Bad drain smell in bathroom

We have just taken ownership in block 276 and found that on a daily basis around 1pm - 7pm we are getting a really bad smell of drains in the bathroom. Seems to be when the sun is at it's highest. It is not there overnight or in the mornings. We have cleaned out any traps that we can open and put drain cleaner down the basin and bath plugs but this has not resolved the issue. Sticking your nose close to the plugholes doesn't give any obvious indication that the smell is coming from there either. While sitting on the balcony during these time there is the odd occation that you get the same smell here very briefly.

We have noticed that the pipe leading out of the basin has an L shaped outlet instead of the normal U bend we have in the UK but without knowing what pipework is in the wall we can't tell if this is correct or not.

Has anyone had this problem and is there any advice on resolving this? 

Regards

P & P

Hi,

This is a common problem in Spain as msot drains in Spain do not have a none return valve, and any smells will come back up. Membranes also dry up very quickly in Spain for some reason. One tip is to run water down the drain last thing at night. I have the same problem in my flat, and I put drain cleaner, or highly scented cleaner down the drains last thing at night. If you have desalinated water in your area, you may find bleach will not work that well. Happy Net do a good cleaner, and most supermarkets do sell a good range of drain cleaners. You don't need to pour the entire bottle down the drain. Pour a little bit down the drain after the last time you have used it. However, if you are not sure when your drains were last cleaned. It could be a good idea to invest in a good quality drain cleaner, and clean all of your drains. I do it about every three months and it really seems to help.

It is worth paying a bit more for a good quality drain cleaner to start with if you are unsure when your drains were last cleaned. The first time I cleaned my drain with a drain cleaner, it made a HUGE difference. Floor cleaner are cheaper and many will offer a great alternative to always buying drain cleaners. Try to add a little bit to ALL of yoru drains on a daily basis. Also, while you are out shopping, consider ivesting in a low flow shower head, can save you lots of money on your water bills here in Spain. You can get kitchen taps as well. The water companies that use desalinated water in Spain often put up the pressure to pump chemicals through the system, and this is why you may experience ever changing pressures. The pressure is often higher, and of course, this increases your water usage. Learned that from a nice Spanish man at our local water company. Mmm...maybe I should do a blog post on this topic...

Good Luck Annie

We had similar issue when we first got our new apartment. Turns out the waste pipe had not been properly sealed airtight within the toilet. Once this seal was made good there was no issue. Worth checking this out once you've eliminated all possible simpler causes such as no water trap  under the wash basin etc.. 

Best wishes

Caroline

Contact your block president or Resortalia if all else fails,  ask them to check the outside drains,  our was blocked and needed cleaning out which Resortalia sorted. 

Thanks for all your advice on this issue.

We already have Resortalia on the case and our block president has offered all his help if required. 

Unfortunately it will have to wait till we are out next, but I will post results when we have a resolution.

Regards

P & P