Odour Investigation
We track down the source of persistent drain smells in homes and businesses using CCTV inspection, smoke testing and dye tracing, then fix the root cause rather than masking the problem.
Our Prices
- Domestic Drain Cleaning From €125 + VAT
- Emergency Drain Unblocking From €175 + VAT
Finding the Source of Drain Smells
An odour investigation starts with proper diagnosis. We use CCTV camera inspection, smoke testing with non-toxic smoke, dye tracing and trap inspection to track down exactly where a drain smell is coming from. This matters because treating a symptom without finding the cause just means the smell returns. Our team works through the likely sources systematically and reports back on what it finds with clear recommendations.
On the day, the engineer will discuss where you're noticing the smell, when it's worst and whether it's been getting stronger over time. This helps us start in the right place. We inspect traps, vents and drain connections first, since dry or missing traps are the most common cause of indoor drain smells. If those are fine, we move to camera inspection and smoke testing to check for cracked pipes, faulty joints or venting failures further along the system.
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Available 24/7, 365 Days a Year
Dylex operates around the clock every day of the year — including weekends and bank holidays — so you're never left waiting when a drainage emergency strikes.
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2-Hour Emergency Response Target
When you call with a blocked drain or plumbing emergency, Dylex aims to reach you within 2 hours across Dublin, Kildare, Meath, and Wicklow.
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ISO 9001 & ISO 14001 Certified
Dylex holds internationally recognised certifications for quality management and environmental management, giving customers confidence in the standard of every job.
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Transparent Fixed Pricing
Every job comes with an upfront quote before work begins — no hidden charges, no surprises, just honest pricing you can trust.
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Most Blockages Cleared on the First Visit
Fully equipped vans carry high-pressure jetting gear and CCTV cameras to every job, meaning Dylex engineers can diagnose and fix most drain problems in a single visit.
Genuine Fix, Not a Temporary Patch
We use CCTV equipment and smoke testing as diagnostic tools rather than jumping straight to an expensive repair. Since 2006, our team has traced drain smells back to a wide range of causes, dry traps, blocked vents, fractured pipes, illegal cross-connections and collapsed sections among them. We're fully insured and we carry out any required repair work ourselves, so you don't need to call a different contractor once we've found the problem.
Persistent drain smells are a genuine nuisance, and in some cases a health concern. Many customers have already tried cleaning products or poured bleach down the drain before calling us. That can mask the smell briefly but never addresses the underlying fault. If you've been dealing with an unexplained odour for more than a few days, get in touch and we'll arrange an investigation at a time that suits you.
Common Causes of Drain Odours
The most frequent source of indoor drain smells is a dry or faulty trap. The water in a trap creates a seal that blocks sewer gases from coming back up through fixtures. If a drain hasn't been used for a while, or if the trap is damaged, that seal breaks down. A simple top-up or trap replacement resolves it quickly.
- Dry or evaporated water traps under sinks, showers or floor drains
- Blocked or collapsed vent pipes allowing gases back into the property
- Cracked or displaced drain pipes allowing sewer gases to escape
- Failed seals at pipe joints
- Grease build-up in kitchen drains producing sulphur-like odours
- Septic tank issues affecting properties outside the mains sewer
- Incorrect pipe gradients causing waste to sit and decompose
Coverage
Areas We Cover for Odour Investigation
We cover Meath, Wicklow, Dublin and Kildare. Fast response times across every area listed here.
You may also need
Related Services
01
Smoke Test
We introduce non-toxic smoke into your drainage system to locate hidden leaks, faulty connections, illegal connections and the source of unexplained drain smells, all without any digging.
02
CCTV Drain Surveys
We use waterproof cameras to inspect your drains from the inside, identifying blockages, cracks, root damage and collapsed pipes without any digging. You get a full written report and video footage.
03
Drain Repairs & Maintenance
We repair cracked, collapsed and misaligned drains across Dublin and surrounding counties, and offer planned maintenance programmes to keep problems from coming back.
Customer Reviews
Odour Investigation FAQs
A drain that flows normally can still allow sewer gases back into the room if the trap has dried out, the vent pipe is blocked, or there's a hairline crack in the pipe allowing gases to escape. We inspect all of these during an odour investigation.
We use a combination of CCTV camera inspection, smoke testing with non-toxic smoke, dye tracing and physical trap inspection. The combination of methods means we can identify both visible defects and hidden leaks or failed connections.
If the cause is straightforward, such as a dry trap or a simple blockage, we can often resolve it on the same visit. If the problem requires a repair like pipe relining or vent replacement, we'll quote you for that work and schedule it as a follow-up.
Sewer gases contain hydrogen sulphide and other compounds that can be unpleasant and in high concentrations, harmful. We'd recommend getting any persistent drain smell investigated promptly rather than waiting to see if it clears on its own.
Cleaning products treat the surface but don't address structural or venting issues in the drain system. If the smell keeps returning, that's a strong sign there's an underlying fault. An odour investigation will find it and give you a permanent fix.
Book Odour Investigation Today
24h emergency · helpdesk@dylex.ie