You open the front door after a fortnight away and the house smells of drains. This is very common in holiday homes, empty rental properties between tenants, and homes left during the summer. In most cases the cause is simple.
Dried-out traps
Every sink, bath, shower, toilet and floor drain has a trap: a bend that holds water to block smells from the drain. When nobody uses the fitting, that water slowly evaporates, especially in warm weather or a heated house. Once the trap is dry, smells come straight up from the drain.
Fix: run every tap, shower and bath for a minute, and flush every toilet. Do not forget utility rooms, outside toilets and floor gullies in garages or wet rooms. The smell usually clears within an hour or two as the house airs.
Other causes to check
- Food waste left in the sink or bin. Obvious, but common.
- Washing machine or dishwasher with standing water. Run an empty cycle.
- A drain that was already partly blocked before you left, where waste has been sitting.
- A problem outside, such as a blocked gully or chamber. See what causes bad smells from drains.
Preventing it next time
- Ask someone to run the taps and flush toilets every week or two if the house will be empty for a long time.
- Put the plugs in sinks, baths and showers before you leave, which slows evaporation.
- Close toilet lids, which also slows evaporation from the toilet trap.
Holiday lets and empty rentals
Owners of holiday lets in the New Forest and around Bournemouth, and landlords with empty properties between tenancies, often find this. Running water through every fitting before guests or new tenants arrive avoids a bad first impression. See blocked drains in rented properties.
When to call
If the smell remains after running water through every fitting, or you notice slow drainage, gurgling or standing water in the chambers outside, the drains need checking. See drain cleaning and why does my bathroom smell of drains?