The main condition for successful fermentation is the constant removal of carbon dioxide and preventing oxygen from contacting the mash. A water seal successfully solves this problem. I will tell you how it works and how it is structured at the next lesson of the “Crafting School”.
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The water seal prevents contact of oxygen with the mash and removes the resulting carbon dioxide
How does a water seal work?
The fermentation process is the growth of a yeast colony. The yeast culture actively processes the sugars in the mash, decomposing them into ethanol and carbon dioxide. It must be diverted, leaving a way out for carbon dioxide so that it does not accumulate in the fermentation container. Otherwise, the most unpleasant consequences are possible, including the explosion of the mash under the pressure of the accumulated gas.
You can't leave the lid of the container open either. Oxygen from the surrounding air comes into contact with the mash and oxidizes it. As a result of this process you will get regular vinegar. The product is useful in the household, but not exactly what you would want from mash.
The solution to the problem of removing carbon dioxide and limiting the contact of mash with oxygen was a conventional water seal.
Causes of water seal failure and ways to solve the problem
Maxim, Krasnoyarsk asks a question: Hello. Recently my family and I moved to a new apartment. Apartment on the 8th floor of a 9-storey building. At first there was no sewage smell in the bathroom. After 2 months, the water seal failed, and the bathroom began to smell strongly of sewage water. Tell me what the problem might be and how to solve it. Thank you in advance for your answer! The expert answers:
Hello! The reasons for the failure of the water seal can be completely different. An unpleasant smell from the sewer can appear not only after replacing the plumbing, but also at any time during its operation.
First of all, inspect all sewer pipes and their joints with plumbing fixtures, check the siphons for leaks. If no external damage is detected, most likely the cause of the unpleasant odor lies in improper installation of sewer pipes.
If the slope of the drainage system is insufficient, stagnation of wastewater is possible, which may result in an unpleasant odor. Only laying new sewer pipes will help here.
Incorrect connection of sewer system elements can cause them to leak. A poorly caulked connection (cast iron) or an unevenly clamped seal ring (plastic), if they are located horizontally, leads to inevitable leakage.
In the case of cast iron pipes, holes or fistulas appear as a result of their long use, through which an unpleasant odor passes.
There are different ways to solve the problem of unpleasant odor. You may just have to redo a specific connection or replace a specific section, or you may need to change the drain system completely. The problem can also be solved by partial sealing with silicone or installing a cement bandage.
The most common cause of an unpleasant odor is a malfunction in the ventilation system. This happens especially often in winter, when the ventilation ducts are frozen with ice, which significantly reduces air throughput. Flushing the air duct system with hot water can help here, if possible.
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In practice, there have been cases when the owner of an apartment on the top floor simply removed the exhaust pipe, arguing that there were no apartments above him anyway, and it was simply not needed. In such cases, the issue needs to be resolved either with the apartment owner himself or with housing and communal services workers.
The cause of the smell may be a clog in the riser located below your apartment. With this scenario, you can observe the presence of bubbles and gurgling in the siphons under the sink and in the toilet. In this case, you need to clean the entire riser drain system.
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Water seal designs
The design of the water seal includes two flasks, one of which is filled with water, and the second remains empty. Carbon dioxide freely leaves the mash, and oxygen cannot actively penetrate through the water barrier; as a result, the mash is protected from active oxidation.
An elastic stopper is used to attach the water seal to the container. It is made of rubber or silicone. The plug tightly seals the inlet. The escaping carbon dioxide freely leaves the mash, and the water chamber prevents the contact of oxygen and mash.
There are two main types of water seals.
- Non-removable water seal. In it, the cameras are connected in series and cannot be disconnected from each other.
- Demountable water seal. It is smaller in size due to the fact that the cameras are nested inside each other, like nesting dolls. The structure is disassembled, the inner chamber is removed.
Water seals can be sold as a separate option or included in the product package. For example, a barrel with a pneumatic lid is equipped with a water seal, which does not allow oxygen to penetrate into the barrel and come into contact with its contents.
There are lids for jars with built-in water seals. Their device is simple and effective.
- One end of the fixed hose is immersed in the jar, the other - in a small device on the lid, into which water is poured.
- Carbon dioxide comes out of the mash freely, and the water barrier does not allow oxygen to penetrate into the jar.
Such lids are convenient for those who prefer to store their mash in classic glass jars. The lid is compact and does not take up much space in terms of volume and height.
In a collapsible water seal, the chambers are nested inside each other
Types of water seals
The most primitive type is a curved pipe, whose lower elbow is filled with water. This device creates a water barrier that prevents the smell of sewage water from entering the room. This type of water seal is called a knee seal, since it includes two bends made of corrugated pipe.
