Are you hearing spooky sounds and smelling spooky odors emanating from inside your drains? While those sounds and smells are probably not paranormal, they are more than just unpleasant. They may be signs of a more serious problem. If you hear or smell anything unusual from your drains, you must take action. Thankfully, here at A&L Cesspool, we are experts on all the mysterious sounds and odors that can be produced by drains and home sewer pipes. Please read on to learn about the phenomena likely to be cursing your drains to produce creepy noises and rancid odors and what to do in those situations.

Causes Of Spooky Drain Sounds

There are several common reasons that your drains may be conjuring up spooky noises and none of them involve ghosts or giant mutated sewer alligators. You will need the help of A&L Cesspool to definitively diagnose and fix the issue, but it is possible to make an educated guess at the cause of auditory disturbance based on the kind of sound you are hearing.

Common Spooky Drain Sounds

  1. Gurgling: If you are hearing a gurgling sound emanating from your drains, there are several possible explanations. The noise is a common sign of a clogged or partially blocked drain pipe. The sound is produced when air bubbles are created as water tries to flow past the clog. Gurgling noises can also be produced by other issues like a clog in your main sewer line, a clogged vent pipe, or a damaged p-trap.
  2. Dripping: A consistent dripping sound coming from your drains can be an indication of a serious sewer problem. Dripping sounds can be created by a loose pipe, a damaged pipe, or a degraded pipe seal causing water to drip onto a surface somewhere out of sight but within earshot. 
  3. Whistling: If your drain is emitting a high-pitched whistling sound, this is an indication that you are having an issue with your venting system. The venting system is designed to prevent the creation of a drainage-disrupting vacuum by allowing air to enter your drain pipes. A mysterious whistling noise is created as air tries to move through a venting system pipe that has become partially obstructed.  

More Spooky Drain Sounds

  1. Banging: If you hear a loud banging noise from within your pipes, it is probably not a Lovecraftian monster tunneling up to the surface. In reality, it is probably a “water hammer.” A water hammer banging noise occurs when a shockwave is sent through your pipes after the flow of water in your system is abruptly stopped or redirected. This phenomenon can be caused by high water pressure, loose pipes, or improper system installation.
  2. Running water: It can seem really spooky if the sound of running water is echoing from your drains when no taps, dishwashers, washing machines, or similar appliances are in use. The sound of inexplicable running water is a strong sign that there is a leak somewhere in your system, potentially leading to higher utility bills and water damage.

How To Silence Your Drains

  1. Identify the type of spooky sound coming out of your drains and the location it’s coming from.
  2. When you hear a localized gurgling, you can attempt to unclog the noisy drain yourself with a plunger or drain snake.
  3. When you hear a different type of noise, examine your visible pipes, the seals of your pipes, and your vent stack to look for any signs of damage or blockages.
  4. If neither of the preceding steps solves the issue, give the professionals at A&L Cesspool a call so we can silence your drains for you. 

Origins of Spooky Drain Smells

It is never fun to have a rancid smell reminiscent of the undead wafting out your drains. Thankfully, you can vanquish these odors if you understand what causes them. Typically, your p-trap, a small 180-degree bend in your drain line, blocks smelly drain odors, but it can fail to do so in three main situations. 

The Smelly Situations 

  1. You have a clog that has allowed smelly hydrogen sulfide-producing bacteria to build up in your p-trap.
  2. Your p-trap has dried up. Your p-trap uses water to hold back smells attempting to waft out of your drain, and that water is refreshed every time it goes down. If you do not use a particular faucet for a while, your p-trap can dry out, allowing foul-smelling sewer gas to get through your dry p-trap and into your home. 
  3. There are food scraps rotting in your pipes or on the blades of your garbage disposal. 

Methods To Banish The Curse Of Rancid Odors From Your Drains

  1. Refill your p-trap by running the water for about a minute and allowing it to go down your drain. The water will hopefully help reinvigorate the p-trap’s odor-trapping abilities. 
  2. Turn your water on for a few seconds and then turn on your garbage disposal while continuing to let the water run for 13 seconds. This will allow your garbage disposal to remove whatever rotting food scraps are present. 
  3. Call A&L Cesspool for an inspection and drain cleaning appointment so we can solve your issue. We should also note that we recommend against the use of chemical drain cleaners and home remedies, like baking soda and vinegar, because pouring foreign substances down your drains can hurt your pipes. Chemical drain cleaners can also be a hazard to the environment and human health.

Call A&L Cesspool To Solve All Your Spooky Drain Issues

The best solution for solving the issues of spooky sounds and smells emerging out of your drains is to give us a call. Just like how you would call a ghostbuster to deal with a ghost and an exorcist to deal with a demon, you should call A&L Cesspool to solve your spooky drain problems. Happy Halloween from A&L Cesspool!