Smelly Pipes - any ideas?
Submitted: Tuesday, Mar 09, 2010 at 09:55
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Member - Julie & John (VIC)
Gday...
We have begun to notice our drain pipes (
kitchen sink, vanity and shower) are developing a "stale" smell. We have filled the sink and vanity to the brim and then taken out the plug to give the pipes a good quick flush but it does not seem to remove the smell - reduces it but not kills it totally.
We keep the external sullage hose clear of muck and pick it up and let it fully drain regularly each day to ensure it does not have water sitting in it.
We had thought of putting some bi-carb soda through the pipes, or pine-o-clean etc.
Interested in finding out if others have had/have this problem and what you do to keep the pipes fresher.
Cheers
Julie &
John
Reply By: Fred G NSW - Tuesday, Mar 09, 2010 at 10:10
Tuesday, Mar 09, 2010 at 10:10
Run some household bleach, dilluted (strong mix though) with water, through the pipes/hoses, and block the outlet so the pipes hoses fill up and leave for half an hour or so, then release and flush with clean water. Lemon bleach is good. The bleach will kill the bacteria causing the odours.
I make
home brew and wash all the brewing kit and bottles with bleach water, and this keeps the pipes clean (drain pipes LOL) at
home and in the van.
Just a tip, when I disconnect water and sullage hoses on packup, I run some fresh water from the tap through the sullage hose before stowing it away.
Works for me.
Fred.
AnswerID:
408016
Follow Up By: Fab72 - Tuesday, Mar 09, 2010 at 12:43
Tuesday, Mar 09, 2010 at 12:43
Yep...I second that.
FollowupID:
677938
Reply By: Member - Clive G (NZ) - Tuesday, Mar 09, 2010 at 19:45
Tuesday, Mar 09, 2010 at 19:45
Hi.
S bends and P traps are bit prone to slosh on rough and or winding roads, plus they can cause gurgling if the drain pipe is long, but they do stop smells.
An alternative is a self sealing Hepvo valve which can be installed vertically or horizontal. Have just fitted two to the K/Karavan, one under the sink and one under the shower. These valves retain no water in themselves and speed up drain flow (a lot) as they also act as an air admitting valve. Any good plumbing merchant should have them.
Sadly the smallest one is 32mm so had to organise sleeves to reduce both ends to 25mm.
100% no smells, no back flow (slosh) and faster drain flow. A local motor
home builder here put me on to them, very pleased he did.
Clive.
AnswerID:
408121