Areas We Serve

Areas We Serve

Why Does My Shower Drain Smell Like Sewage?

Nothing is more upsetting than stepping into a hot shower and being hit by a strong smell of sewage! It’s nauseating, and embarrassing if experienced by guests. And, it usually means something in your plumbing isn’t working the way it should. At 2 Sons Plumbing Seattle, we’ve fixed this problem for countless homeowners, and in most cases it’s nothing unusual—just a sign that your system needs attention.

Why a Shower Drain Starts to Smell

That sewer odor isn’t random. It generally means gases from the sewer line are finding their way back into your home. The most common reasons are:

Dry trap – The water in the trap under your drain is what blocks gases. If it dries out, odors pass straight through.
Clogs and buildup – Hair, soap, and grime sitting in your drain breed bacteria, which produces that rotten smell.
Blocked vent pipes – Your plumbing has vents on the roof that release gases outside. When they’re blocked, pressure builds and forces the smell into your bathroom.

These are everyday plumbing issues, but they won’t go away on their own.

Simple Things to Try Yourself

Sometimes the situation can be resolved by giving your system a little help:

Run water in the drain – In guest bathrooms or showers that aren’t used often, running the water for a few minutes refills the trap.
Baking soda and vinegar flush – Pour in this mix and let it bubble before rinsing with hot water. This freshens the line and helps clear light buildup.

If the smell comes back quickly after trying this, there’s usually something deeper causing the problem.

When to Call a Plumber

Not every odor can be solved with quick fixes. Give 2 Sons Plumbing Seattle a call if you notice:

The smell lingers after cleaning
More than one drain in your home smells bad
You hear gurgling noises or see slow drains along with the odor

These are signs of larger blockages or venting problems that need professional tools to diagnose and fix.

What It Costs in Seattle

Most sewer-smell problems aren’t major repairs. In Seattle, a professional drain cleaning or inspection usually runs between $200 and $450, depending on what’s found. Fixing it early almost always keeps the expenses down and prevents bigger headaches later.

How to Keep the Smell Away

A few simple habits can stop odors before they start:

Run water weekly in showers that don’t get used much
Use a drain screen to catch hair before it clogs
Don’t pour grease or heavy oils down any drain
Have older plumbing inspected now and then to catch small issues early

Let’s Get Your Shower Back to Normal

Your shower should be a place to relax, not somewhere you have to put up with a sewer smell. Call 2 Sons Plumbing Seattle at (206) 487-1757, and we’ll send a licensed plumber who can find the source of the odor, clear the line, and make sure your drains and vents are working the way they should.

With one call, you’ll have a clean, fresh shower again—and peace of mind knowing your plumbing is safe and in good shape.

2 Sons Plumbing, Electrical, Heating & Air

4.9

Based on 3330 reviews

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Oaktree President

22:17 24 Oct 25

Our house decided to replace our own toilet, but we got stuck halfway through because we didn’t have the right tools and accidentally broke an anchor bolt. I called 2 Sons Plumbing, and they showed up within an hour to help us out. Derek, our plumber, was super friendly, explained everything clearly, and got the job done quickly and professionally. Excellent service all around—highly recommend!

Oaktree President

22:17 24 Oct 25

Victor Garcia

20:12 23 Oct 25

Dave and David came and cleared out a huge clog in my kitchen sink (both sides) that has been plaguing us for a while as well a ton of glass shards that got into the drain when our glass fridge shelf broke. Dave walked us through each step of the process and explained everything which was excellent. He also gave us advice about galvanized piping replacement. They even gave us a few free parts for the sink drain that had eroded away and didn’t charge extra for it!! All around 5 star service!!!

Victor Garcia

20:12 23 Oct 25

Steve P

20:40 21 Oct 25

Fantastic service and communication. Local company. Solved my clogged basement laundry utility sink. Dave and David were courteous, informative, professional and easy to engage with. Scheduling was easy (they came the next day) and they arrived within the expected time window. Transparent pricing and i could also apply a coupon. I will use them again.

Steve P

20:40 21 Oct 25

Ashton Wylde

05:46 21 Oct 25

Great service and Dave their plumber is the best. We have an odd house with even odder plumbing. The pipes are a mess of grandfathered-in open air nonsense, when our pump started making some noises (and a little leaking) after some DIY heat tape adventures (getting ready for colder weather), we were worried that we would need a massive repair but Dave came and looked at it and immediately realized we had unplugged the float plug from the pump plug which was 90% of the problem and the leak just need a little tightening of a flex joint. The company was quick and didn't charge for an estimate or in this case a quick "thats not plugged in right". The experience and the overall professionalism has convinced me that when I do finally need that big repair job, I'll call these guys.

Ashton Wylde

05:46 21 Oct 25

Spencer Charles

05:07 20 Oct 25

Booking an appointment was extremely easy, and we were able to get one just the next day. Communication was excellent with timely reminders and a call before our appointment. Kerry did a fantastic job both advising us and effectively resolving our issue.

Spencer Charles

05:07 20 Oct 25

LuAnn Mitchell

02:38 14 Oct 25

I have all good things to say about 2 Sons Plumbing. My first experience was a few years ago and the whole process went very smoothly. Making the appointment was easy and quick, the repair was done with no problem and I thought the price was fair. Recently, Dave from 2 Sons came out to look at several plumbing problems I was having and, within a matter of minutes, all of the problems were diagnosed. Dave gave me options and estimates all before he left my house. I haven’t had the work done yet but appreciate the information and the prices seemed fair to me. Dave was on time, professional and very knowledgeable. 2 Sons are my go to Plumbers.

LuAnn Mitchell

02:38 14 Oct 25

Kayla Huitt

16:58 13 Oct 25

Bob at 2 Sons Plumbing was amazing! We had a horribly backed up kitchen sink drain and he was able to fix it, and save us some money in the process! He heard what we had to say about our issue and double checked everything. Super friendly and very helpful. Thank you for the amazing work Bob!

Kayla Huitt

16:58 13 Oct 25

Mingmin Zhu

00:31 11 Oct 25

I had great experience with Chase, Riley, Seth, Manu, Nolan with a recent fix. They showed up promptly, transparent about the price upfront, set the expectations right, very professional, got things done perfectly, great communication and very honest and patient to answer all my questions, I will definitely use 2 sons again and will recommend it to my friends and neighbors.

Mingmin Zhu

00:31 11 Oct 25

Arul Menezes

00:41 10 Oct 25

Stellar job by Carey and his team at 2sons today. I had a complex job -- installing a yard hydrant/faucet for a garden across the (private) street. They had to go into the floor of the garage, run piping under the floor, out of the house, across the road. Had to cut into the asphalt, trench down a couple feet, then patch it all up again, including fixing the garage concrete floor. Super job. Looks really clean. Got it all done in a day.

Arul Menezes

00:41 10 Oct 25

First Name

00:04 10 Oct 25

A wonderful experience every time with 2 Sons plumbing. Jake and Angelo helped us with our plumbing issue. They showed up on time and gave a very reasonable estimate for the repair. We ended up replacing a couple of toilets and a part of a sink drain. They came back the next day to complete the work due to our schedule. Excellent communication, prompt, and hard working! Thank you so much Jake and Angelo!! We are very happy with 2 Sons and have used them multiple times.

First Name

00:04 10 Oct 25