The kitchen is the place where the very magical processes take place, as a result of which culinary delights appear on our table. These processes are regular, so we are faced with the constant presence of waste, while it is here that cleanliness and sterility should reign.
First of all, we react to an unpleasant smell, the presence of which is evidence of the decomposition of waste and requires prompt intervention. Mechanical methods of cleaning the sewer system, home tools and household chemicals can help with this. There is a more radical way - grind up food waste. All of them have the right to life, and we will describe each of them so that you can choose the right one.
Why does the sink smell?
Before proceeding with the elimination of an unpleasant smell in the kitchen, we must find out the reason that led to its appearance. So, most often the smell from the sink appears for the following reasons:
- Clogged siphon. Leftover food and other wastes get here, which quickly begin to decompose. In this case, the problem is solved simply: you need to disassemble the siphon, clean it, or install a new one. Choose siphons that are easier to maintain.
- Irregular use of the sink. It can also cause an unpleasant odor, in which case the siphon will again be the culprit. True, the reason will not be in the remnants of food, but in the fact that there will be no water in the siphon, which is a water seal. With prolonged downtime, the water from the water seal evaporates and unpleasant odors freely exit the sewer system to the outside. By the way, the idea with a water seal came to the Scottish mechanic A. Cummings back in the 19th century, who created an S-shaped pipe for sewage.
- Siphon incorrectly assembled. Another reason for bad odors. Installing a siphon is a simple procedure, but we recommend that you study the assembly sequence before starting it.
- Insufficient sealing. Violation of the tightness between the riser and the corrugation (corrugated tube) can be one of the causes of an unpleasant odor. This situation occurs if the diameter of the inlet of the drain is larger or smaller than the outer diameter of the corrugation. You can eliminate this cause with the help of rubber bands or adapters.
- Corrugated pipe wear. In this case, wastewater may stagnate in the sagging part of the corrugation or flow out, due to which there will be no water seal in the system.
Bad smell from sink overflow
The source of unpleasant odors can be not only a drain, but also a small hole on the vertical wall of the sink, which is called overflow. In this case, the reason may be:
- Errors in the installation of the overflow tube, as a result of which the water stagnates in it, resulting in an unpleasant odor.
- Incorrect connection of the tube to the outlet of the sink, which also causes stagnation of water.
Is the smell from the sewer system harmful?
The smell of rotting food can cause health problems. As a result of the decay processes that take place in the siphon, gases harmful to the body are released. They can cause headaches, allergic reactions.
The emitted gases may contain hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, methane. At a certain concentration, such substances have an extremely negative effect on the nervous system and respiratory organs.
Express diagnostics in the presence of an unpleasant odor
Let's try to get rid of the unpleasant smell on our own. For this:
- Test the operation of the sink by running hot water under high pressure and letting a large volume of it pass through. If the water leaves quickly, and the smell remains the same saturated, try cleaning the system with chemicals.
- If after such cleaning the problem has not disappeared, inspect the siphon and pipe for damage, leaks. Elements of the sewer system must be dry, without cracks. Replace gaskets if necessary.
- If the water goes into the sewer system slowly, then most likely a blockage has formed in the pipes or siphon, which needs to be cleared.
Home remedies for cleaning the sewer system
Consider the most effective improvised means that will help clean the sewer system:
- Salt. For cleaning, you will need a glass of salt, which must be poured into the drain hole of the sink. There you need to pour about 0.5 liters of boiling water. Within 2-3 hours, it is not necessary to drain the water into the system, after which open hot water and rinse it well. Salt breaks down fat and deposits in the siphon well.
- Soda and salt. They need to be mixed 1: 1 and also poured into the drain hole. Do not drain water into the system for 30 minutes, then rinse with boiling water and repeat the procedure. If after two procedures the smell remains, then we recommend using the following method.
- Lemon acid. For one procedure, a standard package of acid (30 g) is sufficient. Acid is poured into the system, after which a little boiling water is added there and the drain hole is closed with a stopper. After half an hour, the system is washed with hot running water.
- Soda and vinegar. Use a mixture of two tablespoons of soda and one hundred can of vinegar. Soda is poured into the system, after which vinegar is poured. The hole is covered with a cork and after 10 minutes washed with running hot water.
Home remedies are quite effective, but can only help with minor blockages.
Mechanical sewer cleaning methods
To clean the sewer system from blockages, a plumbing cable is most often used. This is a metal rod in the form of a spiral, which bends well, due to which it is possible to go through all the bends of the system.
Cleaning is done as follows:
- Insert the cable into the hole in the pipe and rotate it clockwise to push it as deep as possible. The cable handle is designed to make it easy to rotate.
- The cable must be advanced to a place where a blockage could form.
- When the cable is inserted to the required depth, it is necessary to continue to make rotational movements in order to clean the pipes well.
- Pull the cable towards you to grab what was causing the blockage.
- To remove waste from the sewer system, run water through it.
Preventing bad odors with a food waste disposer
To prevent the appearance of unpleasant odors and make all the processes in the kitchen easier, food waste grinders or disposers, which you can buy in our online store, will help. These are devices that are installed in the kitchen sink between the drain and the siphon and are designed to grind food waste. As a result of the operation of the disposer, the waste is crushed to small fractions and freely discharged through the sewer system.
This solves the problem not only of blockages in the sewer system, but also allows you to abandon the storage of rapidly decomposing food residues. You care about the environment, and the air in your home always remains fresh and clean.
What are the benefits of installing a food waste disposer:
- food waste is crushed and washed off with water into the sewer system in a matter of seconds;
- reducing the amount of garbage in the house;
- reducing the amount of waste that needs to be processed and, as a result, caring for the environment;
- easy operation, hygienic.
The chopper allows you to dispose of waste vegetables, fruits, berries, herbs, fish, egg shells, small bones, disposable napkins and towels.
