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Occasionally, when I run the water in my master bath sink, there is a clear sewer gas odor. It stops when the water is shut off and does not seem to come from the drain. The water itself smells fine. This is much more pronounced when the sink hasn't been used for a day or two. After the water runs for about 30 seconds, the smell is gone. Any idea about what could be causing this? We have another sink in the master bath and there are no problems. This does not occur in any other sink in the house.
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Most of the sewer gases that account for the sewer odor are heavier than air. Add to that the fact that there is 6 or 8 inches of tubing from the top of the water level in the trap to the base of the sink. In addition, the sink itself has a double wall chamber that connects the overflow slot to the drain.
Soap scums, toothpaste, hair and other wastes can accumulate on the pipe walls and stopper fittings and in the double wall section of the sink above the trap water seal. When the water first begins to run down the drain, the water displaces some of those gases, which are forced up and out causing a faint wisp of odor.
Although I personally hate the use of liquid drain openers this is one time when they do seem to aleviate the problem. -
Based on this response, do I need to pour some of the drain cleaner in the overflow holes as well as down the main drain?
Thanks,
JMRComment
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I would suggest you use the drain cleaner in the convention manner first and see if it resolves your problem.
Chemical drain cleaners , whether acid or akali can be very dangerous to handle and i would not suggest attempting to pour them into tight places unless absolutely necessary.
Although not normally done, I would strongly suggest wearing eye protection and rubber gloves when dealing with drain cleaners. Also avoid breathing any fumes they produce.
In the trade we have some very violent chemical drain cleaners, which are often sold over the counter in home supply centers or hardware stores, but I would not recommend anyone using them unless you have been specifically trained to do so.
One of the big risks you face when using chemical drain cleaners is, if they do not clear the clog, your are then left with a sink full of potentially dangerous liquid.
You then are confronted with two problems.
1. You have sink full of liquid which can potentially injure someone before you can resolve the problem.
2. it makes it very difficult to open traps or lines under the sink to mechanically snake a drain.Comment
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