If sewer stench penetrates into the home, do not panic. Not the fact that a serious problem has occurred in the system. The reasons may be minor. If they are detected on time, it will not be difficult to eliminate the disgusting smell of sewers in a private house.
The main causes of odor from sewers
In high-rise buildings, fetid miasms can spread due to damage to the common sewage network. Residents of private homes, this problem does not apply. But when using autonomous treatment facilities, there is another danger. For example, a sealed septic tank or cesspool is overflowing, and sewage approaches the inlet pipe. It’s easy to cope with a disaster - you need to call a cesspool machine for pumping.
If everything is in order with the sewage treatment plant, the smell is probably caused by other reasons:
- One of the siphons is dry or clogged. In the first case, a problem with a water trap is caused by suction of water from it with rarefied air or evaporation due to long downtime. In the second - the accumulated remains of fat, hair and other organics stink.
- Invisible leaks in pipes or at the joints of trunk nodes. Small cracks exude moisture, which fades out and exudes an unpleasant “aroma”. Most often, leaks are formed due to wear and loss of tightness of gaskets and seals.
- Blockage in the pipeline. It can form in the fan pipe or in the branches of the sewer network. You can detect a problem by a bad drain.
- Poor ventilation system.
All these problems are easy to fix. Worse if the stench occurred due to improper installation of the sewer. For example, the necessary slope was not observed, and sewage stagnates in one of the pipe sections. Too much bias can also lead to the appearance of stench. Rapid advancement of drains leads to the emptying of the hydraulic lock, and sewer gases freely penetrate into the bathroom through a siphon device.
The appearance of “aromas” is explained by the absence of a fan pipe. During the construction of communications in country houses, this important element is often neglected, and as a result, it is impossible to breathe in the toilet.
How to eliminate sewer odor in a private house
First of all, you need to check whether everything is in order with the treatment plant. If there are no problems there, go look for the cause of the stench.
First steps
Check the condition of the hydraulic locks. If you have not used plumbing devices for a long time, just turn on the taps in the bathroom and in the kitchen, lower the toilet bowl several times. The water stream will update the state of the shutters, and the “aromas” will disappear in a couple of hours.
If this does not help, disassemble the siphons themselves, clean them and put them in place. With dirt and mucus, the smell will go away.
Check the washing machine. Fungal and mold growths often occur on the powder and rinse aid tray, sealing elements, and near the drain hole. Those who appreciate delicate washing are especially at risk; slightly warm water does not harm microorganisms at all. If you find dirty and moldy areas - thoroughly wash the machine with antibacterial additives.
Identify violations in the ventilation system is easy. Press the paper sheet against the grate and remove your hand. If it falls down, there is no air flow. It is required to clean the highway. If cleaning does not work, install new pipes. In order to save, you can arrange forced air cleaning.It will be enough to insert a small fan into the hole.
Leak search
If plumbing and household appliances shine clean and function without problems, it might be micro leaks. To detect them, carefully check all visible parts of the highway, focusing on the connecting nodes and joints.
Worn and leaking seals can be replaced without problems. But if a crack arose in the body of the pipe segment, it is dismantled and replaced with a new one, using couplings and fittings. A small crack on a plastic pipe is removed by cold welding. It consists in gluing the breakdown with a special adhesive composition, firmly connecting the plastic elements at the molecular level. Before applying the product, the area should be degreased.
To temporarily eliminate leaks, use compression clamping fittings or “plastering” the holes with cement diluted with water and a pharmaceutical bandage.
Micro-leaks causing stench are formed not only in open sections of the pipeline. Perhaps the damaged segment was hidden behind the frame trim - plasterboard or plastic panel. The problem is identified by external signs: the coating dampens, mold spots form on it. To get to the leak and fix it, the finishing elements are dismantled.
Elimination of blockages
A clogged pipeline is the main culprit in fetid odors. Even a small jam causes big trouble. This problem is identified by poor drainage of the water stream. To remove the blockage, you need to find where exactly the pipe is clogged.
- Check how the water drains in the kitchen. If it’s bad, the mash arose from the sink to the bathroom.
- If the drain is weak in the washbasin and the bath, the cork is in the area from the sink to the toilet.
- If only the toilet stood up, congestion arose in the outlet pipe.
Cleaning is carried out, starting with an extreme plumbing fixture, where there is no fluid drain. Small blockages are eliminated with a plunger. If it does not work out, they usually use a plumbing cable.
If you do not want to mess with mechanical cleaning methods, you can use chemicals. They are of two types - based on acids and alkalis. The former are used to dissolve organics without fatty inclusions. Acid formulations eliminate hair plugs in sink and bath drains. Alkaline reagents break down fatty compounds. They are used to eliminate blockages in the kitchen sink.
Large blockages that are not amenable to home cleaning methods are eliminated by the hydrodynamic method. A special apparatus punches the cork with a jet of water under high pressure.
If you have a home car wash, you can clean it yourself. If not, you will need the help of professionals.
A small blockage is eliminated by folk methods. To do this, use table salt, baking soda with vinegar or caustic soda. The compounds are poured into the drain hole and poured with a copious amount of water. Salt and soda "baths", if done regularly, help get rid of the nasty smell of sewage in a private house, even if the pipes are not clogged, but only covered from the inside with sewage. Do not overdo it with the amount of drugs, two tablespoons are enough.
Constructive problems
If there is no fan pipe, it should be installed. A vertical riser is brought directly to the roof of the house. If you bring it only to the attic, it will not give the necessary traction, and remove the nasty smell of the sewer will not work. The pipe should rise half a meter above the pitched roof, and 30 cm above the flat roof. The riser is connected to the sewer line through a ventilation valve mounted in the socket. You may need to insert a sleeve with an extra hole for this.
Worst of all, if the stench occurs due to improper slope of the pipeline. It remains only to dismantle the sewer and install again.
Preventative measures
In order to avoid blockages and the formation of internal plaque in the pipes, from time to time carry out the prevention:
- Twice a month, pour 10 liters of an aqueous solution of household chemicals into the drain holes, or use folk remedies.
- Clean siphon devices every 30 days.
- Perform routine inspections of the pipeline for leaks.
- Once every six months, clean with a strong compound - specialized or caustic soda.
- Wash the washing machine regularly, drive it out every two months without any items at maximum temperature.
Make sure that the water seal does not disappear. If you are leaving, add engine oil to the hydroinsulator. It evaporates for a long time and prevents drying.
In most cases, it is not difficult to get rid of the stench from the sewer. The main thing is to quickly find the cause of its occurrence.
