Cleaning a Smelly Drain: Doing It Yourself vs. Calling the Experts
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It often happens that you notice a foul smell coming from the drains; this can be from the bathroom, sink, or gutter. It is not normal for your bathroom or kitchen sinks to smell strange. This is also not something anyone would like either but is an issue that several households need to face at some point in time.
There are many reasons why this may occur, however, not everyone knows what causes bad smell from drains?
A blocked drain can cause an extremely bad odor to emit from your home which would be both unpleasant and overpowering. Bad smells of this kind tend to linger.
In most cases, it is possible to get rid of this problem yourself, however, there are times when you will need to call in expert plumbers to fix a smelly drain.
Why do Drains Smell?
There are many reasons why your drains smell. Food scraps, hair, soap particles, grease, and other material like grime and dirt are the main reason for the bathroom and kitchen sink drains to become smelly.
They tend to emit a bad odor since the accumulated dirt will attract bacteria and cause the bad smell. If there is a growth of mold, there is likely to be a musty odor due to the moisture. Mould will release tiny puffs of gas that will cause a bad smell. Some of the other reasons for a smelly drain include:
- The vents pipes play a crucial role in allowing bad odour to be released from the plumbing system; however, if these are clogged it will result in stagnant odour that will be apparent through your drains.
- The rotten egg smell we often encounter is the mix of sulphates in the water heater with sulphate-reducing bacteria.
- Structural problems like water leaks, rotten pipes and old pipes can also lead to bad odour.
- Tree roots penetrating the plumbing system will lead to blockage of the pipes and smelly drains.
- Break in the sewer pipes that are responsible for draining the waste from your house to the main municipal system will result in bad odours and gurgling sounds.
How to Get Rid of Smelly Bathroom Drains?
- Pour hot water down the drain to loosen the gunk; follow this by pouring half a cup of baking soda and allow it to rest. Hot water and baking soda will do the trick and help erode the grime.
- Pour a cup of vinegar and boiling water down the sink; this will create a chemical reaction that loosens the debris. Allow this to happen for up to 10 minutes and clear it with another cup of boiling water. This will usually work the first time, if not you can repeat it.
- Use boiling water and vinegar by pouring down the drain and wait for some time. Rinse the sink with cold water and then again pour the mix of vinegar and hot water.
- Mix baking soda with hot water and create a paste and allow it to take effect. Scrub the drain with the help of an old toothbrush after 10 minutes. Follow up by pouring boiling water down the drain. Finally pour a cup of water with baking soda.
Benefits of Trusting the Professionals
A professional drain cleaning plumber has the expertise to fix the issue of foul-smelling drains. In fact, at times, it is not a quick fix and it is essential to call the professionals.
In some cases, the reason for the bad smell may be plumbing issues while in other cases it might be tough to remove. Either way by calling a plumber to rectify this situation you can be sure you will get rid of the smelly drain.
