The smell of sewage in the bathroom: how to get fresh air

Smells play an important role in our lives. Even the impression that a house produces on a person is called its atmosphere. The hostesses do their best to make it pleasant: they clean, take care of the airing, use air fresheners.

If there is a smell of sewage in the bathroom, it quickly spreads throughout the house and, in the most literal sense, poisons life. We will figure out how to deal with it.

Sewer stench is dangerous

By sewer smell can not be tolerated. Volatile gases coming from the siphon and pipes, are distributed throughout the premises of a house or apartment. This stench causes disgust, spoils the mood. When guests come, the owners of the "fragrant" home have to apologize and make excuses.

Psychological discomfort is far from the worst that a sewer stench brings with it. Much worse than the fact that it is dangerous to health. The ability to share odors on pleasant and unpleasant - a biological mechanism that for thousands of years ensured the survival of mankind. If the scent seems unpleasant, it means that it is potentially dangerous.

The air from the sewage system is “flavored” with ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. It also contains methane, which has no pronounced odor. Volatile gases affect the state of the human nervous system. You may experience a causeless anxiety, nervousness, irritability.

In a house that smells like sewage, people can get depressed, break down, have trouble sleeping and even faint. Prolonged exposure to hydrogen sulfide can lead to respiratory diseases: rhinitis, bronchitis.

With a high concentration of gas in the air is not excluded poisoning, the symptoms of which are nausea, vomiting, headache, low blood pressure and dizziness.

Ammonia adversely affects vision, respiratory system, causes a state of excitement, has a general toxic effect. And methane can cause oxygen starvation of cells. Not excluded some violations in the autonomic nervous system. For example, the "twitching eye" may well indicate a prolonged effect of methane on the body.

At the first sign of a sewer odor in a bathroom or toilet, you should immediately seek out the cause of the stench and eliminate it. Otherwise, the concentration of gases in the air will only increase, and this can lead to negative consequences for the health of the residents of the house.

Causes of smell in the bathroom

To better understand how the air from the sewage enters the room, you need to have at least a general idea of device drainage system. It consists of a riser, into which drains from all apartments or sanitary equipment in the house, pipes, sanitary ware with siphons merge.

It is a siphon-formed water trap that should prevent air from entering the sewer in the bathroom. In the bends of the device is always water. If water is from water seal partially or completely disappears, it becomes the cause of the smell.

Wastewater enters the riser by gravity due to the difference in the levels at which the sewer pipes are located. For normal operation of the riser, it is necessary that air flow from above, so its upper part of the riser goes into the funnel that provides ventilation.

If a fun pipe improperly mounted or clogged, the air in the sewer begins to flow through the weak joints and joints of the pipeline or through the siphons. In the second case, the water seal partially or completely disappears, since it is sucked into the sewer system.

The lower the siphon is placed, the greater the likelihood that this will happen, and the lowest level of siphon location is at the bath.

There are several main reasons why there is an unpleasant smell in the bathroom:

1. Errors in the design or installation of sewage. If the system is assembled incorrectly, a constant stench is guaranteed. Air fresheners and household chemicals will not solve the problem. You have to spend money: you need to redo the system, and this should be done by qualified craftsmen.
2. Incorrect tilt angle of sewer pipes. If the angle is too small, wastewater stagnates in the system and there is a smell of decay. A radical solution to the problem is also expensive: the pipeline needs to be rebuilt. You can do with half measures - change the sealing gaskets and carefully seal the joints.
3. Siphon Malfunction. If the pressure in the sewage system is higher than atmospheric, air in the form of bubbles can escape through the siphon into the room. The reason - in filling pipes with drains. This is possible due to the insufficient diameter of the pipes (errors in the calculations when designing the system), blockages or icing.
4. Leakage. Water from the sewer can leak through untight pipe joints. If a large flow, it is easy to detect through puddles on the floor. If small - it is more difficult, because water evaporates quickly and does not drip, but it stinks and contributes to dampness in the room.
5. Poor ventilation. That air did not stagnate, mount the ventilation system. It can be natural or forced. If the system is initially improperly installed or the ventilation shaft is clogged, the room will have a stale smell, damp and fungus.
6. Clogged pipe. The most common cause of the smell of sewage in the bathroom is a blockage. Particles of dirt, garbage, sand, hair constantly get into the sewers. Bunched in lumps, thread and hair narrow the inner diameter of the pipe, retain dirt from the drains. The result is a smelly stopper.

