Smelly kitchen sink

[Thorfun]

those that have read my diy plumbing thread know that I am now an expert at all things plumbing so imagine my shock when SWMBO tells me that there's a bad smell coming from the kitchen sink and what am I going to do about it.

 

my first thing to check is the under sink plumbing. here's a photo:

 

 

can anyone notice anything obvious that might contribute to a smell or the ability to hinder a smell? the only thing I can think of is the trap isn't doing it's job and I need another/better one?

 

 

 

[ProDave]

Left hand waste hose connector, the blue one.  Is that plugged or open?

 

Probably just wants cleaning with a bit of bleach?

[Mr Punter]

Is there a dirgo in the cupboard?  Where is the connection to the soil pipe?

[FuerteStu]

If that's a Quooker tap unit on the left, have you got a picture of the pressure release and drain setup? 

 

I've seen those badly configured and leaking air from behind the trap 

[Thorfun]

22 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Left hand waste hose connector, the blue one.  Is that plugged or open?

 

Probably just wants cleaning with a bit of bleach?

plugged.

 

 

she's tried cleaning but we can't use bleach due to the STP. also we've not been living here that long

[Thorfun]

15 minutes ago, Mr Punter said:

Is there a dirgo in the cupboard?  Where is the connection to the soil pipe?

nope. no AAV.

 

the waste goes through the back of the cupboard then down in to the basement where it eventually joins up to the soil pipe.

[Thorfun]

19 minutes ago, FuerteStu said:

If that's a Quooker tap unit on the left, have you got a picture of the pressure release and drain setup? 

 

I've seen those badly configured and leaking air from behind the trap 

yep. we have a Quooker and a Cube.

 

 

I fitted it myself so there's no chance it's wrong. 🤣

 

Edited February 2 by Thorfun
blocking out the serial number

[Pocster]

Perhaps stop tipping piss and shit down the sink ? 🤣👍

[Russell griffiths]

I take those blue things out and cover in white ct1 and re fit, I’ve found they are not very airtight. 

[FuerteStu]

Can't see very clearly, but every quooker tap I've seen recently has had a badly designed and usually incorrectly installed pressure release drain and hose. 

 

 

 

It's supposed to be set 4" higher than the trap it feeds into, but under a sink that's not usually easy. 

I've seen them leaking bad air, full up with black mold and all sorts. 

 

Can you see what the setup is on yours? 

[Thorfun]

1 hour ago, FuerteStu said:

Can't see very clearly, but every quooker tap I've seen recently has had a badly designed and usually incorrectly installed pressure release drain and hose. 

 

 

 

It's supposed to be set 4" higher than the trap it feeds into, but under a sink that's not usually easy. 

I've seen them leaking bad air, full up with black mold and all sorts. 

 

Can you see what the setup is on yours? 

Thanks for this. Can’t look in to it now and back to work tomorrow but I’ll try and take a look soon and compare my installation to the instructions. 
 

will report back my findings 

[Thorfun]

1 hour ago, Russell griffiths said:

I take those blue things out and cover in white ct1 and re fit, I’ve found they are not very airtight. 

Interesting. I’ll take a look (and smell) when I can. 

[G and J]

Is the smell in the sink or in the cupboard underneath it?

[Thorfun]

2 hours ago, G and J said:

Is the smell in the sink or in the cupboard underneath it?

Tbh, I can’t smell it! The wife just says “coming from the sink”. 
 

I’ll ask to her to be more specific and also nose around under the sink to try and isolate it. 

[G and J]

If I’ve understood correctly the waste goes out through the back of the cupboard and then drops a couple of meters.   Could this be sucking the trap dry enough to let foul air get back up?   
 

To test simply gently run a little water into the sink and see if that reduces the smell after a few mins.  
 

Assume that’s a dishwasher outlet connected to the trap too,  Might be worth making a note of when the smell occurs with respect to both emptying a sink full and also the dishwasher running.  

 

[Bramco]

Take off the overflow pipe - the crinkly one top left. We've found that these attract muck, however you orient them.

 

When you pull the plug, a gush of water goes down the main pipe but some flows back into the overflow pipe. Over time the bits of food gather and go rotten.

 

It's a crap job - literally - I've been doing the 'that's odd, I can't smell it' for a few months now......

[Thorfun]

49 minutes ago, G and J said:

If I’ve understood correctly the waste goes out through the back of the cupboard and then drops a couple of meters.   Could this be sucking the trap dry enough to let foul air get back up?   
 

To test simply gently run a little water into the sink and see if that reduces the smell after a few mins.  
 

Assume that’s a dishwasher outlet connected to the trap too,  Might be worth making a note of when the smell occurs with respect to both emptying a sink full and also the dishwasher running.  

 

It’s only a sort drop in to the basement, maybe 600mm, 800mm at most where the waste pipe changes to 50mm pipe for the run to the soil pipe.