Unpleasant Bathroom Odors: Is It the Dreaded Sewer Smell? Don’t let the foul stench of sewage ruin your bathroom experience. Discover the causes of this unpleasant odor and find effective solutions to eliminate it. No more holding your breath while using the sink or avoiding daily grooming tasks. Say goodbye to the ugly sewer smell in your bathroom.
Suffering from a Similar Problem? Say Goodbye to the Unpleasant Sewer Smell!
If you’re dealing with an ugly sewer smell in your bathroom, there’s a simple repair that can eliminate it. The only downside is that it might require some investigative work on your part. Don’t worry, it doesn’t involve physical labor but rather time and effort to identify the root cause.
How does the sewer smell occur in the bathroom?
It’s often due to a poorly installed P-Trap under your sink. The P-Trap is a U-shaped pipe designed to prevent sewer gases from entering your bathroom. One end connects to the drain, while the other end connects to the wall or floor. The water inside the P-Trap acts as a barrier, stopping sewer gas from coming up through the drain and vent under your sink.
Over time, sediment can accumulate in the P-Trap, leading to a buildup of water. When you run water down the sink, some of it goes down the drain, but not all of it disappears. Instead, it overflows from the rim and empties into a container called the “CRAPPER” located under your sink. This CRAPPER holds the excess water until it eventually drains down into the sewer, but unfortunately, it also collects residue from your sink, resulting in an unpleasant odor.
Pro Tips for a Fresh and Clean Bathroom
Many people only notice the issue when they experience that rotten egg smell in their bathroom. If that’s the case, it’s time to take action. Turn off the water, clear out everything from under the sink, and inspect the P-Trap and its overflow tube. You’ll likely find a buildup of hair, toothpaste residue, soap scum, shaving debris, and other unsightly substances clogging the P-Trap.
To address the problem, you’ll need a pair of pliers, C-clamps (or a crescent wrench), and a bucket to catch any water that may drain from the P-Trap or CRAPPER. If you have a metallic P-Trap, you can skip the bucket since there’s no internal buildup.
By closely examining the CRAPPER, you might identify clogged overflow holes obstructed by soap scum and hair. The good news is that cleaning it out should be relatively easy.
Once you’ve gathered the necessary tools and inspected the situation, you’ll be better equipped to tackle the excess water issue in the CRAPPER and restore freshness to your bathroom.
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How to Get Rid Of Sewer Smell In Bathroom?
To get rid of the unpleasant sewer smell in your bathroom, follow these steps:
- Place a bucket underneath and start removing any debris from the inside of the overflow tube and around the water hole on top of it.
- Use pliers or a wrench if necessary to pull out stubborn items, but be cautious not to use anything sharp that could damage the metal.
- Once you’ve cleared the inside, wipe the top surface clean to prevent slipping while using the sink.
- By now, some additional water may have drained into the bucket, catching any remaining contents from the CRAPPER.
- The next step is to replace the P-Trap and CRAPPER together under your sink. There should be a large nut holding them together. Use a wrench to loosen the nut and separate the two parts, setting the CRAPPER aside. You might want to keep it in case you need to replace it in the future.
- Be aware that there should be a washer or rubber gasket on each end of the pipe connecting the two pieces. These may become dislodged during the removal process, so ensure they are properly repositioned when reassembling.
- Take a look at what you have removed from under the sink and compare it to the current state. You might notice that your P-Trap no longer allows water to flow over the top of the tube.
- Additionally, there should be two screws on either side of the P-Trap, holding it together with another pipe coming down from the wall or floor. Screw these in place to connect both pipes securely.
- Now that everything looks good, put all the components back in their proper places and test them out. Make sure everything is tightly in place before removing the bucket and reattaching other sink items.
- Turn on the water slowly to observe when the excess water is released from the CRAPPER within seconds. However, refrain from using the sink just yet.
- Finally, it’s time to reposition the P-Trap where it belongs. Use your wrench to tighten the nut on each end of the P-Trap securely.
- Now, turn on the water and use your sink as you normally would, without any more unpleasant smells emanating from the area.
With these steps, you can enjoy a fresh and odor-free bathroom experience!