In last month’s blog I wrote about how people often mistakenly assume that waterless urinals smell. Often that’s because they’ve been in a washroom that includes waterless urinals and have noticed an odour. As I explained in my last post, if waterless urinals are maintained correctly then we guarantee that they won’t smell. Indeed, many of our clients specifically comment that the removal of odour from the washroom is one of the biggest benefits they realised from installing waterless urinals.

So, if we can rule out the waterless urinals as the cause of odour in the washroom then where else might it be coming from? More often than not the answer is the floor. Often, odour in washrooms, kitchens or communal shower facilities comes from poorly functioning floor drains. There are a number of reasons why this is the case.

Build up of matter in the drain

The job of a floor drain is to catch and remove not only water and any other substances that end up on the washroom floor. Depending on the nature of the room, that could be hair, shampoo and soap residue, grease, food and other spillages. Inevitably over time substances such as these can begin to stick to the sides of the pipes below the drain and then in due course begin to produce odours.

Additionally, if this situation is left unchecked for too long then the pipes are likely to become blocked meaning that water and other substances no longer drain away effectively but instead linger on the floor of the washroom, further compounding the issue of smell as well as making the washroom unhygienic and ultimately unsafe.

Bacteria developing in the pipes

Ultimately what causes the build up of substances below the floor drain to start smelling is bacteria. Pipes such as these are the ideal environment in which bacteria can flourish, offering as they do plentiful supplies of both moisture and oxygen.

Escaping sewer gases

Another reason why the floor drain is often to blame for odour in the washroom is the issue of escaping sewer gases. Under a traditional floor drain there will be a U shaped pipe which is designed to hold a small amount of water. This water should act as a barrier to prevent foul smells from sewer gases (and worse) from making their way back up into the washroom.

However, sometimes this water can dry up. This often happens simply because of evaporation, often at a time when the washroom is not being heavily used such as during school holidays or other prolonged periods of closure such as those many businesses have suffered during the COVID pandemic. This is a serious problem as not only do sewer gases smell bad but they can also be toxic so the fumes can be dangerous to breath. Additionally, this can be an expensive problem to fix requiring as it does a professional plumber’s attention.

What’s the solution?

There are many different recommendations for how to address odour from floor drains, from boiling water to vinegar. However, ultimately these simply mask the problem once it has already occurred rather than prevent the problem from happening in the first place.

Prevention is better than cure – the Green Drain

Green Drain’s patented, easy-to-install design solves these common issues. The Green Drain enables water to freely pass through a one way seal.  However, sewage gases, insects and odours are blocked from being able to re-enter the building. The Green Drain is an eco-friendly solution to the expense and hassle generally associated with drain traps and requires no water or chemicals to ensure an effective seal.

• The Green Drain’s one-way valve eliminates odours and prevents the spread of dangerous bacteria that can cause potential health hazards, whilst keeping the drain fully functional.
• Traditional floor drains can quickly become a doorway for pests such as flies, cockroaches and rodents. However the Green Drain has a silicon skirt attached which prevents pests from getting in.
• Traditional drain trap seals need to be replaced often and are a pain to replace. The Green Drain takes mere seconds to install and also acts as a barrier trap protection device.
• Traditional drains require consistent chemical treatments as part of their maintenance. In contrast, the Green Drain eliminates the need for chemical applications, making it better on the environment.

Talk to us today about the Green Drain or buy it from our website now.