How to eliminate odor from sewers in your home or apartment

Often the usual comfort and coziness of a room can disrupt the appearance of unpleasant odors. This problem can occur not only in an apartment building, but also in a private house. The most harmful and offensive is the smell from the sewer. The reasons for the appearance may be a great many, but there is absolutely one thing - the decision on how to get rid of the smell of sewage should be taken without delay!

The smell from the sewer can appear for various reasons.

Sources of odor from sewers

In the most general approximation, sources of unpleasant odors from the sewage system in an apartment can be divided into 2 types: internal and external. With internal sources, there are problems with pipes located indoors, with external sources, the sewer system in the house is repaired (most often this is work in the basement). If in the latter case, the smell of sewage in the apartment can be eliminated by contacting the master or the organization that is responsible for communication in the house, then it is possible to try to solve the internal problems of the room yourself.

So, the very first question that needs to be answered is where, presumably, is the source of sewer stench. The search for possible options is reduced to the following checks:

• correct installation of connecting nodes;
• connecting parts of the sewer system;
• the presence of blockages in the pipes;
• the presence of violations in the ventilation;
• siphons;
• problems with hydraulic locks;
• leaks or condensation.

Even one reason is enough for unpleasant odors to appear in the bathroom or kitchen. With regard to non-compliance with the rules for installing pipes, this can lead to other factors.

Remember that mixed in various proportions of harmful gases, such as ammonia, methane, hydrogen sulfide, can cause serious harm to human health, lead to poisoning of the body. In addition, compounds of such gases are explosive. That is why it is necessary to eliminate an unpleasant sewer odor immediately.

How to fix sewer problems in an apartment building

It is important to comply with the rules for installing sewer pipes. You can get rid of the smell of them by achieving the correct angle of inclination, which will not lead to clogging of pipes with drains. A small crack in a cast-iron pipe to eliminate the smell from the sewage system in private houses, if there is no possibility of dismantling, it is possible to cover it with a solution mixed only from water and cement.

Important! The slope of the sewer pipe depends on its diameter, and the angle itself must be calculated from the instrument horizon, so only a specialist can effectively remove the smell of sewage.

Installation of sewer pipes must be carried out taking into account the following requirements:

Sewer vapors may enter the apartment due to the fact that pipe connections in the basement or in the riser are not properly connected or damaged. Poor installation work on laying the sewer system can lead to such consequences. In this case, the only sure way to eliminate the smell will be pipe replacementin the riser, or joint sealing.

When installing plumbing, you need to pay maximum attention to the strength of the pipe connection

Odor elimination due to hydraulic shutter problem

A number of sewer problems are associated with a malfunction of the hydraulic locks. They are a water plug located in a siphon and preventing the smell of sewage from entering the apartment. How to get rid of problems with hydraulic locks will help understanding the principle of operation of such a system. The operation of the hydraulic shutter is regulated by the ratio of pressures: atmospheric and directly in the pipes. If for some reason the pressure of the air in the pipes becomes greater than atmospheric, then the hydraulic shutter breaks through and the smell from the sewer is able to penetrate the apartment. There may be several reasons:

• clogging of pipes, which significantly reduces their bore diameter;
• pipes of small diameter were originally mounted;
• deposits formed inside the pipes.

It is important to ensure that the drains overlap the pipe cross section by about 1/3, otherwise, air is rarefied in the sewer system. This leads to drainage and the complete destruction of the hydraulic shutter. Therefore, it will be very difficult to get rid of the smell from the sewer pipe, as it is necessary to thoroughly clean the pipes. It is imperative that you periodically clean the siphon and corrugated pipe, as they are often the cause of stench.

