What's That Smell? The Peculiar World of Spanish Plumbing

Why Does My Spanish Bathroom Smell? The Plumbing Mystery Explained

There comes a moment when you realise you've properly moved to Spain.

It's not your first fiesta. It's not ordering a café con leche in Spanish. It's standing in your beautifully clean bathroom, sniffing suspiciously and asking:

"Why does that smell of drains?"

Welcome to the peculiar world of Spanish plumbing.

In this episode of Spanish Practices, I go beneath the tiles to investigate one of those little differences about living in Spain that nobody thinks to mention before you move here.

Where's the U-bend under the sink? What's that mysterious round plate in the bathroom floor? Why can an unused shower suddenly start sharing the aroma of the sewer system with the rest of the house? And why does everything start gurgling ominously when the heavens open?

We'll discover the Spanish central floor trap, what happens when its water evaporates in the summer heat, why flushing one thing can occasionally upset another — and why the Spanish solution to a smelly drain can sometimes be little more complicated than: "Sí, claro. Hay que echar agua."

Then there's the rain.

When a proper Spanish downpour arrives, drains gurgle, streets become rivers, communal bins begin migrating downhill and your bathroom suddenly seems emotionally involved in the weather.

But perhaps Spanish plumbing isn't necessarily bad plumbing.

Perhaps it's plumbing designed for a different climate, a different style of building and a time when nobody imagined quite so much rain.