If an unpleasant sewer smell appears in the bathroom, it is not an option to accept and live in such a room. Vapors saturated with hydrogen sulfide and ammonia have a harmful effect on the human body. Chemicals harm the brain, lungs, so you need to understand the reasons and promptly eliminate the stench from the sewage system in the bathroom and toilet.
The main reasons for the appearance of the smell of sewage in the bathroom
For starters, it is worth remembering when the last renovation was carried out in the bathroom. If everything was normal before the work, most likely the craftsmen connected the plumbing incorrectly. With the constant use of devices - a toilet, a bath, a sink, a shower - there should be no fetid amber, since this moment is provided for in the design of the products. Even if the drains are clogged, the unpleasant odor does not appear immediately and quickly goes away when the owners clean the sewers with special means. If the odor persists, the units must be disassembled and redone.
The simplest reason for the stench is the lack of water in the siphon. If the plumbing was not used for a long time, for example, when moving to a new apartment or after a vacation, the water separating the interior from the sewer mains evaporated and all odors entered the apartment without hindrance.
Other causes of sewer odor include:
- Incorrect pipe assembly. In this case, the aroma appears immediately after the start of use. The main reason is non-observance of the slope of the pipes and the stagnation of dirty water in the system. If this is an apartment building, you need to contact the developers for a solution. A plastic system is easier to repair than a tightly welded cast-iron sewer, because the line will have to be completely dismantled.
- Incorrectly working odor trap. The curved pipe under the bathtub or sink is specially designed to prevent odors from entering the room from the common pipe. In addition to the banal evaporation of liquid, other problems can also occur. For example, increased pressure in the common line. This happens when not the slope of the pipes is used to move the sewage, but pumping equipment. If it is incorrectly set, the device will create a pressure and air will penetrate into the apartment. The reason may be small diameter pipes, blockage or icing if the room has not been heated.
- Depressurization of the system. The signal is the constant appearance of a puddle in the same place. The reason is a leaky gasket, a crack or a loose connection with the coupling.
- Ventilation problems interfere with indoor air circulation. In a private home, this may be a design mistake. It must be eliminated immediately. In multi-apartment buildings, during long-term operation, the ventilation grill can become clogged with dust and debris.
- The pipes must be periodically cleaned with acid and boiling water, because the old layer of fat on the walls is no better than the sewer stench. If, with a persistent blockage, you have to wait a long time for a plumber with a cable or other devices, in a couple of days the smell becomes even stronger and it is more difficult to get rid of it.
Perhaps the scents do not come from plumbing fixtures. A permanently closed washing machine that is used once a week can emit odors.This happens because a small amount of water remains at the bottom of the case. If the bathroom floor is warm and the car door is ajar, the liquid evaporates in a couple of days. Otherwise, it will start to stink.
If condensation collects due to the temperature difference between the liquid inside the pipes and the room temperature, it flows down and rots. At the same time, the smell will not be so much sewer as musty and damp. In this case, floor insulation also saves, which evaporates moisture.
Construction errors
The hood is usually designed during the construction phase, but sometimes this is forgotten, or the owners build the house themselves, without experience.
In a country house, the principle of operation of plumbing devices is the same as in an apartment, but if you simultaneously drain the water on the first and second floors, an area of reduced pressure is created in the ventilation pipe, which draws in water from the siphons. At the same time, the aromas penetrate inside. To prevent this from happening, the ventilation pipe must be at least 4 m high and brought out to the roof. Only in this case is it possible to completely eliminate the cause of the sewage smell in the bathroom, even in the absence of the owners for a long time and the liquid in the water locks completely dries out.
Effective ways to eliminate unpleasant odor
As for the siphon, over time, the corrugated pipe can lose its elasticity and original shape, so it should be replaced with a new one. It is advisable to use fittings made of durable plastic, and not corrugation, as cracks quickly appear in it. The same problem can arise with the bathroom. Installing defective or cheap parts will lead to a quick failure of the repaired equipment. The cheap rubber from which the gaskets are made also deteriorates quickly.
The breakdown of the water seal is a construction problem in which the craftsmen made too much slope. Therefore, they first check the state of the plumbing inside the apartment, and then measure the parameters of the installation of pipes in the general system. If the problem is with them, the stench will not only be in one apartment.
Cracks in the plastic line are eliminated by replacing the pipe section or using a sealant to temporarily stop the leak. It is more difficult with cast iron products. You can urgently remove the leak with cement mortar, covering the crack with it.
Problems with ventilation arise for all residents of an apartment building at once, since one mine serves several apartments. If you attach a piece of paper while the fan is running, it will stay on the grate. If the traction is bad, it will fall. Specialists are called in to clean the ventilation pipe. For this job, there is special equipment that quickly removes dirt and dust.
Ways to eliminate blockages
Stubborn plugs are removed with a plumbing cable with a nozzle at the end, after freeing the pipe from scale or fat, it is advisable to use a liquid cleaner, and then boiling water.
Preventive measures
A high degree of qualification of the master who makes the sewage system in a private house or apartment is the key to long-term and trouble-free operation. Unfortunately, many owners save on skilled labor and try to do the job with their own hands.This leads to design errors, hence plumbing and ventilation will not work well. Building a house or renovating an apartment should be carried out at least under the supervision of an experienced craftsman if the family's budget is limited.
Plumbing is a durable item, so you can't save on them. It is not necessary to buy super-expensive products, but it is quite possible to find a good middle category.
According to the reviews of many owners of apartments and private houses, who decided to insulate the floor during the next renovation, this nuance saves from condensation and the appearance of mold in rooms with high humidity, and also increases the service life of washing machines.
To avoid stagnation of water in the bathroom, it is recommended to place the hair catchers on the drain. At the same time, the garbage does not fall into the siphon, from where it is difficult to get it without completely dismantling the unit.
If, after a long absence of the owners, the water seal has evaporated, you need to ventilate all the rooms and drain the water by adding toilet wash gel or scented liquid soap to it. The pleasant aroma will be restored in a short time.