Water always remains in the lower bend of the siphon - this is a water seal

What to do if there is an unpleasant odor in the bathroom

The pipe system in the house is most often located near bathrooms, bathtubs, and kitchens, which provokes the appearance of such a problem as the smell of sewage in the bathroom. The first thing that comes to mind is the use of a wide variety of air fresheners to get rid of the smells of sewage in the bathroom. As practice shows, this method not only does not help remove harmful fumes, but also leads to worsening health problems. The root cause may be the lack of tightness attached sinks, sinks, other plumbing fixtures. There may also be leaks at the places where the sewer pipes are connected. The appearance of odors from the sewer in the bathroom due to leaks is difficult to eliminate if the pipes are embedded in the walls or floor. Implicit leaks can occur if plastic pipes are installed.

Special attention should be paid to siphons - they are most often the cause of stench. They must be present water. If the siphon has not been used for a long time, then the water could dry out in it, if there are problems with pressure - it just left the siphon. In the design of the siphon, various small objects can linger, which, through the carelessness of the owner of the house, can get there. Moreover, decomposition of these items over time can cause an unpleasant odor.

Helpful advice! To eliminate the smell of sewage in the bathroom and in the kitchen, the use of a fine mesh in the sink and bathtub, which will delay various debris, will help.

You can buy such a grid in any hardware store, there are even models of sinks to which they are attached when buying.

Food residues in pipes often cause clogging, so the mesh must be in the kitchen sink

Ventilation problems as a cause of inconvenience

It is possible to suspect that the reason for the penetration of sewer odors into the apartment is ventilation, if such smells appear periodically. Typically, ventilation in homes runs on natural draft. Ventilation can either work inefficiently or be completely absent. In the absence of ventilation, fungi and mold can form on the inner walls of the pipes, creating an unpleasant odor. The issue of lack of ventilation can be solved in two ways:

• cleaning the riser, if its upper part is clogged with various debris (or frozen ice in the winter);
• installing a special fan that will force the circulation of air.

It is also necessary to periodically check independently whether ventilation works. To do this, you need a sheet of paper that needs to be attached to the ventilation pipe. The sheet should not fall, but keep on its own, indicating that there is a stream of air. If it was necessary to consult a specialist for help, he can measure the air flow rate with the device.

Important! The ventilation system must work without fail! It is better to contact a specialized organization to resolve the issue, since the rules prohibit non-specialists in private access to the engineering system of the house.

Features of the sewer system of a private house

The sewer system in a private house is local and very sensitive to the slightest changes and deviations in its work.

The sewerage of a private house has a different design than in a high-rise building, so there are specific reasons for the smell of pipes

This often leads to the rapid appearance and spread of unpleasant odors throughout the house and the question of how to eliminate the smell of sewers. In private homes, the causes of stench can be the same as in the apartment: the presence of leaks in the sewer, improper installation of the system, improper operation of the hydraulic shutter, clogged pipes, poor ventilation.

But there is one reason that is typical for a private house - it is a problem with the septic tank. The fact is that in a private house, the local sewerage system is equipped with a wastewater treatment element (septic tank), in which water settles, followed by post-treatment with bacteria. If, for some reason, the bacteria die, then there is no waste processing and there is a smell of sewage, which must be eliminated.

Bacteria can die:

1. When using strong enough household chemicals.
2. If the pipes and septic tank zones are not deepened into the soil, which should be below the freezing level of the soil, which will prevent freezing of water in the sewer system.
3. With a prolonged absence of effluents, and, as a result, lack of food for bacteria. This situation can occur if there are no owners in the house for a long time.

Other causes of stench in the apartment

There are other reasons for the smell of sewage in the apartment. These include incorrectly organized connection of the washing machine.

The washing machine can become a source of bad smell if it is connected incorrectly to the drain.

In the case when the hose for draining the water of the washing machine is erroneously connected to the sewer system after a hydraulic shutter, then the smells penetrate first into its drum, and then into the bathroom.

Correct is fixing the drain of the machine through a plastic holder to the bathroom or toilet. When making a tie-in into the sewer pipe of the drain hose, it is necessary that the point of penetration is up to the hydraulic lock.

Among other causes of stench, incorrect installation of the corrugated pipe can also be distinguished, as a result of which it can sag or, on the contrary, be very tight. As a result, there is no hydraulic shutter and sewer odors without special obstacles penetrate the apartment and appear in the house.