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What is Causing Your Linear Shower Drain to Produce a Bad Smell?

That awful smell ruining your linear shower drain has to go! However, so as to remove it, you first have to identify the cause of the smell. For example, if your shower drain is producing a musty smell, then in most cases this is because of growing mold beneath the drain cover. There other situations where your drain might smell like sewage or rotten eggs.

Here there are mostly two reasons:
  • The presence of ‘Biofilm.'
  • Escaped sewage gasses

Although linear drains are second to none, they have their challenges. Therefore, return to your linear drain and take one last sniff. Although this is quite uncomfortable, it’s the surest method of identifying the cause of the bad smell. In this article, we are going to solve these problems carefully. We should all enjoy a fresh and hygienic shower!

Why Does Your Linear Shower Drain Smell Musty? 
Usually, the cause of this musty stench is the growth of mold. During their process of metabolism, their spores produce small amounts of gas. These emissions have a distinct musty odor. What’s more shocking is that these gasses can be quite harmful. Once inhaled, they end up causing headaches, dizziness, nausea, and even fatigue.

How do you then get rid of the mold growing in your linear drain? Well, we were able to come up with some easy steps. If the area that’s infected with mold is less than ten square feet, handling the cleanup yourself is very simple. All you need is to follow these guidelines:
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Here is what you'll require:
  • Baking soda
  • Boiled water
  • White distilled vinegar
  • An old toothbrush

How to Remove Mold from Your Linear Shower Drain

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It’s unhygienic having mold growing in your linear drain system

1. Mix same amounts of water and baking soda. You should be able to make a paste. 

2. Use the old toothbrush to smear the paste over the linear drain. 

3. Wait for a maximum of ten minutes. Then, thoroughly scrub the linear shower drain by using the old toothbrush. Repeat this process continuously to loosen the mold that may be growing under the linear shower drain! 

4. Boil a small amount of water, preferably ten quarts. Wait for it to cool and slowly pour it below the shower drain. It is important we mention that if you have a PVC piping system, boiling water above 212 Fahrenheit can destroy the pipe. Temperatures of 140-150 degrees are enough to for killing the active mold. 

5. Pour a cup of vinegar slowly through the drain. 
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6. Pour an added half cup of baking soda down the shower drain.
If your drain continues to produce a mildew stench after this process, then you have a larger mold problem. In such cases, seeking professional help is the best option.

What If Your Linear Shower Drain Smells Like Sewage or Rotten Egg

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Sewer smell causes nausea, fatigue, and headaches

You’re seated comfortably listening to music or watching a movie. All of a sudden, you feel an awful sewage smell and quickly rush to check your toilet drain. Once you realize that the smell is not coming from the bathroom but the bathroom, what then do you do? We are here to help you out!
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You have two issues that need careful attention. Find out if there is a film of biofilm from a blocked or clogged drain. Also, find out if there are sewer gasses which might have escaped.

'Biofilm'

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If you discovered that the cause of the bad smell is Biofilm from a dirty of clogged drain, here is what you should do. The first step is running water through your linear shower drain for two to five minutes. This stench is mostly as a result of bacteria and decomposing debris growing in the linear drain. We call this ‘Biofilm.'

What is even worse is that the bacteria produce a glue-like and sticky substance that makes them stick to most surfaces. Disgusting right?
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To remove the smell, you should first eliminate the debris and clog that is feeding the bacteria. The following steps will greatly help you! You will need:
  • The best drain brush cleaner
  • Boiling water
  • Baking soda
  • White distilled vinegar
How to Unclog Your Linear Shower Drain 
1. Remove the shower drain by using a screwdriver. If you have a push and pull linear drain, you should unscrew the drain. All you need to do is turn the screwdriver counter-clockwise. 
2. Boil five to ten quarts of water and then give it time to cool. Once, it is 150 degrees Fahrenheit, pour it down the linear shower drain. 
3. Pour one cup of vinegar through the shower drain. 
4. Pour an added cup of baking soda immediately after pouring the vinegar. 
5. Wait for two hours then pour a gallon of hot water down the linear drain. 
6. Run a pipe brush through the pipe to kill the remaining debris. This also helps to loosen and remove the sticky residue found in the ‘Biofilm.'

Are Sewer Gasses Escaping Through Your Pipes?Are there no ‘Biofilms’ in your linear shower drain? In such situations, you’re smelling sewer gasses. These gasses are mainly composed of hydrogen sulfide. Although the amount you’re breathing in is not harmful to your health, it does show that your linear drain has a huge problem!

Linear drains are designed to prevent all types of sewer gasses from escaping into your comfortable home. Therefore, if they do manage to waft back, the problems may include: a dried up P-trap, no P-trap, and sewer backup.

If your problem is a dry up P-trap, it is quite easy to solve this on your own. But, when it comes to the other two reasons, the same cannot be said. For no P-trap and sewer backup situations, you’ll need to consult a trained linear shower drain cleaner.

How Do You Fix The Problem Of A Dried Up P-Trap

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It’s important to properly clean a dried up P-Trap

The first step is using a flashlight to see what is down your linear drain. At the bottom of the pipe, what do you see? Do you see any water? If so, then the cause of the sewer smell is not because of a dry P-trap pipe. In this case, you need to seek the help of a professional so as to look for other problems.

However, if there is no presence of water, then you most definitely have a hard P-trap pipe. Don’t worry; we have the perfect remedy on how to fix that! But before we dive into the procedure, we need to discuss two key issues. What is a P-trap and what role does it perform in the linear shower drain?
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What is a P-trap pipe? Well, it’s a pipe that always seems to resemble the letter ‘U’. The P-trap is attached to every shower drain in your home. It is meant to trap small amounts of water, blocking sewer gasses from escaping back to your lovely home. Sometimes, these P-traps may dry out and leak awful, sewer gas odors into your freshly smelling home. Fortunately, we have found that there is an easy way to solve this problem!
Procedure for Fixing up a Dried-Up P-Trap 
1. Pour small amounts of water, preferably one or two cups, through the linear shower drain. Wait for a maximum period of one hour. 
2. After one hour, you may now use your flashlight and see if you can still see the water. 
3. If the bathroom is rarely used, pour four ounces of cooking or mineral oil through the drain. The main reason behind this is to slow down the process of evaporation, keeping the water in the trap for much longer!

However, there is one issue which you should always observe. If your P-trap becomes dry immediately after performing this procedure, then there are high chances that it may be broken. To fix this problem, consult a trained plumber to replace or repair your piping system.
Conclusion 
The above reasons are making your linear shower drain to produce a bad smell. However, by carefully identifying the cause of the awful stench and following the right procedures, such problems are quickly eliminated. Despite this, you need to consult your plumber for the best professional prevention methods of ensuring that fungi and bacteria do not grow back.

It is our hope that this article has been of great benefit to you and your family. In this case, while still in the topic of bad smelling linear shower drains, how often should you clean your linear drain?



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About Truline

TruLine Linear Drains by Trugard. 

The TruLine linear shower drain is part of the state of the art shower waterproofing system.  

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The TruLine drain has 3 elegant grate styles and 4 lengths for any bathroom design.

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