The drains can be part of your home's plumbing that will experience the most problems. Foul odors coming from the drains can be extremely noticeable, but homeowners may not be aware of what they can do to address their drain odors.
Determine Whether The Odors Are Due To Not Using The Faucet In A While
There may be some drains in the home that will experience very infrequent use. This can actually increase the chances of drain odors forming by allowing the trapped water to evaporate. This is a small amount of water that remains in the pipes to block odors from the sewer from entering the home. If this is the source of the odors, you may find that simply using that faucet and drain more often can stop these odors.
Flush The Drain With Plain Or Apple Cider Vinegar
Many drain odors will be the result of bacteria breaking down grease or other materials in the pipes. To avoid the risk of damaging the pipes with harsh cleaning agents, homeowners will often choose to use vinegar. The vinegar can be effective at loosening grease so that it can wash out of the drains. For the best effects, you should thoroughly rinse the pipes with very hot water an hour after flushing it with vinegar. If you are wanting to add a fresh scent to your drains, you may want to use apple cider vinegar. This option will be as effective as white vinegar, but it will be able to give a fresh scent to the drains so that any remaining odors can be masked.
Consider Hiring A Professional Drain Cleaning Service
There can be some odors that can be especially difficult to remove from your drains. This will often be due to the source of them being located too deep in the drains for you to easily reach to clean. Luckily, a drain cleaning service will be able to effectively eliminate these substances from the drains so that these stubborn odors can be addressed. Some of these tools may involve devices that will allow them to actually scrape the interior of the pipes as well as chemicals that can be used to fully neutralize the bacteria in the pipes without causing damage to the seals or interior lining of the pipes. Many of the commonly available drain cleaners will be effective at removing odors, but they will be caustic enough to cause severe damage to the pipes if they are used regularly.
Share28 April 2020
My homes have always had either copper or PVC plumbing pipes. But when my plumbing system needed an overhaul last spring, I wanted a piping system for my home that I could work on myself when needed. There were a lot of good reasons to choose PEX piping, but my favorite thing about the PEX piping is that it's easy to work with, even if you're a beginner like me. Now I can make small repairs myself instead of calling the plumber every time I have a minor leak or other small problem. I still call the plumber for the big stuff, but it's more affordable now that I can take care of small issues myself. I started this blog to help others learn how they, too, can do DIY plumbing repairs at home.