Sewer smell in the toilet: an overview of possible causes and solutions
The unpleasant smell of sewage in the toilet quickly spreads outside the bathroom, creating discomfort for the residents of the apartment or house.Modern air fresheners and room ventilation are not able to solve this problem.
The appearance of an unpleasant aroma is a consequence of some kind of problem. Therefore, in order to get rid of the smell, it is necessary to determine the cause of its occurrence and take urgent measures to eliminate it.
You will learn everything about ways to find the cause of negative odors and methods to combat them by reading the material presented. We have analyzed in detail and systematized both the prerequisites for their occurrence and ways to eliminate them. The information is complemented by visual photo and video applications.
The content of the article:
What to do if an unpleasant odor appears?
A bathroom is a necessary sanitary and hygienic room in every apartment, which requires special care. If residents comply with sanitary requirements, there should be no foreign odors in the toilet, including the smell of sewer gases.
In order to eliminate the unpleasant smell of sewerage that spreads to other rooms, you should first identify the cause of its appearance.
With gases from the sewer, not only pathogenic organisms can penetrate into the room, but also various harmful substances - hydrogen sulfide, sulfur oxide, ammonia, mercaptan and others.
Inhaling these gases is dangerous for humans and can harm their health. Therefore, if a sewer odor occurs, it is necessary to immediately identify the source of its occurrence and correct the problem.
The first thing that home owners who have no idea about the operation of the sewer system usually do is use air fresheners.
Modern aerosols have a variety of aromas that can briefly overcome the unpleasant smell of sewerage, but they are not able to eliminate it.
Possible causes of the smell are the flow of gases from the drain hole of a certain or several plumbing fixtures.
Quite often a disgusting “aroma” appears in the bathroom due to clogged devices or improper installation of plumbing equipment. However, there are other options for the occurrence of unpleasant odors.
Problems with the operation of the water seal
Most often, the smell of sewage appears in the bathroom if for some reason the water seal stops functioning normally.
Siphons installed under plumbing equipment have a water plug that acts as a barrier to gases emanating from the sewer pipes. If the plug is missing for any reason, then gases freely penetrate into the toilet, spreading an unpleasant odor.
The trap is located under the main plumbing fixture of each toilet - the toilet. It is made in the form of a curved pipe in which a certain amount of water accumulates. The water seal acts as an effective barrier to unpleasant sewer odors.
If significant malfunctions occur in the operation of the siphon, a constant sewer smell will be observed in the apartment.Let's consider the main reasons why the siphon ceases to perform barrier functions.
Problem #1 - incorrect installation of the siphon
Mistakes made when installing a water seal can lead to the appearance of a bad smell from sewer gases.
Suppose that during the installation of a bottle-type siphon, the pipe outlet was installed too high. In this case, gases from the sewer will pass on top of the water plug, which is why the siphon will not be able to fully function.
To fix the problem, the outlet pipe must be moved - it should be located 2-3 centimeters below the water level.
Problem #2 - drying out of the water plug
If any plumbing fixture has not been used for a long time, the water plug may dry out. As a result, sewer gases will freely penetrate into the toilet.
In this case, fixing the problem will not take much time and effort. It is necessary to ensure the flow of water so that the water seal elbow is completely filled.
If you plan to leave your home for a long time, it is recommended to pour a little vegetable oil into the drain. The film will reduce the rate of water evaporation and increase the time period, due to which the water plug will not dry out quickly.
Problem #3 - stretching of corrugated pipe
When using plastic siphons with a corrugated pipe, a bad odor may occur due to the fact that the corrugation has sagged over time.More often this happens when not special clamps are used to secure the knee, but electrical tape or regular tape.
To fix this problem, you need to put the corrugation in the correct position and secure it with a clamp.
Problem #4 - incorrect installation of corrugation
An unpleasant sewer smell in the toilet may indicate that installation rules were violated corrugated water seal. We are talking about bending to form a siphon.
If the installation of plumbing is carried out by an inexperienced specialist, he may not know that the corrugated pipe should be bent with an elbow and then fixed in this position. Sometimes the bend of the corrugation is made insufficient.
To correct an installation error, it is necessary to bend the corrugated pipe to the required configuration. After this, you need to secure the corrugation with a special clamp made of plastic. To ensure the installation is successful, it is recommended to use the services of a specialist.
