The over flow drain pipe in the floor of the balcony always gives off a rotten smell (that smells like a stinky river) after it rains. I sometimes pour water down it and that helps a bit. I live in a large apartment complex and so perhaps there is little I can do about it. Has anyone had this problem before and if so what did you do to remedy it?
Very common problem I would say. You need to pour boiling water down it regularly to keep clean (add a little cleaner as well). If this doesn’t clear it up, and after rains it will still likely smell, then cover it. Most of my floor drains are covered with duct tape or a spare tile.
It’s your complex that has to empty their whatever you call it (septic tanks) … at our place they do it like every 6 months or so …
Wait what!!! You can empty those???
They come with a big tanker, and suck everything out … they have to return 2-3 times before it’s completely empty.
Sounds like they didn’t put a U-trap into the plumbing. Plug the hole with a dishcloth or a sponge or something.
Well, I don’t think they use water traps a lot in Taiwan … most pipes go straight down … you could upgrade your drains, but that needs some cutting and chopping up of cement.
Well, I don’t think they use water traps a lot in Taiwan … most pipes go straight down … you could upgrade your drains, but that needs some cutting and chopping up of cement.[/quote]
Correct. Me and the ex went to one of those new-build housing presentations a while ago. The sales girl was immensely chuffed with herself because, according to her, her building company (employer) had “invented” P-traps and was therefore pretty much the only company in Taiwan using them. They even had a special little diagram to show off this miraculous new technology.
Which makes you wonder how many other standard engineering principles they’ve never heard of.
Well, I don’t think they use water traps a lot in Taiwan … most pipes go straight down … you could upgrade your drains, but that needs some cutting and chopping up of cement.[/quote]
Correct. Me and the ex went to one of those new-build housing presentations a while ago. The sales girl was immensely chuffed with herself because, according to her, her building company (employer) had “invented” P-traps and was therefore pretty much the only company in Taiwan using them. They even had a special little diagram to show off this miraculous new technology.
Which makes you wonder how many other standard engineering principles they’ve never heard of.[/quote]
Salespeople are stupid the world over.
Sell stinky tofu on those days?
Pour in some bleach and then boiling hot water behind it and plug it up for a spell…Repeat whenever odor reappears.
Yah I will plug it up. I wonder if everyone else has plugged their’s up already and this has resulted in a massive release of septic odors into my apartment. Anyways time to plug it up!
I did actually, as soon as we moved in … put some plastic and silicon sealant … but then for some reason a few years back one of my dogs unplugged it … just took off the drain cover (didn’t screw it back on) and pulled out the silicon … must have been tasty or something … 
There are some neat drop-in covers you can get in mom and pop hardware shops. One type you step on to pop up (open) and step again to pop down (seal). There’s another available kind with a spring-loaded trap that seals when dry but opens under the weight of water. Worth a try but they need to be “glued” in with silicone sealant to work effectively.
You’re not in Taipei city, are you? I thought Taipei had a 100% sewer hookup, at least that’s what the mayor bragged about a couple years ago. You hardly ever see those tankers on the streets anymore these days.
I think he was using the term ‘sewer hookup’ in the loosest possible sense. All the new-build houses near me discharge raw sewage directly into the Danshui “nature reserve”.
Do you know the Chinese characters for that device? If not I will find it anyway and thanks for that info it sounds like just what I need!