The kitchen is a place where the aromas of delicious food should be in the air, but it happens that right from the doorstep of the house you are greeted by an unpleasant smell, the source of which is the kitchen sink. We'll tell you what to do if there's a smell coming from your kitchen sink.
Not a single air freshener can cope with it, except for the first 5-10 minutes until the smell disappears. To make breathing in the kitchen easy and pleasant, you need to find out the root cause. Find out with the help of our lifehacks, recommendations and video tips where the smell from the kitchen sink comes from and how to eliminate it at home.
Causes of bad odor
Why the kitchen sink smells like sewage is a question that is not posed quite correctly. Often the sink stinks not of sewer gases, but of decaying food debris or for other reasons:
- the siphon is clogged, in which a lot of organic waste has accumulated;
- due to infrequent use of the sink, the water in the water seal has evaporated, and biogas from the sewer pipes freely passes into the room;
- the installation of the siphon was carried out incorrectly, as a result of which the water seal is not able to perform its task;
- deformation of the corrugation, in which the water seal opens the passage to the apartment for odors and gases from the sewer;
- lack of sealing at the entrance of the corrugation to the sewer bed;
- airing of the riser.
Most often, the water seal becomes clogged.
Before you get rid of the sewer smell in the kitchen, you need to localize the source of its appearance and eliminate the cause of its occurrence, otherwise all actions will be in vain. You can constantly fight the consequences, but you won’t get the expected effect; the smell will appear again and again. First of all, you need to find out why the sink smells like sewage, and how to get rid of the smell is the second question.
You should find out whether the water seal is working and what the condition of the siphon is.
There is another possible cause of a bad smell - a crack or hole in the sewer pipe. It allows gases to enter the apartment, but the appearance of such a defect will be immediately noticed due to leaks that have arisen.
The most difficult thing to deal with is the swelling of the riser - here you should not even try to get rid of the problem yourself. You will have to call a plumber, since representatives of the management company must carry out repairs to common property.
Basic methods of disposal
The solution to the problem will depend on the provoking factor. If the cause is determined correctly, then eliminating the unpleasant odor will not be difficult.
Drying humid environments
When purchasing an air conditioner, it is recommended to pay attention to models that have a delay function for turning off the fan after the device has already been turned off. This keeps the evaporator dry and prevents the creation of a high humidity environment and unpleasant odors.
If the air conditioner does not have such a function, then this procedure can be done independently. It is necessary to manually turn on the ventilation for 3-5 minutes and only then turn off the device. If installation is incorrect, you can only get rid of the smell and moisture by reinstalling the system.
Treatment
It is recommended to clean the air conditioner regularly to prevent dirt from accumulating inside the device.
Particular attention is paid to hard-to-reach places - the evaporator, since fungi and bacteria most often accumulate there
Specialists clean these areas using gas and foam. The method is not as effective as manual cleaning, but it helps to cope with the unpleasant odor. The most common means of treatment are gas, foam, liquid antiseptic and hand washing.
Gas
In order for disinfection with this type of antiseptic to give the desired result, preliminary preparation is required:
- turning on air circulation;
- An antiseptic cylinder is activated near the air intake hole and the room is closed for 10-15 minutes;
- airing the room.
This method is considered the simplest and less effective, so you should understand that after some time the device has been in operation, the smell will appear again.
Foamy
In this case, a balloon filled with foam is used, which must be released inside the device onto the ventilation and air conditioning elements. Then the air conditioner turns on, the heating of which causes the foam to expand and penetrate into hard-to-reach places. It will settle within 15-20 minutes.
This processing method is considered more effective than the previous one. The product penetrates inside the device, thereby killing pathogenic microorganisms. But there are cases when this method does not give the desired result.
Liquid
Special products are used to treat the air conditioner with liquid antiseptics. Do not use household chemicals, as they can harm the device. Special solutions help fight fungi and bacteria without harming the elements of the device.
The treatment is carried out with a spray gun, paying attention to the air duct channels and the air conditioning system. Vapors of the product are sucked in through the air intake when the device is turned on.
The solution will be ineffective if you do not first clean the inside of the air conditioner.
Manual flushing
This method is considered the most effective in combating unpleasant odors. The system is completely disassembled and cleaned. This will require professional help. The process will take a lot of time, but the guarantee of achieving the result will be 100%.
Installation of antibacterial filters
A universal solution to the problem is the installation of antibacterial filters. They help fight unpleasant odors and pathogens.
Photocatalytic
This type of filter is considered absolutely safe for humans. It absorbs any organic odors. It is based on titanium dioxide.
Plasma ionizer
The filter is made of metal plates, the voltage between them is several thousand volts. A big plus is that it does not require periodic replacement of internal filters.
Catechin
The filters contain a natural antiseptic - catechin, which prevents viruses from attaching to the surface, as it envelops them. Considered safe and effective.
Folk ways to solve the problem
In any case, if there is a sewer smell from the kitchen sink, you should first try to solve the problem with simpler and more accessible means. There are folk methods for eliminating bad odors that have been used since time immemorial and are quite effective.
Let's look at how to remove the smell from the sewer in the kitchen using improvised means:
- half a glass of salt is poured into the drain hole. After a while, run hot water and flush the sink drain. This method helps dissolve fatty deposits and clean the pipe;
- a more severe method - the same half a glass of salt is poured with vinegar essence and left for a while. The chemical reaction will begin to decompose the fat, reduce the density of the deposit layer and help break through the blockage if it has appeared in the pipe.