Problem #5 - siphon clogging
The reason for the unpleasant aroma of sewer gases in your toilet may be a simple clog. sanitary siphon. The waste settles in the siphon elbow and begins to decompose, releasing a foul odor.
If the water seal becomes clogged, it must be washed. You can use cleaning chemicals that are sold in household chemical stores. In some cases, mechanical cleaning of the water seal is necessary.
In practice, corrugated siphons clog more often. This is explained by the fact that they have a folded surface on the inside of the plastic pipe. This design feature of the corrugation helps retain debris, grease, waste and other waste. In order to wash the corrugated siphon, it must be completely dismantled.
Stable operation of siphons through which plumbing fixtures are connected to the sewer system will be ensured by installing a vacuum valve:
Other types of problems
If no problems are identified with the water seal, then you will have to carefully inspect the room, paying attention not only to the sewer system, but also to ventilation and other nuances.Let's try to understand in more detail what exactly can cause the stench.
Reason #1 - clogged sewer pipes
To successfully remove clogged pipes installed in the bathroom of an apartment or house, it is enough to purchase a special chlorine-containing product.
To effectively clean sewer pipes in bathrooms and bathrooms, products from leading manufacturers are most often used: Domestos, Deboucher, Tiret or Mole.
The drug is poured into the sewer pipe for a certain period of time. Due to the effective action of modern household products, the blockage usually disappears and the normal functioning of the plumbing fixture is restored. If a household chemical does not clear the pipe, then you need to call a plumber.
Reason #2 - installation errors of the sewerage system
The reason for the poor functioning of plumbing equipment can be not only problems with the siphon. The reason for the narrowing of the lumen in the pipe may be a clogged sewer. Methods sewer pipe cleaning are described in detail in the article we recommend.
In this case, cleaning of the pipeline is required. Mistakes made during the installation of the sewer system lead to breakdowns and drying out of the water plug.
In some cases, when installing plumbing equipment, pipes of small diameter are used that do not comply with building codes.
For normal operation of the sewer system, it is necessary that the cross-section of the pipe is not completely blocked by drains, otherwise a vacuum will arise in the pipeline, which will lead to the failure of the installed water seal.
Clogging fan pipe - a common cause of failure of normal plumbing operation. This element is installed on the roof of the building and is designed to equalize the pressure in the installed sewage system.
The sewer pipe may become clogged (for example, it is blocked by a plug of ice in winter), as a result of which a vacuum occurs in the sewer system.
Every time water is flushed (for example, when using a toilet flush tank), the siphons are broken and gases penetrate into the room. To eliminate the cause of the smell, you need to clean the pipe.
Reason #3 - violation of system tightness
The reason for the appearance ofanalysis odor may be a violation of the tightness of the pipe or connections. It should be noted that it is not always possible to quickly detect the location of the leak.
Sometimes hidden pipes are installed in the bathroom, which makes it difficult to find the problem. Drainage slowly flows out from the leak and causes mold growth and an unpleasant odor.
A plumbing leak may be in the most unexpected place. For example, it is quite difficult to detect a leak in a floor slab. The most common cause of leakage and the appearance of a strong sewer smell in the toilet is a loose connection between the corrugation and the drain pipe.
Having discovered this defect, it is necessary to urgently replace the corrugation, as well as restore the mandatory tightness of the pipe joint. If there are leaks in the connection between the sewer pipe and the siphon, it is necessary to use a sealant.
A layer of silicone will reliably protect the area where the elements of plumbing equipment meet from leaks.
Reason #4 - poor ventilation
Water is used daily in the toilet and bathroom, so there is increased air humidity in these rooms. To successfully combat this phenomenon, it is mandatory to install ventilation system.
Most apartment buildings use a natural exhaust system, but it does not work effectively in every case.
In order to check how well the installed ventilation system works, you should carry out a simple test. You need to take a sheet of paper and bring it to the ventilation. If it works well, then the leaf will be pressed against the grille.
If a paper sheet falls on the floor, the ventilation system is not working properly and requires cleaning.
In some cases, cleaning the ventilation ducts does not bring the desired result, then the need arises for the construction of forced ventilation.
Additional equipment is usually installed in the opening for natural ventilation.The second fan is turned on as needed - when using the bathroom.
