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 3533 reviews

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Ashley Arata

23:22 29 Jan 26

Carey and Micah came out on short notice when our tankless water heater started leaking unexpectedly. They were able to provide an extremely competitive quote on site and schedule us for installation the next day. We had some other pre-scheduled contractors in our home when they did the installation and they were extremely professional and courteous in making space for them to share space. I also appreciate how they cleaned up after work was completed. Overall wonderful guys and our second time using 2 Sons (once prior was to have a sewer line cleared) and we'd absolutely use them again. Thanks, Micah & Carey for the work!

Ashley Arata

23:22 29 Jan 26

Johnnie Williams

06:40 15 Jan 26

I want to start by saying that Jeff and the rest of the plumbing team are absolutely great. They are very knowledgeable, professional, and clearly know what they’re doing. The quality of their work is solid, and I never felt like I was dealing with people who didn’t understand their craft.

That said, the pricing is extremely high. I completely understand paying for quality and expertise, but the cost made it hard to move forward with them for future work. If their prices were more reasonable, they would 100% be the company I would use every time.

So if budget is not a concern, you’ll likely be very happy with them. But for those of us who have to balance quality with affordability, the pricing is something to seriously consider.

Johnnie Williams

06:40 15 Jan 26

Kizmit

01:40 03 Jan 26

I had a kitchen sink that started draining very slowly. Scheduling with 2 Sons was quick and easy. The technician arrived on time and was polite and friendly. Unfortunately, he was unfamiliar with the pipe configuration in my condo building and told me he was unable to get the cable through. He then provided me a written estimate for over $1600 to reconfigure the pipes. He stated the drain could not be cleared until that work was done. I was charged over $500 even though he was unable to do any work (got the cable down the pipe less than 5 feet before he gave up.) I called another plumber who came out a few days later and was able to use the cable to clear the drain (exactly what the plumber from 2 Sons said could not be done). I have emailed 2 Sons three times, explaining my concern and requesting a refund of the fee I paid, but am having difficulty getting anyone to respond to me. Overall, a very frustrating experience. I cannot recommend them based on this experience and lack of response.

Kizmit

01:40 03 Jan 26

Deann Minamino

22:05 02 Jan 26

We have used 2 Sons Plumbing quite a few times now and have never been disappointed! Courteous, professional, knowledgeable and efficient describes everyone from the office to the field teams! One of their team members, while here installing a sink fixture, overheard an estimate we were getting from a visiting sales rep for a project. Their team member (Carey) offered that the estimate was way over priced (by over $20k). We had 2 Sons price it out for us and they came in $23k less. We have a couple planned projects upcoming and plan to use them for that as well as any unexpected issues that arise. Just this week, they dispatched a team on NYE as our water heater broke. Once again, good price, courteous, professional and efficient! I/we are so pleased to have found this company! We highly recommend them! (NOTE/FYI: I, the posting party, copied this from my Yelp Review)

Deann Minamino

22:05 02 Jan 26

Ashley Dunn

21:37 01 Jan 26

Justin and Bryce were swift and thorough when we experienced an emergency leak in our daylight basement. They quickly identified the problem as a leaking water heater, provided a quote, and completed the work within just a few hours. The job included draining the old water heater, removing and properly disposing of it, and supplying and installing a brand-new unit. We are incredibly grateful that they came out on New Year’s Eve and ensured we didn’t start 2026 without running water. They also offered a great recommendation for addressing separate water damage caused by another issue. Highly appreciated and highly recommended

Ashley Dunn

21:37 01 Jan 26

Benjamin Grossman

05:40 30 Dec 25

Huge props to Adam. We had been trying to replace our kitchen sink ourselves but ran into some issues, so we called for help. They were able to come out the very same day, which was a huge relief. We needed a new faucet installation, a separate hot water faucet, and water tank set up.

Adam was fantastic. He fixed our kitchen sink and even helped with a stubborn screw we could not get undone (I spent 4 hours myself before trying to get it out) , all with incredible patience and friendliness. He explained everything he was doing clearly, which made the whole process easy to understand and feel confident about. The new installation looks fantastic. Will definitely use them again.

Benjamin Grossman

05:40 30 Dec 25

Heejae Yang

02:27 30 Dec 25

Great service for people who hate money

This is a wonderful company to repair your plumbing issues, including storm drains and sewer lines—ONLY if you have the disposable income of a tech bro or sis. I don't.
I called because the storm drain receiving my downspout was clogged. It was adjacent to work they have done before. Without even coming to the site, a technician diagnosed a total failure over the phone. Their solution? Demolish the concrete, access and remove the P-trap, and redo the entire install for a "discounted" manager promo of $4,000.
I ended up fixing the issue in 5 minutes with a Shop-Vac. Total cost: $0.
I’ve used them for a sewer line repair before and now realize I likely funded their entire holiday party. Why fix a drain for free when you can pay $4,000 to have your walkway ripped up? This is the team for you if your budget is infinite and your patience for common sense is zero.

UPDATE: A real pro checks for a simple clog before recommending a sledgehammer. We all know they were looking for a payday.

Heejae Yang

02:27 30 Dec 25

Maggie McNish

00:43 30 Dec 25

Adam came to my house and gave excellent service and worked very efficiently. He was incredibly professional and personable and kind. He educated me on my plumbing situation so that I’m better equipped to prevent issues in the future and to preserve integrity of items and appliances I use and in a way easy for me to understand. I hope every experience for every customer with 2 Sons goes this way. Everyone I’ve had come to my house with 2 Sons has been great — competent, kind, professional, and transparent. Adam was terrific.

Maggie McNish

00:43 30 Dec 25

Matthew Horak

03:56 25 Dec 25

Justin and Bryce responded to a same day house call on December 9 when we found water seeping between the wall and floor of our garage laundry area. I cannot rate their service highly enough. They arrived around 5pm and stayed until after 8:30 to finish the job the same day. I waited to submit a review because other work we've had done was done to last a few days -- just enough time to get a good review. Justin and Bryce's work has definitely held up. It was unclear where the leak was coming from, but they spent a.long time investigating, including in the crawl space under the house, to find the right place in the wall to open up. They opened up only about 2 feet of wall and hit the leak exactly. They fixed it quickly and permanently. They are very professional and efficient. We are extremely happy and will definitely call 2 Sons first for any future needs. Thank you!

Matthew Horak

03:56 25 Dec 25

Melissah Watts

02:23 12 Dec 25

I had a wicked combo of 50 yr old bathtub faucets ( the hot water completely frozen in the “on” position) and a 13 year old hot water heater …. Yep, on Saturday … 2 Sons sent Carey out on Sunday and he advised me to wait until Monday when he could really solve my problem with high quality hardware and a new hot water heater! Carey came out Monday with Micah , beautiful copper pipes, a new hot water heater and a modern bathtub faucet. In 5 hours I had a new bathtub faucet and a new hot water heater. On top of really good craftsmanship , they respected and protected my existing tub/ toilet / sink. Thanks for a job well done!! M & M Watts

Melissah Watts

02:23 12 Dec 25