The smell of ventilation in the toilet: what to do?

One of the important conditions for a comfortable stay in the apartment is the correct microclimate and the absence of extraneous odors in it. For both points ventilation is responsible. It depends on the installation quality of this system whether mold will form in the rooms or condensation on the windows, whether unpleasant odors will appear and stagnate. The latter problem especially often arises in the toilet, with time spreading to the rest of the apartment’s rooms, if you don’t fight it. Let's try to figure out what to do if the ventilation in the toilet works in the opposite direction.

How to check if the ventilation system in the toilet is working?

First of all, it is worth checking whether the problem is really a malfunctioning ventilation. To do this, you can invite specialists to the house who easily test the system using professional equipment.

But there are more affordable and faster. ways to check the effectiveness of ventilation in the toiletwhich you can use yourself:

1. A lighted candle, match or lighter can be brought to the ventilation grill. If the system is working properly, then the flame of the flame will tilt toward the grill, that is, the ventilation draws in air from the room. If, on the contrary, the air goes from the ventilation to the toilet, the flame will deviate to the side of the grill.
2. Traction can also be checked with a leaf attached to the grill. Provided that the ventilation is in good condition, it will adhere to the surface of the grate and hold onto it independently. If there is no traction, this effect will not work, and the leaf will fall.

In order for these tests to show the correct result, before conducting them, you must close the door to the toilet and open the window, if any.

What causes an unpleasant odor from the ventilation?

The main reason for the lack of draft in the ventilation system is the lack of fresh air in the room. This may happen due to the fact that:

• Too dense doors were installed in the toilet, and no air enters the room.
• The apartment is rarely ventilated, and the entrance metal entrance and metal-plastic interior doors do not allow airflow.
• The neighbors from the apartment below installed a very powerful fan in the ventilation.
• The ventilation duct is clogged, resulting in poor air flow.

These are the reasons that are most common. Only a specialist will help you identify the problem and suggest a competent solution to it, because often the reason the smell is unclear at first sight - a problem can arise even due to improper operation of the system neighbors.

How to solve the problem of bad smell from ventilation in the toilet?

After determining the cause of the problem, you can proceed to solve it. Naturally, further actions will depend on whether you can cope with the smell yourself. For example, in case of serious contamination of the ventilation shaft, you will still have to contact specialists, since it will not work to clean it yourself.

What to do if the room is "sealed":

• Under the door in the toilet you need to leave a gap of about two centimeters.
• If there is no way to make a gap, then special valves can be installed in the door, which will allow air to enter the room.
• A window or just a small window between the toilet and another room of the apartment will help to solve the problem of fresh air.

• The supply ventilation of the room will improve if you install on it a special mechanism that performs photocatalytic filtering. Such a filter will purify the air to a degree of sterility. The downside of this system is too high a price.
• In extreme cases, you can leave the door to the toilet open or partially open.
• If the ventilation in the bathroom and toilet is shared, then the door to the bathroom can also be left ajar when you are not using it.

If you are unable to cope with the problem yourself, it is best to contact the professionals!

What can be done if the ventilation problem is related to the neighbors:

1. If the neighbors have installed a fan, then the only way out for you is to install an even more powerful exhaust fan.
2. Another option is to talk with your neighbors and come to an agreement that will suit both parties.
3. If specialists find out that in one of the neighboring apartments the norms for the use of ventilation were violated (for example, a cooker hood was connected to it), you should contact your housekeeper or the manager company. Such actions are illegal and must be suppressed.

In any case, such issues are best addressed first directly with neighbors. It is quite possible that they will understand what mistake they made and remove everything that interferes with the normal air circulation in the house.

How to clean the ventilation in the apartment yourself

At self cleaning the ventilation duct in the apartment the sequence of work will be as follows:

1. Remove the ventilation grill. If dust or other impurities have accumulated on it, wipe it with a cloth dampened in soapy water or wash it under running water.
2. It is most convenient to use a scraper to clean the walls.
3. Dry cleaning must be completed with a vacuum cleaner. The hose goes inside the ventilation duct and the dust is sucked into the vacuum cleaner.
4. Wet cleaning of the ventilation is best done with a sponge or cloth moistened with a solution of neutral cleaning products.

Residents of the house are required to maintain in good condition engineering communications located on the territory of each apartment. That is why it is important to clean the ventilation at least once every six months.

Installing a fan in the hood in the toilet

For forced ventilation often use special exhaust fans. Centrifugal-axial and axial types are suitable for toilets.

The main criterion for choosing a fan is its power. It is the fans indicated above that have sufficient efficiency to perform their functions in residential premises, but At the same time, they do not make noise and do not discharge the atmosphere (such an effect can adversely affect the well-being of residents apartments).

Any fans are mounted either on the wall or on the ceiling. Moreover, the methods of their installation also differ: they can be radial or channel type. In some models there is also a channel valve, thanks to which odors from other rooms will not penetrate the toilet.

How to install a fan in the toilet:

1. You must choose the right place to install the fan. The exhaust and supply systems should be located opposite each other, that is, the most successful the location for forced ventilation will be the area directly below the ceiling or opposite it front door.
2. Now you need to mark the ventilation holes, take care of the wiring in the case of a mechanical fan. If the exhaust hole does not match the size of the fan, then for their durable connection, a pipe section is well suited, the diameter of which will coincide with the size of the fan. Wires can be hidden using special plastic boxes.
3. The fan itself is attached to the exhaust outlet with glue. The cover is unscrewed from the fan, the joint is lubricated with glue, then the mechanism is installed in place. It is better to hold it for several minutes until the glue begins to harden.

A properly installed fan will help you get rid of the problem of unpleasant odors in the toilet from the ventilation system.