To avoid ventilation problems, it is necessary to clean the ventilation openings as often as possible. For better air exchange, it is better to install a hood equipped with a check valve.
Reason #5 - incorrect pipe installation
It happens that a strong sewer smell appears in the toilet or bathroom almost immediately after moving into a new apartment or house. In this case, the cause of the stench must be sought in an improperly installed sewage system.
Today, there are specific standards for laying sewer pipes that must be observed during installation. If there is a breakdown in the sewer, you will have to re-install the pipeline, which will entail considerable costs.
Improper use leads to stagnation of wastewater and the appearance of a persistent foul odor. location of sewer pipes, or rather, failure to comply with the optimal angle of inclination.
The error can only be corrected by dismantling the system and installing sewer pipes at the right angle. You will learn about the angle at which sewer pipelines should be laid from our article.
If plastic elements are used, it is necessary to repair pipe connections that are not tightly tightened. It is enough to install sealing cuffs or change gaskets.
Nowadays, home owners prefer to carry out the construction of buildings themselves. In this case, in order to avoid misunderstandings, it is better to entrust the development of a utility network project and the installation of a sewer system and plumbing equipment to specialists.
Reason #6 - failure to comply with hygiene rules
The owner of any residential premises must understand that one of the most common causes of unpleasant odor in the bathroom is failure to comply with hygiene rules.
The cause of the stench may be untimely flushing of waste products and infrequent washing of plumbing equipment.
To care for the plumbing in the toilet, it is enough to follow simple sanitary requirements and regularly wash the toilet with special products. They effectively kill germs, eliminating the causes of bad odors in the bathroom.
In the modern market of household products, disinfectants have proven themselves to be excellent: Domestos, Toilet duck, Dosia, Oda, Cillit Bang, Comet.
Toilet odor removal products
Before finding out the cause of the sewer smell in the bathroom and eliminating the breakdown, it is recommended to use special household productswhich will temporarily eliminate the unpleasant odor:
- Air refreshing automatic aroma dispenser or aerosol.
- Sticker strips or blocks that are attached to the toilet.
- Flavored tablets for toilet cistern.
Special care products are used for country houses and cottages. country toilets and behind cesspools.
The preparations contain bacteria that help quickly process all the contents of the toilet, eliminating the unpleasant smell of the sewer. The most commonly used brands are: Sanex, Bioforce Septic, Septic Shock.
No. 1 - microspray and aroma dispenser
Both products are attached to the wall of the bathroom. Their difference is that microspray releases the aroma after pressing it, and aroma dispenser allocates it automatically throughout the day. In this case, the aroma is supplied after a certain period of time and in measured quantities. Popular brands include: Glade, Airwick.
Alternative option - gel air freshener. It can be attached to the wall of the bathroom or placed on a shelf. It deodorizes the room with pleasant aromas for 60 days.
All of the above remedies superficially and temporarily solve the problem of unpleasant sewer odor in the toilet, but they are not able to kill germs, remove dirt and eliminate the cause of the stench.
No. 2 - flavored tablets for the tank
An effective way to get rid of sewer odor is flavored tablets. They go down into the toilet cistern.
After each flush, the tablet refreshes the bathroom with a pleasant aroma, effectively disinfects it and prevents the appearance of urinary stone and rust on the walls of the toilet.
Scented tablets used in toilet cisterns can turn water green or blue.
In the modern household chemicals market, high-quality products from the following brands are especially popular: Fresh, Rio, Snowter, Bloo, Liara.
No. 3 – sticker strips and blocks
To eliminate odors in the toilet, blocks and sticker strips that are glued to the toilet are often used.They deodorize the air and have antiseptic properties, helping to fight harmful bacteria. When in contact with water, they provide pleasant freshness in the room.
Hanging blocks with a refreshing gel are effective in combating unpleasant odors. They perform several functions at once: they deodorize the air, wash and disinfect the toilet. The blocks are easy to refill and are designed for 100 flushes. Most Popular: Domestos, Bref, Toilet duckling.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
Some useful tips on how to get rid of unpleasant toilet “aroma”.
You need to understand that if an unpleasant sewer smell appeared in the bathroom once, it will soon appear again. Therefore, this problem cannot be left to chance, but must be solved. Timely repair of the breakdown will save your time and money.
