Quick question. Drain smell

twopenny

I seem to have an unpleasant smell coming from the outside kitchen drain.
I had noticed a smell coming from the sink waste (that shouldn't happen) and nothing got rid permanently.

One person, bungalow, wash up once a day and no cooking debris flushed down.
I save all water for the garden including the washing up water.

Is this a case of the pipes drying out perhaps? Though there shouldn't be anything nasty to cling to the pipes.

I've used bicarb and vinegar in the sink.
Anything I can put down the outside/inside to get rid of the smell please?

ButterCheese

I would not put anything else down the sink yet.  If you are able, check the waste trap under the sink and, again, if you can, remove it and wash it out.  It could be further down the pipe though, so also check the outside drain (it sometimes is at the side of your house with an open grill, or could be underneath a drain cover somewhere).  It is most likely a build up of hair/food/grease somewhere.  If nothing looks or smells orrible then it might be toilet related in which case I'd get a professional in.

In my experience, much more goes down the drain than you realise.  And it is usually where water pools or changes direction, or meets a grill/strainer that things can sit and start to smell.  No amount of chemicals or household remedies can shift it, it needs to be accessed and removed. 

MACKEM99

Could it be not enough water going through each day.  I try to ensure clean water from tap goes through each day.

twopenny

Thanks BC. 
The outside kitchen drain runs to a main drain about 10ft away which also takes the en suite.
This runs away down the side of the house joining with my neighbours bathroom and mine some 20ft along.

Bit of a minefield of drains here , I have 7 drain covers on my little patch.
A frog or two used to live under the main one. Do wonder about a dead rat as we back onto fields and they are about the gardens.

I do think it's more likely to be insufficient water flowing as I'm saving every bit I can and shower at the swimming pool etc.

Ah Mack, we posted the same time. Yes as above. 
I have a half barrel of rainwater I need to empty. See if it makes any difference. I then don't get the discount for reduced runoff but hey ho.

grumpy_codger

twopenny said:

I save all water for the garden including the washing up water.

Really ALL?  Stagnant water left in a trap can rot and smell.

I've used bicarb and vinegar in the sink.

Stop wasting your money. It's an urban myth that this mix has any effect besides producing nice bubles of CO2.
https://theconversation.com/vinegar-and-baking-soda-a-cleaning-hack-or-just-a-bunch-of-fizz-225177 - just a random explanation from the internet, one of many.

Anything I can put down the outside/inside to get rid of the smell please?

Even pure bicarb will be more efficient in big amounts. However, washing powder is better. And even better is diluted drain unblocker even if there is no need for unblocking. It cleans the pipes by braking any organic deposits.

And if you have a small drainer sink, don't forget to flush it as well.

TELLIT01

If you can access the drain outside the kitchen, use caustic soda to give it a good clean.  That may well solve the problem.

twopenny

Ok. Will do.
I hope the frog has left 😐

greyteam1959

Does the smell actually come from the sink waste or could it possibly come from this sink overflow ??
We had a  dreadful smell in the kitchen sink in our recently purchase the house.
On dismantling all the pipework it turned out that it was was the overflow that had some really horrible smelly filth in it. 

Green_hopeful

We sometimes flush through our sink waste with a dishwasher tablet dissolved in boiling water. Dishwasher washer tablets are designed to cut through fat and debris. Seems to work ok. 

twopenny

Thanks . Interesting ideas.
Don't think there is an overflow but there is a drain from the draining board. I keep that clean having found it.

 Dishwasher tablet something to keep in mind but not having a dishwasher that could be expensive. Though I do have Sterident for cleaning thermos and stained china.

I think it's due to the heat here and it's been dry for ages. But obviously it needs cleaning. 

Albermarle

twopenny said:

Thanks . Interesting ideas.
Don't think there is an overflow but there is a drain from the draining board. I keep that clean having found it.

 Dishwasher tablet something to keep in mind but not having a dishwasher that could be expensive. Though I do have Sterident for cleaning thermos and stained china.

I think it's due to the heat here and it's been dry for ages. But obviously it needs cleaning. 

Cheap dishwasher tablets can be as little as 5p each ( or 10p at most) but you usually have to buy a box of 40/50.
You could also try using soda crystals. Probably easier to use as its a powder. About £2 a bag.
Personally I would use them with hot water rather than cold, as that might help to shift whatever is causing the smell.