If the problem arose due to errors in the installation of sewage or ventilation, its solution should be entrusted to professionals. But with blockages, instrument malfunctions or leaks, you can figure it out yourself. The main thing - to correctly establish the cause of the stench.

In many cases, you can easily prevent unpleasant smell in the bathroom and in a timely manner. fight blockages. Against blockages, it is enough to install special nets for draining the bath and the sink, regularly cleaning them from contamination. The grille retains hair and large particles that can clog the pipe.

A common cause of the negative smell of sewage are errors made during bath siphon installation. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the features and rules of this work; you can find them in the article proposed by us.

How to get rid of unpleasant odors?

First you need to determine what caused the problem. It is necessary to consistently check the operation of the ventilation and sewer systems, pipe joints.

To ensure that there is a normal draft in the ventilation, a sheet of paper is applied to the grille. If it sticks, everything works fine. There is another simple way to diagnose: a lit match or a lighter is brought to the vent. The flame should deviate towards the mine. If this does not happen, you need to do ventilation.

The next step is to check the operation of the sink and bath. It is necessary to open the taps at full capacity and see how quickly the water goes to the drain holes. If slower than usual, this is a sign of blockage.

If the water drains normally, but the smell does not weaken, it makes sense to wash the plums with boiling water. It is rather a preventive measure, but it contributes to the cleaning and disinfection of the walls of pipes, the destruction of bacteria.

If everything is in order with ventilation and pipes, inspect and feel all the joints of the sewage system elements. Nowhere should there be cracks and chips. If you find moisture, attach a dry white napkin. A wet spot on it will help determine where the water is leaking. This place will need to be sealed.

Option # 1: improve ventilation cravings

Natural exhaust can be less effective for several reasons:

• clogged ventilation shaft;
• replacement of bathroom doors for more dense;
• powerful forced air flow from neighbors (relevant for apartment buildings).

It should be noted that in summer heat is often worse in ventilation than in winter, for natural reasons. Hot outside air impedes the entry of cold air masses from cool rooms, and an airlock is formed. This is easy to fix if you leave the bathroom door a little ajar in the summer.

Remove the ventilation grille, take the flashlight and inspect the ventilation shaft as far as it is available. Sometimes the blockage is very close to the exhaust vent and can be reached by hand, hook or small scoop. It may be a piece of brick, fallen off from the wall of the mine, a dead animal that has climbed into the ventilation, or just garbage.

If a problem arises because of a thick door or a high threshold, you can provide additional air flow from under the door leaf. The lower part of the canvas is cut so that the door is loosely attached to the box and there is a small gap. A more "gentle" option is to install a decorative grille on the bottom of the door.

If you do not want to experiment with the doors, you can simply do not close, and cover, leaving a small gap for air access. A great option is to install the fan in the exhaust port. To prevent air from the shaft from entering the room, either an axial fan or a channel model with a check valve is installed.

To stimulate the outflow of dirty air into bathroom vent It is better to install an axial fan:

Option # 2: cleaning pipes and siphons

There are many useful devices with which you can independently clean the sewer. The most popular - plunger and cable. The first tool is perfect for cleaning the siphon, but is unlikely to help if the clog is large and located far from the drain. The second is universal.

The plunger is placed so that it completely covers the drain hole of the bath or sink. After that, the water is opened until it covers the lower part of the elastic cap, and several upward and downward movements are made. Then the plunger is raised and watched over the water flow. If it passes badly, the operation is repeated.

