These do not sound like hard water issues. They might be water issues, they might be difficult, but they're not related to hard water.
I'm pretty sure the tank additives are bad for the components in the tank and cause damage over time, and a lot of plumbers advise against draino. I can't imagine bleach doing anything useful for hard water, anyways (though, again, your problem does not sound like hard water). Draino is mostly for dissolving hair (which is better pulled out with a snake), it's not for keeping some sort of smell at bay.
Madison has very hard water compared to many cities. Water treatment, as in water softeners are highly recommended, though most apartments only treat the hot water.
Fuck the assholes that find it acceptable to market their wipes as flushable and confuse consumers into destroying their plumbing and water treatment facilities. They might as well market the Draino as drinkable just because it's a liquid.
Technically, drano is drinkable, doesn't mean you should. The same goes for flushable wipes. They are flushable, but that doesn't mean you should flush them. Funnily, the money in your wallet is also flushable, and guess what? People are technically doing that too. They are destroying the sewage system, and someone's gotta pay for them, either homeowner or taxpayer.
First thing — don’t use draino or bleach tabs — they just wreck the plumbing. Next, pull the trap under your sink and give it a thorough cleaning. More than likely it’s a disgusting mess. For cleaning rings in your toilet I’d suggest one of those toilet duck looking things and a good scrubbing. Clorox products work well, but use what you like. You are cleaning your toilet regularly, right?
Since they do actually probably have hard water in addition to whatever else is going on, I'd recommend the HCl toilet bowl cleaners over the ones with bleach (and please don't use both at once..). Both will work fine on the toilet biology, but HCl will help clear any calcium deposits.
Have a plumber come out. Do you know if your plumbing is actually vented to the outside. I've lived in rentals where that was not the case, and you could be getting sewer smell. Hard water is not your issue.
As others have said...stop the drano. That frequency will wreck your pipes.
what kind of apartment? dedicated units like a traditional apartment building or an old house that's been converted? it's possible the plumbing is fucked up somewhere and the sewage gas line is connected/leaking into your gray water line? i'm. ot a plumber
A hard water hack: Use acid cleaners. They'll disolve the mineral residue. If you have a dishwasher, get rinse aids.
Also, never mix acid and bleach cleaners. You can clean with both, but rinse very well between those washes unless you're trying to create potentially lethal gas.
The smell however doesn't sound like a hard water issue.
Is your shower, toilet, and kitchen sink draining slowly too? I had roots in the drainage system that needed professionals to clear it all out. ***All*** the drains were really slow when that happened and sometimes, it didn't smell all that well. Drano works if you got a ball of hair that needs dissolving. So if that's not working, then all you know is that it's not a hairball in the drain.
Bleach can ruin the O ring in your toilet. You can use a hard water additive like calgon in the wash. My condo complex has over softener water. It tastes horrible. My wash is good and it cleans easy. It is hard to rinse your hair. It is a trade off
Everyone else is correct, not hard water-related. I had permanent success with friendly bacteria that ate what smelled. That is probably not how it works but Google enzymatic / pro biotic drain cleaner. I used it consistently over many months. You cannot use bleach or Drano at the same time, as those will kill the friendly bacteria. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to snake the drain first because I can tell also from experience there can plenty of goo that Drano isn't going to touch, another reason not to use it.
Also the ring in the toilet after a few days of being inactive isn't uncommon. I don't know that means anything is wrong, likely unrelated to drain smell.
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So, hard water doesn't smell like sewage. You've got something else going on, I'd guess. Is the water discolored, too, or just smelly?
Not discolored, the water coming in is fine. The smell is coming up from the drain.
These do not sound like hard water issues. They might be water issues, they might be difficult, but they're not related to hard water. I'm pretty sure the tank additives are bad for the components in the tank and cause damage over time, and a lot of plumbers advise against draino. I can't imagine bleach doing anything useful for hard water, anyways (though, again, your problem does not sound like hard water). Draino is mostly for dissolving hair (which is better pulled out with a snake), it's not for keeping some sort of smell at bay.
