoke test is key: harmless smoke is pushed through the drain and vent system, and wherever it escapes shows where gases can get in. Until the source is fixed, running water in rarely used drains every week or two helps keep their traps filled. Use the free home checklist →
How Dr. Madeira helps
- Connect the dots between your symptoms, your home and your timeline.
- Find and fix the source, so exposure stops.
- Support recovery with personalized nutritional and botanical medicine, sleep and nervous system support.
- Look for related exposures such as mold from the same leaks.