Under the kitchen sink cabinet odor

last year

last modified: last year

We have a faint but funky odor coming from below the kitchen sink that is getting worse over time since the kitchen remodeling and as the weather gets warmer. We have been trying to find the source of it.

I don't think it is exactly a sewer gas smell, but more like some form of food gone bad. Strangely, it is a smell that we have also been getting inside our dishwasher, which is the weird part.

During the remodeling, an outlet was relocated from one side of a stud to the other side. The kitchen plumbing drain was planned to be moved by a few inches, but it was not. The water drain from sink works fine and there are no visible water leaks from what I can tell.

I'm not sure where the odor is coming from, so I want to understand if this is something that I should call a plumber or the general contractor about, and have two questions:

Q1. Is height difference between garbage disposal's outlet and drain pipe sufficient enough to push water out without backpressure when dishwasher is draining?

Q2. Any chance the smell could be coming from behind?

Featured Answer

rebasheba

last year

So, it's your disposal. That's why it's near the machine and in the dishwasher. Do yoi run lots of water when you use it? (I didn't grow up with one of these and I was amazed to learn the list of things you cannot put in it is about a mile long.) It may need to get pulled and the installation checked over. Hopefully someone with actual plumbing knowledge can comment on the pipes.

You can also try disposal cleaners and San sticks -- I would do these after plunging/flushing with water to try to move anything that is lingering in the pipes. Good luck!

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Comments (9)

PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
last year
Check the seal between the bottom of the countertop and the top of the sink flange please. If you have brown/black gunk, your sink is leaking.

The disposal installation looks to be correct.
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ker9
last year
I can’t speak to the plumbing specifics but I can tell you that when we moved in to our pre owned home the garbage disposal was very stinky. I used Glisten garbage disposal cleaner to clean it. It took several attempts but it worked. Now I use it once a month to keep it clean (it doesn’t smell anymore, I use it to keep it that way). I like Glisten better than CLR. Prior to trying Glisten, I tried vinegar, lemon, and baking soda in various combinations; none of them put a dent in the stink.
Sam
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
The thing is, there is absolutely no smell above the kitchen sink or around the kitchen sink drain/flange area - which makes me think it may not be coming from garbage disposal.

The odor is suspiciously present under the kitchen sink, and I don't see any black gunk or mold, at least from what I can see from within cabinets. Still, I will try using garbage disposal and dishwasher cleaners to see if that can eliminate the this weird smell under the cabinets. I decided to put some baking powder inside of the cabinet as well. Thank you everyone!
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ramona1976
last year
Dead mouse in the wall or under the cabinet?
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PRO
The Kitchen Place
last year
that was my first thought too ramona....but she said bad food smell. I think most of us know that dead mouse smell.
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PRO
Fresh Remodel
last year
Q1. Is the height difference between the garbage disposal's outlet and the drain pipe sufficient to push water out without backpressure when the dishwasher is draining?

The height difference between the garbage disposal outlet and the drain pipe is essential to prevent backflow and ensure proper drainage. If the outlet from the garbage disposal is lower than or too close to the drain pipe's entry point, it can cause backpressure, which might result in water or food particles not draining properly and leading to odors. Ensuring a proper P-trap installation can also prevent sewer gases from entering the kitchen.

Q2. Could cotton-like materials near the outlet or behind the outlet accumulate some smell?

Cotton-like materials or any form of insulation near or behind outlets can indeed trap moisture and organic matter, leading to mold or mildew growth, which can produce foul odors. Given the remodeling, it's possible that debris or materials left behind the outlet could be harboring bacteria or mold. Inspecting and cleaning these areas might help eliminate the odor.
wcjo
last year
Is the loop of the drain hose from the dishwasher correct? Check the installation instructions, ours was very specific about how it needed to be hung. If you have odor from the inside of the dishwasher, get a short piece of copper pipe from the plumbing department at a big box store and place it over a tine of the rack inside your dishwasher. It's a chemical reaction thingy with the copper, the odor will disappear. And I would also check if the filter at the bottom of the dishwasher is full and watch for dirty water left behind.
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Sam
Original Author
last year
I checked ptrap, and one end of it towards the drain had chunk of leftover food stuck, and there is very small leak.
I think there is indeed an issue with draining due to wall drain placed too high after remodeling.
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