why do dishwashers have a strong sewer smell to them sometimes?

Answer 1

That is not the dishwasher, it is your sink's pipe where the water is going out. Once per week pour 1/2 cup bleach down your sink's pipe and let it sit for about 15 minutes, then flush with lots of cold water. If you have a smell of bleach afterwards, pour some liquid soap down the drain, let it sit for about 15 minutes and then flush with just a little cold water.

Answer 2

Generally the dishwasher is attached to the garbage disposal, which creates an air gap between the sewer and the dishwasher. Sometimes if there is no disposal the drain is attached to the waste line for the sink, this could cause a sewer gas smell. The most common cause is not pre-washing the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, this will cause food particles to build up an decompose creating a sewer like smell.

Answer 3

They shouldn't. Without knowing how your dishwasher is plumbed, I can't say what's going on, but running a load should leave enough water in the trap to prevent the gases from coming up. If you haven't run the dishwasher recently, then do so, your trap may be dry.

You may have a crack in a pipe somewhere, broken seal.........or the sanitary stack may be plugged. Something plumbers don't think about, but you know the pipe that goes up through the roof providing an air cushion to your plumbing system, if it is plugged by dead birds/leaves/etc, it can lead to many different plumbing woes including sewer gas......tho I'd go thru all the other possibilities first.

Answer 4

where is your trap? Is there pluming in your house that does not have a trap attached to it? That could cause a very smelly problem.

Answer 5

be cause the bottem base still holds some water, try puring some bleach in the bottem base,& run the machine twice.:)