An unpleasant odor in the house is a sure sign that something is wrong with the sewer system. And it’s good if this is a sign of a local breakdown that can be easily fixed. The smell may also indicate an incorrect design of the discharge pipelines, which can only be corrected by completely re-laying them. Let's find out why the house smells like sewage and how to deal with it.
Problems with public sewerage
The reason why the apartment smells like sewage can be explained very simply - there is a problem with the system. A sign of problems with basement wiring is the presence of odor in apartments on the lower floors and in the entrance. The most common cause is damage to the pipe through which sewage flows into the basement. A clog can also cause an odor, since even a centralized sewer can become clogged due to improper use of plumbing.
You can’t leave everything as it is, because over time there will be not only a smell, but also dampness in the apartments. The structure of the house may begin to deteriorate due to constant exposure to water. Therefore, the accident must be eliminated as soon as possible.
The centralized sewage system of an apartment building is handled by utility companies - this is where the problem needs to be addressed. After fixing the leak, the basement must be ventilated to remove moisture. Sometimes it may be necessary to install a sewer vent valve.
Pipes are frozen
A sewer smell may appear due to severe frosts outside. You will need to check for ice blockages. It happens that ice appears inside, so the opening narrows and the water drains much more slowly. It begins to stagnate there and eventually stinks throughout the entire apartment.
First of all, you need to find the area where the pipe is frozen. You can add hot water along with salt. To prevent the plug from appearing again, you will need to check whether the toilet tank or faucet is leaking. It is best to insulate the pipeline so that such unpleasant situations do not occur.
Problems in apartment sewerage wiring
If the apartment smells like sewage, then you need to determine whether the smell is present throughout the entire area, or just in the bathroom.
In the latter case, the cause of the stench lies in the plumbing of the apartment:
- The appearance of leaks. If the bathroom drainage system is made of cast iron pipes, then perhaps a crack or fistula has formed in some place. This damage can occur in pipes embedded in the floor or wall, so it is often difficult to detect the location of the leak. Such invisible leaks are also possible in plastic pipes.
- If the smell from the sewer in the apartment comes from the bathroom or kitchen, then it is necessary to check the connections of sinks, sinks and other plumbing fixtures for leaks (read also: “Why does the sewer smell in the bathroom, how to get rid of the smell”).
- If it was not possible to find the leak, then the cause of the odor may lie in the siphons. There must be water present in their knee. If the device has not been used for a long time, the liquid may have dried out. If a drain plug was previously installed for debtors, the likelihood of drying out increases.
- A common cause of sewer smell is improper operation of the ventilation system. For example, if the drain pipe is blocked, then the operation of the water seals is disrupted. Therefore, when a significant amount of water is discharged (for example, when flushing a toilet), a vacuum is formed, causing water to leave the siphons. In the absence of water plugs, unpleasant odors can easily penetrate into the room.
- Clogged siphons can also cause a stench. Hair, grease, and soap particles can accumulate in the knee. This garbage begins to decompose and smell unpleasant.
Having found out why the unpleasant odor appeared, you can move on to eliminating it. So, what to do if your apartment smells like sewage?
Repairing water seals to get rid of odor
Each plumbing fixture has a siphon, in the elbow of which there is a water seal - a water plug.
This layer of water is an obstacle to bad odors. For this reason, if there is a stench from the sink or toilet, it can be assumed that the water seals are malfunctioning. Then you can decide what to use to break through the toilet and begin to take active action. Reasons for malfunctioning of the water seal:
- As the pressure in the sewer system increases, air from the pipe can “break through” the water plug. In this case, water usually splashes out of the drain hole noisily. However, the breakdown can be almost unnoticeable, and the gas penetrates into the apartment in the form of small bubbles.
- The cross-section of the pipe is blocked by drains, as a result of which a vacuum of air is observed in the system, which draws air out of the siphon. When the water is drained, the water seal completely disappears, and gases freely penetrate into the apartment.
The cross-section of the pipes is completely filled with drains in the following situations:
- During the installation of the sewer system, smaller pipes were used than required by building codes.
- The pipes have a suitable cross-section, but their clearance has decreased during operation due to blockages or icing. The latter is possible if the pipeline runs through an unheated attic.
- During the process of replacing the sewer system, the pipes were laid without maintaining a certain angle of inclination. Sewage pumps are installed very rarely in apartments, so it is necessary to maintain a slope of 2 centimeters for each meter of pipe, otherwise the drainage will be delayed.
As for how to get rid of the sewer smell in an apartment in this situation, it is necessary to eliminate the narrowing of the pipes.