Metal cable - "heavy artillery" for cleaning pipes. If the plumbing is plastic, it is undesirable to use. If the pipes are metal and there is no risk of damaging the siphon, it is a reliable tool.

Rules and features sewer cleaning with cable described in detail in our recommended article.

The cable is passed into the drain hole and begin to slowly rotate, gently pushing further through the pipes. When the tool reaches the blockage, the debris will catch on the hook and can be removed. After that, the sewage system is rinsed with hot water in order to eliminate the remaining plug and dirt.

The metal cable will be in excellent condition and will last for decades if properly cared for. After use, the cable is washed, wiped dry, lubricated with engine oil, rolled up and stored in a dry place.

The smell of sewage can be eliminated with the help of available tools. To do this, you can use soda and vinegar or citric acid. These substances destroy small blockages, well remove deposits from the walls of pipes and disinfect.

Here are some examples of how to use them effectively:

• Soda. Half a bag of soda fall asleep in the sink bath or sink, leave for 20 minutes. After that, the sewage is washed with plenty of hot water.
• Soda with vinegar. Soda is poured into the sewer, and then poured a glass of vinegar, close the drain plug and washed after 20 minutes.
• Lemon acid. In combination with boiling water, citric acid cleans the pipes no worse than soda and vinegar. Wash the sewer should, when the acid ceases to sizzle and foam.

Instead of homemade products, you can use ready-made chemicals for cleaning pipes. They are more effective, but unsafe for health, so when applying you need to wear gloves, protect your skin, eyes, and respiratory organs.

In the list of the best cleaning products for sewage systems “Mole”, “Flup”, “Tiret”, “Potkhan”, “Mr. Muskul”. They can be sold in the form of liquids, gels, granules. The most powerful are granulated funds.

If used improperly, they can damage plastic pipes, so do not leave the compositions in the sewer longer than recommended by the manufacturer.

Valuable recommendations and detailed instructions for cleaning the sewer pipe you will find in this article.

Option # 3: sealing the sewers

The easiest way to seal the joints fumom, but a more reliable way - treatment with a special sealant. The rating of the most popular compounds is headed by the products of famous brands Ceresit and Tytan. Experts speak well of Moment, Ciki Fix.

Plumbing sealants are of several types:

• Silicone. These are expensive sealants, but they are distinguished by good adhesion and elasticity. The compositions retain their properties at high and low temperatures, do not shrink.
• Acrylic. The main advantage of acrylic sealants is a long service life, good water-repellent properties and resistance to temperature extremes. Minus - low elasticity.
• Silicone Acrylic. The best choice. Sealants can be used to seal joints, repair small cracks and chips, gluing surfaces.
• Polyurethane. Paint can be applied over the polyurethane formulations. This is a good option if a leak is detected in a prominent place and needs to be masked. The disadvantage is a strong toxic smell that disappears after the sealant hardens.

Before starting work, clean the surfaces, dry and degrease them well. The sealant is applied to the seam in a circle. The line must be continuous. For ease of application and leveling, you can use a soft spatula.

When the work is finished, the composition is left to dry completely (the time must be indicated on the packaging), after which you can use the sewer.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

There are many ways to get rid of unpleasant odors. We offer several useful videos that will help to cope with the sewage stench and prevent it from appearing again.

Video # 1. Useful tips for dealing with leaks in the bathroom:

Video # 2. Instructions on the use of soda and vinegar to clean the bath:

The smell of sewage in the bathroom can and should be fought, but it is even easier to prevent its appearance. Install the nets on the drain holes of the sink, bath, shower.

Prevention does not hurt either: once every 1-2 months wash the sewage system with soda or household chemicals. Every six months, check the work of ventilation and sewage system joints. This is enough to keep the air always fresh and clean.

Tell us how you struggled with a negative sewer odor. Please write comments in the box below. Here ask questions and place thematic photos.