Do you have a special method for combating negative “odors” emitted by the sewer system? Do you want to tell us about an effective method or do you disagree with the information presented? Please write comments in the block below.
In our house, the bathroom and toilet are located separately (in different rooms). Our problem is that feces from the toilet, when flushed, goes into the bathroom and sometimes comes out so that it can even push out the plug in the bathroom. What to do in such a situation? Also, before it rains (I don’t know what the weather outside has to do with it), we often get a stink in the bathroom. Why could this be?
Valera, in bathrooms the toilet should be the last thing, after the bathtub and washbasin.From the bathtub and washbasin there is a sewer pipe with a diameter of 50 mm, and after the toilet - 100 mm. Apparently your bathtub is located after the toilet.
We had such a problem when workers were changing something on the roof, they dropped a brick into the riser and it just stood up at the exit.
The sewer is 100% clogged, the water does not have time to drain, especially this happens in an apartment on the 1st floor, call a plumber, or clean it yourself.
Unfortunately, the fact that feces go into the bathroom when flushed is pure truth, and not my imagination. The text is competent and useful, I was hoping to receive the same answer on what should I do. And the fact that you don’t have something like this in your house, you’re very lucky, but we’ve been suffering for years now, and they called us in to change the pipes. Thank you for your attention, there is no need to answer, I already realized that no one will help us solve our problem, I’m not going to argue, I’m not interested. I just wanted to say that such nightmares do exist.
Thanks for the truth! We are with you!
Hello, Valera! The fact that you have such a problem indicates the complete incompetence of those who changed your pipes. Yes, you are good too! Saved! Now everything needs to be redone. Otherwise the problem cannot be solved. Just this time, call the plumbers. It will be odorless and guaranteed.
Valera, hello, I have 2 options:
1. You do not have a common sewer system, but an autonomous septic tank. Let's say that you have 2 drain pipes that are not combined. The sewer pipe goes above the pipe from the bathroom. The septic tank is filled to its last capacity and now, under water pressure, when the toilet is flushed, water is pushed into the bathroom drain pipe.
2.Incorrectly designed drainage system for the general sewer system. Which confirms your statement about replacing pipes. The solution is to urgently call a quality specialist and have the system checked/replaced; after all, you are essentially breathing poison.
The Smeloff product (on the SmellOff label) helped me. The smell disappears instantly. It is easy to use, it is important that it is absolutely safe for health and does not cause harm to pets.
We also encountered this problem when we moved to a new apartment. A terribly inconvenient and unpleasant situation that caused discomfort and was noticeably annoying. We tried all the air fresheners, nothing helped get rid of this smell. They changed the plumbing, cleaned the pipes and everything seemed to be back to normal. It’s even better if the bathroom has good ventilation.
Of course, humanity has come up with many sprays and disinfectants, but if the smell comes from the sewer into the house, you need to look for the cause. No aerosol can save you. Maybe the pipe is leaking or the corrugation has come loose somewhere. You need to carefully inspect everything and then fix it. You need to start with the toilet, the corrugation usually sags, inspect all the siphons and be sure to check the ventilation.
Hello. The reason for the appearance of odor from the sewer, if the pipes are designed correctly, is also the discharge of the water seals. In the usual state, unpleasant “odors” are cut off by the water that remains in the siphon, but if there is a significant drainage of water, sometimes these seals are pushed through. The problem can be solved by installing an air sewer valve that stabilizes the system pressure.
Good afternoon.An unpleasant smell appears and then disappears, especially in the morning in the toilet, sometimes in the bathroom. The plumbing has been changed, nothing has been done. Siphons checked, no leaks. But the smell is terrible, we live on the 9th floor.
The fan pipe has already been extended as much as possible on the technical floor. The ventilation was cleaned by specialists from the roof. We can't understand what the reason is. The smell is not constant in the morning or early in the evening. Harsh and unpleasant. What is the problem? Tell me where to go?
Is this problem occurring only in your apartment or in everyone on the floor? Have your neighbors above or below complained about an unpleasant smell? This will make it possible to understand the size of the problem: is it local or global. Since you write that the smell appears only early in the morning or evening, this leads to certain conclusions! Odors appear only during periods of maximum load on the sewer system (everyone goes to work in the morning, everyone is home again in the evening).