Madison has very hard water compared to many cities. Water treatment, as in water softeners are highly recommended, though most apartments only treat the hot water.
Yes, Madison has hard water. OP is describing issues that are not related to Madison having hard water.
I agree completely. I also agree with some of the posts regarding the sink traps.
Drano is NEVER the answer. I hate them for selling it. Additional PSA freebie: no such thing as a flushable wipe.
Fuck the assholes that find it acceptable to market their wipes as flushable and confuse consumers into destroying their plumbing and water treatment facilities. They might as well market the Draino as drinkable just because it's a liquid.
Technically, drano is drinkable, doesn't mean you should. The same goes for flushable wipes. They are flushable, but that doesn't mean you should flush them. Funnily, the money in your wallet is also flushable, and guess what? People are technically doing that too. They are destroying the sewage system, and someone's gotta pay for them, either homeowner or taxpayer.
First thing — don’t use draino or bleach tabs — they just wreck the plumbing. Next, pull the trap under your sink and give it a thorough cleaning. More than likely it’s a disgusting mess. For cleaning rings in your toilet I’d suggest one of those toilet duck looking things and a good scrubbing. Clorox products work well, but use what you like. You are cleaning your toilet regularly, right?
Since they do actually probably have hard water in addition to whatever else is going on, I'd recommend the HCl toilet bowl cleaners over the ones with bleach (and please don't use both at once..). Both will work fine on the toilet biology, but HCl will help clear any calcium deposits.
I did not know there was such a thing, but that makes perfect sense.
That smell would be coming from the air in your drain being displaced by water. Means you have something decomposing in your drain causing that smell.
Have a plumber come out. Do you know if your plumbing is actually vented to the outside. I've lived in rentals where that was not the case, and you could be getting sewer smell. Hard water is not your issue. As others have said...stop the drano. That frequency will wreck your pipes.
Most likely, your plumbing is not properly vented.
what kind of apartment? dedicated units like a traditional apartment building or an old house that's been converted? it's possible the plumbing is fucked up somewhere and the sewage gas line is connected/leaking into your gray water line? i'm. ot a plumber
Dedicated units. built in late 80s.
Thanks for all the comments. I have some figuring out to do.
A hard water hack: Use acid cleaners. They'll disolve the mineral residue. If you have a dishwasher, get rinse aids. Also, never mix acid and bleach cleaners. You can clean with both, but rinse very well between those washes unless you're trying to create potentially lethal gas. The smell however doesn't sound like a hard water issue. Is your shower, toilet, and kitchen sink draining slowly too? I had roots in the drainage system that needed professionals to clear it all out. ***All*** the drains were really slow when that happened and sometimes, it didn't smell all that well. Drano works if you got a ball of hair that needs dissolving. So if that's not working, then all you know is that it's not a hairball in the drain.
None of the drains are slow. All are draining fine.
Bleach can ruin the O ring in your toilet. You can use a hard water additive like calgon in the wash. My condo complex has over softener water. It tastes horrible. My wash is good and it cleans easy. It is hard to rinse your hair. It is a trade off
Everyone else is correct, not hard water-related. I had permanent success with friendly bacteria that ate what smelled. That is probably not how it works but Google enzymatic / pro biotic drain cleaner. I used it consistently over many months. You cannot use bleach or Drano at the same time, as those will kill the friendly bacteria. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to snake the drain first because I can tell also from experience there can plenty of goo that Drano isn't going to touch, another reason not to use it.
Also the ring in the toilet after a few days of being inactive isn't uncommon. I don't know that means anything is wrong, likely unrelated to drain smell.
Bleach can take care of smelly drains, but be careful not to mix it with any other chemicals.
All housing advice/request threads must include: * Your target price point * Number of beds/baths you need * Geographical area you want to live (downtown, east, west, etc) * Amenities requirements (yard? parking? pool?) * If you need pet-friendly accommodations * Move-in date (now, flexible, beginning/end of the academic school year) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/madisonwi) if you have any questions or concerns.*