- The easiest way is to unscrew the bottom cover of the siphon and clean its internal cavity. I usually use this method first. This is not always possible - some types of exhaust fittings do not have a siphon as a separate unit. Made by a half-loop from a corrugated tube, fixed with nylon clamps. It is impossible to open and clean such a siphon;
- insert a hose into the drain hole and open hot water. The area where the hose connects to the sink outlet must be sealed so that water flows into the sewer and does not splash around. The method is not the most effective, but sometimes it helps to remove simple blockages;
- using a regular plunger. It breaks the density of the blockage and helps break it through with a stream of water;
- A plumbing cable is an effective tool for cleaning sewer pipes and eliminating bad odors.
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The methods are simple and quite effective. The only drawback is that you must have the necessary devices or materials at hand, but for some reason they disappear at the right moment.
Corrugated siphon - will not let in bad odors
What to do if the siphon was installed incorrectly?
When cleaning does not help or gives short-term results, the problem may be in the siphon itself. It may not be installed correctly. Its design is designed so that water is retained and creates a kind of plug that will prevent the smell from entering the apartment. The liquid inside is constantly renewed. With each use, fresh water comes in, replacing the old one.
Sometimes the barrel siphon is installed incorrectly. In this case, the plastic pipe simply does not reach the water due to its fixation. It should go 2-3 cm into the water. Adjust the position to this state and the unpleasant smell from the sink will disappear.
Corrugated siphons stretch over time. This problem can be solved in two ways:
- Buy and install a new one, but this requires an additional budget.
- Wrap with electrical tape and secure in an S-shaped position.
There are such unfortunate plumbers who install the washbasin and bathroom completely incorrectly. Water does not linger in the siphon and immediately flows into the sewer. There are no odor barriers because there is no water plug. Poor installation can also be indicated by rising water in the sink. The only way out is to redo it yourself or use the services of specialists with level hands.
Use of chemicals
Consider the following situation: there is a noticeable sewer smell coming from the kitchen sink, how can you eliminate it if you don’t have any suitable tools or products at hand? There are many chemical drain cleaning products available on the market. They effectively clear blockages, are sold ready-to-use, and are relatively inexpensive. Some household chemicals include:
- Mole remedy . Has the ability to dissolve fat, organic particles, hair;
- Domestos . A powerful tool designed for cleaning toilets, but suitable for any task;
- Tiret . The chemical composition is specifically designed to dissolve organic waste that accumulates in kitchen sink traps;
- " Whiteness ". It contains chlorine, which will help dissolve the plug and eliminate the odor;
- " Odorgon ". An effective odor neutralizer, which, although it will not eliminate the cause of their occurrence, will help get rid of them at least as a temporary measure.
Using these products is easy; the method of use is indicated on the packaging. The effect of application depends on the cause of the odor and the location of its source.
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Recommendations
- Before washing dishes, try to remove all food residues.
- When using chemicals like Mole, remember to ventilate the rooms and flush the pipes with plenty of waste water.
- It is recommended to rinse the hole with hot water after washing dishes.
- At least once a month, for prevention, add soda and vinegar to the drain.
- When choosing a siphon, pay attention to quality and design. Make sure it is easy to clean.
Remember to take preventative measures from time to time and you won't have to deal with unpleasant odors in your kitchen or bathroom.
Other options
In all cases when the sink smells like sewage, what to do in such a situation is decided step by step. Normal procedure:
- carefully inspect the outlet and siphon of the kitchen sink, there may be cracks or holes on them;
- run the water and check how fast it comes out of the sink;
- try to find the source of the odor by walking along the pipeline and determining which area the smell is strongest.
If there are no blockages, water comes out of the sink at a normal speed, but the smell still appears, you should look into the tightness of the sewer. The question often arises: why does air come out of the kitchen sink and smell like sewage? There are two options here:
- excess pressure of gases has been created in the internal volume of the pipelines, which breaks the water seal and escapes into the living quarters;
- During the volley discharge of wastewater, a strong vacuum was created, which broke the water seals inside the sewer system and opened the passage for gases into the apartment or house.
Both options have the same consequences, differing only in the direction of the water seal failure. There is a bad smell from the sewer in the kitchen, how to eliminate it by installing ventilation devices? The solution to the problem of excess pressure will be the creation of a vent pipe, allowing the excess volume of gases to escape into the atmosphere. This must be done by employees of the management company, since the waste pipe is a continuation of the sewer riser. This work requires organizing a passage through the roof, sealing the area and other complex and skilled work.
Installing a ventilation valve will help eliminate the vacuum in the sewer system caused by the volley discharge of water. This element can be installed independently; it is mounted on a horizontal section of the apartment sewer system. The device operates on the principle of a check valve - when a vacuum occurs, the valve opens and lets in air, balancing the pressure in the internal volume of the system. The disadvantage of this option is that the valve only works in one direction, i.e. unable to correct excess pressure. However, in most cases it is the installation of a ventilation valve that helps.
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Relevance of the issue
The smell from the sink is not only unpleasant, substances entering the premises can affect human health. The air entering the room from the sewer system contains harmful gases (ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and methane). The latter substance is especially dangerous; it is impossible to notice its presence, because methane does not emit an odor.
Prolonged exposure to harmful fumes leads to loss of smell and affects the respiratory organs. These gases also affect the nervous system. A person develops a feeling of anxiety, which can lead to nervous breakdowns.
