Prolonged corona closure Be careful of drainage outlets! April 27, 19:59
In the declaration of an emergency caused by the new coronavirus, be careful of the "drainage outlet" for shops that have been closed for a long time.
If left unattended, there is a risk that the store may smell bad. (Naoya Saito, Momoko Ariyoshi, Reporter, Network News Department)
For those who are temporarily closed
A tweet posted on April 24th has spread.
"For shops that are temporarily closed. If you do not use the store for a long time, pests and odorous gas will come into the store from the drainage port. Go to the store about once a week and flush the toilet, flush the hand washing area
I asked a 43-year-old man who runs a construction-related company in Kochi, who posted, "Runs water in the kitchen sink and runs water if there is a drain on the floor ."
Toxic gas corrodes pests
It is said that the reason for the posting was that I remembered the sight that I saw at the apartment that I visited for repair.
"No one lived in the apartment bought for investment for five years, but the walls and floor around the toilet were badly worn out, and it was terrible."
Upon investigating, the water in the toilet bowl dried up before anyone used it, and the toxic gas in the sewer pipe flowed into the condominium, corroding the walls and floors of the toilet. .
In addition, a man runs a restaurant in the city and is open only for two days on weekends, but even if he does not open the store for five days on weekdays, the smell of sewage from the drain of the kitchen and the pests It was that there was a crawl up.
"Because the equipment is old, it is easy to run out of water at the drain, so it is necessary to flush the water frequently. Although I have been consulted that I smell sewage from my work pattern, kitchen floor and toilet. However, I posted because I think that it is easy to be overlooked because it is solved by simply flowing a full glass of water because the water in the drain is running out.
Drain trap “trap”
Does that really happen?
We asked "Taniko," a kitchen equipment manufacturer with its headquarters in Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo.
"I'm concerned that this declaration of emergency could cause a similar case in restaurants with long holidays."
According to the manufacturer, a device called a "drain trap" is installed at the sink in the kitchen or at the drain outlet on the floor, and the pipe is curved in an S shape or has a lid like a bowl, so that the drain pipe It is said that a layer of water is created between and to prevent the smell of sewage and the invasion of harmful insects.
When water is poured into the drain port, the accumulated water flows into the sewer pipe and is replaced with new water.
However, if the water is no longer used due to the prolonged holidays and the water in the trap disappears for some reason, there is a risk of direct connection with the sewer pipe.
Masaaki Sugawara, Tanico Quality Assurance Department
“I haven't confirmed the possibility because there are several possibilities, but I think the water accumulated in the drain trap has evaporated, or another restaurant that is still operating is It is possible that the flow of water will reduce the pressure in the sewer pipe and cause the water in the drain trap to be sucked out.
It is also possible to forget to install the trap after cleaning, because a few years ago, when I was cleaning during a summer vacation at a lunch cooking facility, I left the trap on the drainage port removed, It means that there was a case where a strange odor occurred.
Also be careful of the refrigerator!
It is not only the drain that emits odors.
A person in charge of "Hoshizaki," a general kitchen machine manufacturer headquartered in Aichi Prefecture, points out that it is necessary to pay attention to refrigerators, ice makers, and dishwashers.
A person in charge of the general kitchen machine manufacturer “Hoshizaki” said,
“The inside of the refrigerator that is turned off due to the high outside temperature is an environment that easily leads to the growth of germs. In addition, if you use an ice machine or something that uses water without draining it properly, you will have problems with hygiene such as odor. "
This company has been inquired one after another from restaurants that are closed due to the influence of the new coronavirus, and posted maintenance instructions on the homepage to call for maintenance during the holidays.
Be careful about electricity and gas when reopening the store
Furthermore, in the future, it is the handling of electricity and gas that calls for more attention when resuming business.
According to the kitchen equipment manufacturer who interviewed at the above-mentioned drainage port, there is a risk of electric leakage and gas leakage due to deterioration due to being unused for a long time.
When restarting business, it is said that instead of passing electricity or gas immediately, it is necessary to check the power source and mains of cooking equipment one by one, and then open the electric breaker and mains of gas. I will.
"Shiny after the holidays"
Prolonged self-restraint days.
Still, from the SNS posting, it can be seen that many shoppers are looking forward to the day when they will resume operations.
"Watering the plants, checking the mail, cleaning the kitchen, which I can't normally do, and coming to the store almost every day."
"Because it's closed, I clean the tiles at the entrance. Take more time than usual. "It's going to be a shiny
shop after the holidays ." "There is some clerical work even during the holidays of the restaurant. I also do cleaning. I've been adding facilities, developing and improving menus."
Once the self-restraint is over, the shop owners want more customers to have fun again. That's why be careful of traps in drain traps!