Most likely, there are general problems in the ventilation system, which cannot cope during periods of maximum load. Or there is a blockage that makes itself felt in the mornings and evenings. In any case, you need to leave a written request to your management company; if you are not the only one with problems, then do it collectively so that the issue is resolved faster.
Yana, hello, I had a similar case when replacing a toilet: it began to smell terribly of sewerage. The reason was simple, although it was not easy to find: “respected” Chinese manufacturers of expensive plumbing fixtures added to the design one small hole from the toilet outlet drain pipe into the cavity under the flush tank.
A normal plumber would never even think of such a reason.But I’m not a plumber, I found it, sealed it with silicone sealant - and everything went away. And this is not a one-time defect. I checked in the store: all toilets are more expensive than 15,000 rubles. with such a defect.
I had to remove the toilet and do a full inspection to look for everything unusual and incorrect in its structure. And when I found 3 strange holes, I stuck the wire there. I didn’t go into 2 holes, but through the third I got out under the tank. Business for half an hour. But I'm all on my own. And if you call a plumber, I don’t even know.
6th floor of a nine-story building. After six years, the smell of sewage appeared in the toilet. Plastic pipes. All joints have been sealed, the toilet has been cleaned, the corrugation has been changed, the riser from the ninth floor has been cleaned, and the ventilation has also been cleaned. But the smell comes from the toilet and the water there is yellowish in color. Three plumbers watched. We changed the siphons in both the kitchen and bathroom, but the smell remains. I don’t even know what to do or who to contact.
Good afternoon! I ask for advice! I have been living in a wooden 2-apartment building for 30 years. For the last two years, a fetid, acrid, rotten smell has very often appeared from the toilet - it lasts for 3-4 days, permeating everything. The sewer system is shared with the neighbors and runs into my basement - the drains further down the pipe go into the well the receiver is located 1 meter from the foundation of the house - it goes further through the sewer pipes to a common septic tank at the end of the street (residents live on the street of 10 houses), the sewerage is pumped out in a timely manner, so our well is always empty (I live at the beginning of the street). The apartment is privatized, I live in 1.The number of residents of the neighbors has increased by 12 people over the years. I cannot determine the reasons for the stench - over all the years of residence it appeared rarely and briefly, but now very often and for a long time. The neighbors do not provide assistance in eliminating or finding the causes. I decided to install a new individual sewer system - dismantle the current one - cut off the neighbor's sewer system - don't give permission to the neighbors to tie into my new one - let them do it in their basement - making a connection to an existing street well. Am I doing the right thing?? I think that the basement is my private property - and someone else's there should not be a sewerage system in it. And the problems that arise with my water pumping station - I will solve them myself - and not as they are now - problems of a general nature - and they do not take part in eliminating them)
I am adding to my comment - apartments were allocated in Soviet times on a budgetary basis and the housing and communal services always took measures to resolve issues and troubleshoot problems. Since housing has been privatized at present, they have avoided this - declaring, our affairs are only up to the foundation, and inside it is yours - and fix everything yourself))). Having now contacted them, I received advice - that I have the right to cut off the neighbor’s sewerage system in my basement. The sewer well on the street is functioning - within 1 meter of accessibility from the foundation - let them install their own sewer - and dig it out and bury it drain pipe into the well.. Having examined the existing sewage system in the basement, they said that most likely in the place of the neighbor’s tie-in connection - the correct installation was not made further than the continuation of the sewage pumping station, and in this place there is stagnation. And after 30 years the pipes themselves require replacement (they are plastic) maybe all the same, waste and fecal matter stick to the walls and salting and contamination occurs .. That's why I decided to replace the pipes, all by making a new installation of only my water pumping station and disconnecting the neighbors. True, this path will most likely have to be taken through the court and the prosecutor's office. they will complain - they currently live in peace - their neighbors do everything for them regarding the required work on general communications at home. Therefore, I ask for advice, should I do this or is there another option for eliminating these stench, which are already affecting health??????? I will be very grateful for the advice!!!!!
In cold weather (minus 25C and below), freezing (clogging) of the vent riser on the roof of an apartment building occurs. This is also the reason for the appearance of odors in the bathroom of the apartment. You need to submit applications to the dispatch service of the housing department, REU!