If the cause is clogged, then they are cleaned, and if they become icy, they are washed with hot water. If the smell comes from the shower stall, this is due to the fact that the corrugated pipe through which the water passes does not have an elbow, so there is nowhere for a water plug to form. In this situation, it is necessary to bend the corrugated pipe into an elbow, fixing this position. If the siphon is damaged, it must be replaced. Dirt accumulated in the siphon can cause an odor. Because of this, corrugated pipes must be periodically cleaned.
Improper installation of communications
If residents who have moved into a new house feel a not-so-pleasant “aroma” in the rooms, perhaps the builders or DIYers made mistakes when installing the sewer system.
Due to violations associated with the laying of pipes - especially non-compliance with the angle of inclination, which is prescribed in the standards, wastewater in the pipes can stagnate, causing a specific odor.
When laying a sewer system, it is important to comply with engineering requirements: all work must be carried out in strict accordance with current regulations
A radical way to get rid of the stench will be a complete replacement of communications with the installation of a new system in strict accordance with technical specifications.
In some cases (when using metal-plastic pipes), the situation can be saved by adjusting tightened pipe connections, replacing gaskets, and installing specially selected sealing collars.
In order to prevent clogging, it is periodically necessary to flush the sewer system, the rules for which will be introduced in our article.
Removing odor caused by clogs
Sewage smell in an apartment often occurs when a blockage forms in the pipes.
In this case, there is only one way out - cleaning the pipes. To prevent this problem from occurring, it is necessary to use plumbing fixtures correctly. All family members, even children, should know that newspapers, rags, vegetable peelings and other garbage should not be flushed down the drain. To avoid blockages, it is recommended to install protective nets on the drain holes in the bathtub and sinks, which will trap various debris, including hair, which is often the cause of severe contamination of pipes.
Smell in the apartment from the washing machine
What should you do if your apartment smells like sewage, but the water seals and pipes are fine?
The reason may be hidden in the washing machine, namely:
- Fungus or mold has formed on the machine elements - in the washing powder tray, in the cuff of the loading hatch.
- Problems with the drain pump. This device often becomes clogged with various debris, for example, fabric fibers, which begin to rot and, as a result, emit an unpleasant odor. A clogged drain hose can also cause a stench, and in this situation it is necessary to clean this element.
Contaminants often form in the machine if washing usually occurs at a low temperature. In this situation, you need to load a special product into the machine that will help get rid of the smell and start the process at maximum temperature.
Preventive measures
Typically, residents of private houses connect sewer structures directly to cesspools. There are three types:
- without bottom;
- sealed;
- septic tank
Not a single pit from the above is immune from silting up and serving as a source of stench. You can clean the structure by various means: with a bucket on a long rope, using a drainage pump, a suction pump equipped with special machines, as well as using sanitary bio-cleaning and chemicals for home cesspools.
Of course, it is safer and more beneficial to use biological products. These can be special powders, tablets or liquid products, but they have a small disadvantage. The composition of bioactivators includes microorganisms that multiply well during the warm period; in winter, the microbes do not work at full strength and do not remove the smell.
Among chemical agents, the best option is all nitrate oxidizers. Ammonium salts and formaldehyde are highly toxic to humans and animals, so it is best not to use them in this situation.
If, after pumping out sewage from the pit and cleaning it, it still stinks, then look for the problem elsewhere. Let us remind you that an obsessive stench can be provoked, for example:
- a drain pipe that was installed in violation of the standards;
- clogged ventilation duct or improperly equipped ventilation system, lack of an exhaust fan;
- clogged sink hole;
- poor cleaning of the siphon or drain.
Restoring ventilation
If the apartment smells like sewage, and the sources of the problem have not been identified, it is quite possible that the reason for this lies in a malfunction of the ventilation system. Homes usually have a natural draft of ventilation.
To check the operation of the ventilation structure, a simple test is carried out - a sheet of paper is applied to the grille.
With normal draft, it will be held by the air flow, in other words, it will simply “stick” to the grille. In the absence of ventilation, mold and mildew form on the walls, resulting in a slight but rather unpleasant odor.
The problem of poor ventilation can be solved in the following ways:
- Clean clogged channels. This work must be performed by specialists. It will not be possible to cope with this task on your own, since poor ventilation is most likely associated not only with blockage near its entrance to the apartment, but throughout the house.
- Create forced ventilation by installing a fan in the existing duct. You can handle this work yourself.
There are many reasons why there is an unpleasant sewer smell in the house. In order to eliminate this problem, you must first determine its source. The appearance of an odor may be due to clogged drains, problems with siphons and “water locks,” as well as problems with leaking pipes in the basement. It is possible to cope with the appearance of an unpleasant stench only if the cause of the problem is discovered, and it can also lie in the apartment plumbing - clogged pipes in the bathtub, sink, shower stall. Some problems, such as cleaning pipes, can be dealt with on your own, but in other situations it is better to turn to plumbers if you do not have the necessary knowledge to replace pipes, fix leaks and solve other similar problems.
