How Do Commercial Plumbing Services Manage Odor Control?

Plumbing odors are by far the worst type of odor in any home or business. Plumbing odors can be musty, pungent or downright terrifying, especially if the smell is coming from the toilet or sink. It’s one of the most common plumbing maintenance tasks we take care of here at Brewer Commercial Services.

If your bathroom is starting to smell a little different, we recommend a general cleanup first. Pay close attention to the toilets, shower (if applicable), floor tiles, grout, sinks, and all the other components that make up the entirety of the bathroom. Purchase a tile and grout cleaner and apply carefully to the bathroom tiles, taking care that you reach in between the tiles (or hire someone to take care of this).

The stuff in between the tiles is called grout – basically it’s a binding agent and aesthetic element added to bathrooms to create a seamless look. The problem with gout is it tends to accumulate a variety of mold, mildew and gunk over the years. This is when the grout begins to turn green, brown or black, depending on the type of accumulation.

And the smell? Undesirable is just the tip of the iceberg. Use a scrubbing tool to physically remove any build-up and rinse generously with warm water. After cleaning the bathroom tiles, you may also want to check curtains (if there are any) and wash them, too. Since there is always plenty of water in the bathroom, molds and mildew can also attach themselves to fabric and this can also produce the same plumbing smell that you or your customers won’t like.

If after a good cleaning your bathroom still smells different (and this applies to the kitchen sink, too) then the smell may be caused by a plumbing issue. Commercial plumbing services can perform a pressurized smoke test to find out if there are any blockages in your plumbing. This method is efficient and can easily tell plumbers the probable origin of the blockage.

If the blockage is in the kitchen area, the plumber will likely use a plumbing snake to remove blockages (trapped grease and food particles) before rinsing the pipe. Lack of a filter in the sink (especially larger kitchens with lots of food prep activity) can contribute to the problem as food particles can really get jammed in pipes easily as they tend to stick together. Minor pipe obstructions can be removed by abrasive drain cleaners, but the safest way is still to use a plumbing snake.

Another common cause of plumbing odors is a dry trap. What is a trap? A trap is usually just a small bend in the pipe where water accumulates. The water serves as a barrier against fumes and gases, to prevent foul odors from climbing up your sink or toilet. The water serves as a barrier against odors. If there is no trap or the trap was installed incorrectly, odors will invade your home. In such instances the plumber will likely install a new trap or reconfigure the plumbing altogether. Don’t worry – professional plumbing services can safely and quickly add or repair traps once they’ve identified that this is the actual cause of the plumbing odors.

Please give us a call today to setup your appointment (602) 789-8858