Another option is a bottle siphon. It is a flask in which a water plug is formed, capable of pushing out wastewater and preventing the unpleasant odor from coming out. This model is installed under the sink in the kitchen and bathroom. To drain water through a hole in the bathroom, a special water seal with an overflow device is used.
Knee water seal diagram.
The bottle siphon model also filters solid waste to prevent it from entering the pipe and preventing clogging. If solid waste accumulates in the sump, the bottom cover can be unscrewed and the impurities can be removed by flushing. This procedure allows for periodic cleaning and maintaining the cleanliness of the sewer system.
Using modern water seals, it is possible to control the level of the water plug. Union nuts are used for these purposes. Such a device is very compact, which allows it to be placed in the pedestal of a “tulip” sink. Thanks to this, you can hide communication pipes and maintain maximum functionality.
Plumbing equipment equipped with water seals for the sewer system helps maintain the premises in a sanitary condition. Such gates have become an integral part of the sewer system.
Siphon dismantling diagram.
There are siphons that may not contain water, but other types of barriers are installed instead. There are several options for dry water seals:
- It is possible to use a spring membrane. It is held in place by a spring until water fills the void and forces the membrane to rise, opening the way for drainage.
- You can use a plastic ball whose diameter exceeds the cross-section of the pipe. Such an object is capable of blocking the flow of air until the filling water pushes it to the surface.
- A pendulum valve that, under the influence of gravity, can close the hole at any time.
- Cellular memory material is a modern innovative implementation. The principle of operation is a movable tube that constantly moves to the initial state.
It is important to note that all methods, except the float, are a type of dry water seal.
How to choose a water seal
The basic operating principle is the same for all types of devices. They differ only in form factor. Therefore, the choice of a water seal depends more on the type of container on which you will use it.
- A lid with a water seal is suitable for a glass jar.
- For a barrel, you can use a pneumatic lid with a water seal.
- For plastic containers or glass bottles, you can use a collapsible or non-removable water seal. It is attached to a rubber lid and the containers are sealed with it.
Let's resort to "grandmother's" advice
An old and fairly reliable remedy is the first universal helpers of housewives - soda and vinegar. They can be used in different ways.
So, the first method involves using only soda. Pour half a pack of soda powder into the drain of a bathtub that is not filled with water, let it sit for about five minutes, and then turn on the hot water tap.
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In the second method, vinegar is also used. Four large spoons of soda are poured into the drain hole of the pipe, and vinegar (0.5 cup) is poured on top. A violent chemical reaction will immediately begin. In order not to impede its progress, the hole should be covered with something or plugged with a stopper. After some time (15-20 minutes), turn on the hot water and rinse the pipe under strong pressure.
The “vinegar-soda” method is quite effective, but it can negatively affect the condition of the pipes.
Light contamination can be removed by squeezing the juice out of the lemon and pouring it down the drain. After about an hour or two, the bath is washed with hot water.
Let's clean it without a plunger
The second mechanical assistant in the problem of how to remove a blockage in the bathroom is a special plumbing cable. You need to work with it as follows:
- the siphon is disconnected from the pipe;
- the cable is lowered into the pipe and rotated in it, trying to push through the resulting plug;
- if it gets stuck in a blockage, the cable will not move further - you need to press it again and turn it;
- from time to time you should remove the cable from the pipe and clean it of dirt;
- push the cable into the pipe until the blockage is cleared.
The cable is easy to make yourself. Taking a flexible metal wire, bend one end with a hook, and wrap the other with cloth so that it is comfortable to hold in your hand.
You should work with the cable very carefully so as not to damage the pipes if they are made of plastic.
We arm ourselves with a plunger
In addition to the chemical method of clearing the blockage, you can use a mechanical one.
The simplest tool that can be used to conveniently clear a blockage in the bathroom is a plunger. The most “classic” type is a rubber socket-nozzle on a wooden handle. Now they produce compact tablets with the same function.
Using the plunger is very simple. First, you need to pour some water into the bathtub, close the overflow hole with a wet cloth so that the water pushed out by the plunger does not pour out into the bathtub, but goes into the pipe. Place the tool over the drain hole so that the nozzle completely covers the drain. A few vigorous movements, as if pumping a pump, are enough to push through the blockage. After this, you need to run a strong stream of water.
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The plunger can also be used for purely preventive purposes, from time to time “pumping” the drain pipe. And the more often this is done, the less often the drain will become clogged.
The important point is the final action: having finished cleaning, you need to close the drain hole, fill the bath with hot water, and then drain it.
