Have you arrived home to your beloved abode only to discover that it absolutely stinks? If it’s coming from the drain, the offensive odour invading your nostrils is hydrogen sulphide, produced when bacteria feasts on the gunk that is bunging up your plumbing pipes. And apart from just stinking up a storm, those smelly drains can actually give you a headache, make you feel weak, irritate your eyes and upset your stomach.
Your smelly drains may also be caused by:
- Rotting food
- The growth of mould
- Sewer/pipe venting problems
- Leaks, corrosion and other plumbing problems
- Drain flies
- Tree roots & more.
How to stop a smelly drain
If your drains stink, it’s important to restore tranquillity and health to your home as soon as possible – and you might even get away with not having to call your friendly local Sydney plumber! Why not try one, some or all of the following:
1. Baking soda
You may already know that baking soda mixed with vinegar is great for fizzing up a storm and unblocking your sink or bath drain. The even better news is that the chemical reactions also neutralise those foul odours, so:
- Pour your mix down the drain
- Seal the drain with the plug for 15 minutes
- Flush with almost-boiling water.
2. P-trap re-fill
It’s possible the problem is an empty P-trap, whose job is to contain a pocket of water that acts as a barrier between your nose and those foul and toxic pipe gases. Re-filling it is as easy as running the tap for a while, but an empty P-trap alone only really explains smelly drains that have been inactive for some time.
3. Try bleach
Another effective smelly drain deodoriser is bleach – and concocting the remedial brew is really easy. Just fill the sink, drop in a full cup of bleach, and carefully let the brew drain at the speed of gravity. Another potential drain deodoriser is mineral oil, but unlike bleach, this won’t actually also help to loosen up the clog or the stinking debris.
Stop smelly drains by preventing them
The best way to cure stinking drains, of course, is to ensure that they never even stink in the first place – and that will require some easy and regular maintenance before you even encounter this foul-smelling problem. So every month or so, try:
- Pouring an almost-boiling kettle of water down the drain
- Pouring a preventative baking soda plus white vinegar mix down there
- Keep any garbage disposal units clean & clear
- Using a strong commercial drain cleaner
- Turning on any and all unused taps at your place.
Also avoid pouring any oils, fats and chunky food scraps down your drain, and consider at least an annual drain inspection and professional drain cleaning by your friendly local plumber.
We know how to stop drains from smelling
It’s also possible that your drain is already too clogged and potentially even damaged by your stinky problem – or that the issue was caused by a pre-existing plumbing problem that now needs some urgent attention. If that sounds like it may be the case at your place, or you just want a professional to deal with and deodorise your foul-smelling drains, the friendly and fully-licensed team at Rapid Service Plumbing will be delighted to assist.
We are the 24 hour emergency plumber service Sydney really trusts, so to remove that peg from your nose and deal with your smelly drains and much, much more, give Rapid Service Plumbing a call right now.
