Sewer odors coming from restrooms can be a problem just about anywhere. This is why all types of facilities should stock EverPrime drain trap liquid, just in case it happens to them.
Case in point: In June 2016 in what was reported as a “milestone,” San Diego finally opened a lifeguard tower on La Jolla Children’s Pool beach. The tower had been planned for more than four years and cost the city about $5 million.
However, this was a short-lived milestone. By July 2016, a bank of toilets in the tower overflowed and leaked into the lifeguard locker rooms and shower areas below. It cost the city $1,400 to clean up the mess…only to have the toilets overflow once again a couple of weeks later.
Fortunately it appears this problem has been rectified. However, almost as soon as that issue was taken care of another one materialized. By mid-July, lifeguards began noticing a nasty smell in the building. Sewer odors were coming from the sewage trap on the floor in the basement of the building. This is an area of the building that is rarely used or cleaned. Likely it is just used for storage.
Email records from the lifeguards to city engineers indicate that the sewer odor problem seemed to be getting worse.
“It has been recently brought to my attention that a significant odor is present in the Children’s Pool facility,” wrote lifeguard Sgt. Marcus Schreiber. “Guards are reporting this to be unbearable at times.”
But wait, there’s more. By August 2016, the lifeguards were sending more emails to the lifeguard sergeant, this time about rats. “Three large rats were seen in the new facility,” according to one email, and a temporary trailer set up near the new tower was infested with ants.
Sewer odors, rats, ants – it makes you wonder what’s going to happen next.
As far as the rats and ants are concerned, it would not surprise us if the rats and ants were drawn to the area as a result of the sewer odors. We can offer some insight into how the city could have addressed the sewer odors and this entire situation quickly and inexpensively.
But first, let’s discuss what they actually did. Their first step was to pressure wash the floor area in the basement. This was a deep cleaning to help remove any sewer odors that had settled into the pores of the floor. After this, the floor was sealed with an acrylic floor finish. This sealed those very same pores.
To address the actual sewer odor problem, the city removed the grating from the floor drain and installed a solid plate over the opening. Essentially, they closed the floor drain so no sewer odors could escape.
It does not appear that the city engineers ever investigated why the sewer odors were occurring. On top of what we discussed here, the new tower was experiencing a number of structural problems which were blamed on the architects and contractor. It’s very likely that they just added the sewer odor problem to the mix and blamed it on poor construction or design.
However, that may not have been the problem. This is a new building. There is no indication the basement floor had ever been mopped or pressure washed before. What likely happened is that there was no water in the “J” or “P” trap underneath the floor drain. It is the water that collects in these traps that prevents sewer odors from being released.
The city could have addressed the sewer odor problem in about five minutes and with a cost of essentially pocket change. They could have poured about a gallon of water down the drain, to help fill the trap, followed with 3 to 6 ounces of EverPrime drain trap liquid, depending on the size of the drain. As long as no additional water is poured down the drain, EverPrime can last indefinitely, keeping the trap filled and blocking sewer odors. And even if water is poured down the drain, just add a few ounces of EverPrime drain trap liquid, and the sewer odor blocking power of EverPrime starts all over again.
Using Everprime drain trap liquid is fast, easy, inexpensive, and effective. For more information, contact a Waterless Co. representative.
