Handy tips to deal with bad bathroom odours
If your bathroom is smelling less than fresh, it can be a warning that all is not well with your plumbing. Ignore the pong at your peril because, if neglected, a small plumbing problem that could have been easily rectified may turn into a costly repair job. More importantly, it’s unhealthy to be breathing in these odours. There are a few basic tips to try before calling in your local professional plumber .
The U-bend
Sometimes the source of the odour can be a dried out u-bend. The pipework for your sink and shower incorporates a u-bend, which keeps an amount of water in it to prevent smells and nastiness from returning to your bathroom. If it dries out, possibly from infrequent use, there is nothing stopping bad pongs from floating back up from the waste system. So, in the first instance of a smell from your basin, bath, or shower drain is throw down a couple of buckets of water to refill the u-bend.
Clogs in the pipes
If this doesn’t alleviate the smell, it could be that a residue build-up is the cause. Hair, dead skin, exfoliating gels, and other beauty products used in the bath and shower can stick in the pipework, causing the water to drain away slower and creating a smell. Regularly wash bleach down your plug holes to keep them grease and residue-free, and use a drain cover to prevent hair clogging from occurring. For a sink unit, it can be that the bottle trap underneath is clogged with debris. This can be easily unscrewed and washed out.
Blocked drains
If your drains are blocked, do not immediately resort to a chemical unblocker. The best first resort is to use a plunger or a snake. A snake is a bendy metal strip that can be coaxed down the plug-hole to remove the blockage. If still blocked, and a chemical unblocker is necessary, consider a biodegradable one that isn’t as harsh on the pipes. Always follow the instructions carefully and keep the bathroom well ventilated. Be sure to tell your plumber if you’ve used an unblocker on your blocked pipes as it can be dangerous for them to disturb the chemicals while attempting to fix the problem.
Still smelly?
If your efforts haven’t solved the odour problem, don’t attempt any exploratory expeditions on the plumbing yourself. There are regulations in place with regard to plumbing for health and safety reasons, and you might find yourself with a hefty fine if your handiwork causes damage or a hazard. The blockage may be further down the pipe system, tree roots may have intruded into a cracked pipe, in which case that portion of pipework will have to be cleared and repaired . Back siphonage could have occurred causing wastewater to flow the wrong way. Your plumber will have the necessary equipment to locate the source of the problem and rectify it safely.
Have a number on hand for a reputable local plumber, one that has a 24-hour call-out service, and is happy to offer recommendations from recent satisfied customers. It is good to know who you’d call in an emergency as well as the more routine work.
