How to get rid of the sewage smell in the bathroom?

What could be the reasons?

Before embarking on active actions, you should understand the reason for the smell of sewage in the bathroom - why it lasts constantly or appears periodically.

1. Incorrect installation of the sewer system... Even if the apartment has a separate bathroom, laying sewer pipes requires certain knowledge and skills. For example, under each drain there must be a siphon with a water seal. The slope is no less important: for each meter of the wall, the sewer pipes should slope by 1.5-3 cm (depending on the diameter). If this is not taken into account, water simply will not be able to efficiently remove impurities.
2. Ventilation problems... If the outflow is poor, the air will stagnate, which will lead to the appearance of a sewer smell in the bathroom.
3. Sewer pipe blockage... If an unpleasant smell appeared unexpectedly, and the water from the sink or bath began to leave worse, the pipeline should be cleaned. It is likely that trapped debris is the cause of the fumes.
4. Depressurization of joints... Stinks from any corner? Smell the sewer pipes located in this place - perhaps an unpleasant smell from the sewer in the bathroom appeared due to the wear of the gasket or a loose seal.

Important! If in doubt about your skills, call a professional plumber. A specialist will quickly find the cause and help you cope with the unpleasant odor.

Eliminate unpleasant odor

Once the reasons for the odor have been found, removing the odor is just a technical challenge. Let's see how to get rid of each problem separately.

Correction of ventilation

To begin with, make sure that the smell of sewage in the bathroom comes from here: bring a lighted match or lighter to the ventilation hole. Has the flame gone out or changed direction towards the duct? The ventilation is ok! Nothing happened? We pass to point number 2.

If the apartment is in an old housing stock (especially for low-rise buildings before the 80s), start by completely cleaning the exit. Debris, dust and dirt often accumulate there - removing them can solve the problem with air outflow.

To remove the unpleasant odor for sure and never again remember about the problems with air circulation, experts advise installing a forced ventilation system. For this, electricity is supplied to the output and a fan is installed, which can be turned on together with the main light or have an independent electric drive.

See instructions for installing forced ventilation:

Sealing joints

Determining the source of sewer odor due to small cracks or loss of joint insulation is not an easy task. The only way to understand where the stench comes from is to connect your sense of smell and examine all the sewer pipes in the bathroom. Risers, the junction of the fan pipe (if bathroom combined with toilet), drainage system for bathtubs, shower stalls and sinks.

If the cause is found, the section is completely changed or at least the gaskets are renewed. Is it still unclear where the smell comes from? Go through all doubtful places with a sealant - perhaps this will help correct the situation.

For more sealing tips, see the video:

Pipe cleaning

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Exists two ways to clean sewer pipes:

Mechanical

To do this, use a cable, plunger or other specially designed device. There are also methods with a film - they work on the principle of a plunger, when the blockage is cleared with a vacuum.

The toilet bowl is recommended to be cleaned if the conditions of use are violated: flushing hygiene products, rags, towels, debris. The bathroom drain is usually clogged with hair, which is easiest to remove with a special cable.

Chemical

In this case, a special agent must be poured or poured into the drain, wait for the time indicated on the package, rinse with water. Chemistry literally dissolves the cork and removes the blockage without a vacuum or plumbing cable.

Most popular remedies:

• Tiret... The main component is chlorine, getting into the sewer, disinfects and removes debris. Additional surfactants fight fat, so they are effective not only in the bathroom, but also in the kitchen. 250 ml of gel is poured into the drain, wait 20 minutes and washed off with boiling water.
• Mole... The active ingredient is sodium hydroxide. The method of application is the same: pour 250 ml, wait 1-2 hours (depending on the severity of the blockage), rinse with warm running water.

There are also special agents that dissolve hair, with a disinfectant effect, etc.

A plumber will tell you about clearing a strong blockage:

Prevention recommendations

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How to seal the joint between the bathroom and the wall? 8 popular choices

In order not to think about how to eliminate sewage odors in the bathroom, observe preventive measures:

• Trust the work only to professional plumbers, whose experience and knowledge you are sure of: they will set the required slope of the sewer pipes, seal the joints, and check for the presence of water locks. A properly installed system will not cause problems with blockages or odors in the future.
• Carry out regular (once every 2-3 months) cleaning the sewage system with boiling water, soda or other gentle substances.
• Do not throw foreign objects down the toilet: only toilet paper and flushable sleeves.
• Leave the door open after taking a bath. High temperature and humidity are ideal environments for fungus and mold growth. Even if the extractor hood is working in the bathroom, it will not hurt to open the door for 30-60 minutes.
• Install filter nets - thanks to them, most of the garbage will not be allowed to go down the drain, but simply thrown into the bucket.
• Flush the siphon as soon as you notice that the water is getting worse.
• Get rid of leaks, cracks and other troubles in time. In the case of sewer pipes, you cannot wait - the longer the problem exists, the more difficult it will be to solve it.

Take the necessary measures or seek professional help immediately as soon as you discover an odor problem. Constant inhalation of ammonia and methane can lead to nervousness, irritability and other more serious health problems.