Why it smells like sewer in the bathroom and what to do with it

Smell is one of the most important human senses. Smells affect our mood: pleasant aromas set us in a relaxed and contented mood, while unpleasant smells cause discontent and irritability in us.

Bad smell — The unpleasant smell of sewage in the toilet quickly spreads outside the bathroom, creating discomfort.

Therefore, we love to smell pleasant smells in our house, which are often individual for everyone. For example, these can be smells of fresh baked goods, coffee, cinnamon, fruity or floral aromas, and many others.

Combating odors — The fight against odors should not be carried out by spraying deodorants, but by looking for causes and determining methods to eliminate them.

For home comfort, many people use air fresheners. But what if, instead of these pleasant aromas, a disgusting stench from the sewer appeared in the house, and it does not disappear?

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Why does the smell of sewage appear in the bathroom
Is there any harm to health?
How to eliminate the stench
Problem prevention
Video: stinks from the sewer. Eliminate. Preventing.

Why does the smell of sewage appear in the bathroom

Why does the apartment smell like sewage in the bathroom? To deal with a bad smell, you need to have at least a rough idea of how wastewater is discharged from your apartment.

If there is a sewer smell in the bathroom, it quickly spreads throughout the house.

The entire sewerage system of your apartment consists of the following elements:

Siphons (water traps) installed under sinks and bathtubs. In the simplest case, they represent a pipe bent several times. It is the water remaining in the bent part of the pipe that is the stopper for the sewer odor;
A common building riser that goes into the sewer. The upper part of the riser extends to the roof, providing ventilation;
Pipes connecting siphons and riser. They are located at an angle so that the used water is drained by gravity into the riser.

Eliminate unpleasant odor — You can eliminate an unpleasant odor in the bathroom with your own hands in a short time with minimal costs.

Now that you know the main components, you can move on to the reasons due to which an unpleasant odor could appear in the bathroom or toilet:

Blockage in the pipe. The most common cause is due to particles of dirt, sand, hair and threads constantly entering the drain. The lumps formed from them reduce the throughput of the pipe;
Leaks. The second most common problem is caused by the wear of pipes and gaskets in the joints. A leak can be detected by puddles of water under the leak;
Siphon malfunction. The symptom is the release of air bubbles through the siphon;
Poor ventilation. Most likely you will have to remove the blockage in the ventilation shaft;
Errors in the installation of the sewage system. These include small pipe slopes, insufficient pipe diameters and other errors.

Is there any harm to health?

The smell of sewage in the bathroom, and then spreading throughout the apartment or private house, brings psychological discomfort to residents. It is impossible to get used to this stench - this is how the human body works, it reacts to dangerous odors. And there is something to be afraid of!

The sewer smell is to blame, the gases entering it are ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, methane.When exposed to them, changes can occur in the psyche of people - causeless anxiety, irritability, nervous breakdowns, problems with sleep.

To get rid of the smell, it is necessary to determine the cause of its occurrence.

Due to hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, you can get diseases of the respiratory system. In addition, ammonia can affect vision. These gases have a general toxic effect on the body, leading to poisoning.

Methane causes oxygen starvation and disturbances in the normal functioning of the nervous system. Therefore, as soon as the smell of sewage appears in the toilet, bathroom or kitchen, it is necessary to immediately remove its cause.

With gases from the sewage system, not only pathogenic organisms can penetrate into the room.

How to eliminate the stench

What to do if the bathroom smells like sewage? First of all, you need to find a place from which it stinks - it could be a sink, a bathtub, a toilet bowl, or a sink in the kitchen. Next, you should check the operation of the sewerage and ventilation.

special tools — Special tools will be needed to eliminate the causes of the unpleasant odor.

To check the operation of ventilation, you need to bring a lighted flame to the ventilation hole, the flame should deflect in its direction. To check the sewage system, turn on the taps at full capacity and observe how quickly the water is drained.

odor trap — Most often, the smell of sewage appears in the bathroom if, for any reason, the water seal ceases to function normally.

Sewer cleaning

The most popular drain cleaning devices are the plunger and cable. The plunger is suitable for cleaning siphons and small blockages.

To clean the pipes with a plunger, place it on the drain hole so that it is completely closed. Turn on the tap and pour enough water into the sink or tub to cover the rubber part of the plunger. Make several movements of the plunger up and down. Remove the plunger and check the drainage rate. Repeat the operation if necessary.

The use of a wire rope is not recommended if you have plastic pipes installed. Insert the cable into the drain hole and push it, rotating it around the axis, until you reach the blockage. It is advisable that it hooks onto the hook on the cable and you get it out. After that, rinse the drain with hot water.

pipe cleaners — Use a chemical professional pipe cleaner.

The sewer can also be cleaned with chemicals, for example, "Mole", "Tiret" and others. Strictly follow the manufacturer's instructions. If you leave the product for longer than indicated in the instructions, then there is a risk of damage to the pipes.

Improved ventilation

The normal functioning of the hood is necessary, even if there is no unpleasant smell, otherwise, over time, musty air will become in the room, dampness will accumulate. Fungus may even develop on the bathroom headset.

Unpleasant sewer odor cannot be eliminated with aerosols.

Natural ventilation can be disrupted due to blockages, replacing doors in a room, or installing too powerful forced ventilation by neighbors.

To try to clear the blockage yourself, remove the decorative grill from the ventilation hole and inspect the shaft with a flashlight. If the blockage is close enough, you can remove it with your hands or with a hook.

Flush the drain frequently to avoid blockages.

If installing a new door, provide additional ventilation by cutting off a little of the door leaf from the bottom. You can also cut a hole in the bottom of the door and install a decorative strip. Installation in the fan exhaust is a good alternative.

Only a specialist will quickly figure out the problem of the appearance of an unpleasant odor.

Sealing joints

There are the following types of sealants: silicone, acrylic, silicone-acrylic, polyurethane. Silicone sealants are elastic and retain their properties at any temperature. Acrylics are characterized by a long service life and resistance to temperature extremes, but they have low elasticity.

Polyurethane sealants are toxic but can be painted over. The best choice is silicone-acrylic sealants, which combine the best properties.

methods of combating unpleasant odor — Use professional odor control methods.

Degrease the joint surface before using the sealant. The sealant must be applied to the joint in a circular, continuous line. Use a spatula to level the applied sealant. After that, leave to dry completely.

Problem prevention

It is necessary to deal with the problem of unpleasant odor as soon as it appears, but it is best to take preventive measures in order to prevent such situations:

install nets on the drain holes, they will retain most of the debris and prevent clogging;
periodically it is necessary to rinse the plums with boiling water - this contributes to the cleaning of pipes and the growth of bacteria;
Flush the pipes once a quarter with household chemicals - this will prevent the formation of blockages;
change pipes that have served their service life in time - this will allow you to do without leaks.

flush the drain — Flush the drain with baking soda or household chemicals once every 1-2 months.

If there is a smell from the sewer, immediately find its cause and get rid of it using the methods described above. Eliminating this unpleasant problem will have a beneficial effect on your mental and physical health.