Start with the simple cause. Every drain has a P-trap, a curved section of pipe that holds water to block sewer gas. In a guest bath, basement floor drain or vacation home that isn’t used often, that water evaporates and the smell comes straight up. Run water for a minute in each unused drain. If the smell goes away, that was it.

If it doesn’t, the smell can come from grease and debris rotting inside the drain, a vent pipe on the roof blocked by snow, ice, leaves or a nest, a failed wax ring under a toilet, or a cracked sewer line. A smell that comes with slow drains or gurgling usually means the sewer line, and a strong, steady smell anywhere in the house should be checked soon.

Element clears drains and repairs sewer lines at all four locations, and our Durango, St. George & Hurricane and Jackson teams add camera inspections to find the exact source.