The smell of an acrylic bath

The first acrylic baths appeared shortly after the Second World War. In 1948, the first consignment was issued by the British concern ICI.Since that moment, disputes between supporters and opponents of acrylic have not abated. Some believe that this material produces a sharp and unpleasant smell, while others praise the excellent properties of acrylic resin and do not notice any foreign odors. Does it smell of an acrylic bath and how to get rid of it? This will be discussed in the article.

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Advantages of acrylic bathtubs

The smell of an acrylic bath is almost always there. In some cases, it is very weak and disappears without any effort on the part of the owners a few days after installation. Other consumers are less lucky - they feel not a weak, not very pleasant scent, but a real stink. It is so strong that it is simply impossible to use the bathroom. Do not help, either detergents, or air fresheners, and in the end, the desperate master refuses acrylic plumbing, changes it to a more expensive, but reliable cast iron.

It turns out to be in vain. Quality acrylic bath should not stink, and it has very tangible advantages:

• lightness;
• low thermal conductivity;
• good sound insulation;
• comparatively low price.

Of course, light weight is important mainly for delivery and installation, so this can not be ignored. But the low thermal conductivity means that the water in the acrylic font cools down more slowly than in the cast iron, so for fans of hot baths acrylic is a real find. It's also nice that a jet of water, striking about such a bath, produces very little noise. But even the most positive qualities lose all meaning if the font can not be used.

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The smell from an acrylic bath - what to do?

So, an acrylic miracle was brought and installed. It seems to be all right, but a couple of days pass - and a miracle does not seem that way, because it starts to piss. A few more days - the smell from the acrylic bath is amplified. How to be?

First make sure that it is an unpleasant smell of the bathtub or the one with which it was mounted. It is quite easy to do this. If the sewage system is faulty, the fragrance will go both from the toilet bowl and from the sinks in both the bathroom and the kitchen.

Having determined that the new acrylic bath stinks, first of all give up attempts to eliminate the odor by using traditional means. You will not be helped:

• air fresheners;
• detergents;
• aromatic candles;
• means for sewage cleaning.

All these funds for a while can kill a faint smell, but not for long. In addition, the causes of the stench they do not exactly eliminate.

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Why does stink occur?

Where does this unpleasant odor, capable of forever averting a person from acrylic plumbing, come from? It appears in only two cases:

• in case of violation of production technology:
• when using other materials instead of acrylic.

How do you make bathtubs?

Acrylic fonts are not the same. According to the manufacturing method, they can be divided into two classes:

• from drinking acrylic PMMA;
• is a two-layer extruded ABS + PMMA composite sheet.

Baths made of these materials differ:

• in appearance;
• for performance.

Fonts from drinking acrylic

This material has a scientific name - polymethylmethacrylate. Outwardly it is a transparent plastic plastic. Of the same material, for example, organic glass is made.

From the PMMA cast a fairly simple bath. This is due to the qualities of the material. The polymer undergoes a thermal treatment, but its amorphous properties are not sufficient to make it possible to make something of an exquisite shape, with carefully thought out bulges and bends. In addition, this material has some properties that are not very user-friendly:

• it is fragile;
• does not withstand sharp heating;
• needs delicate care - it does not tolerate abrasives and hard jaws.

Important! Baths made of drinking acrylic are quite cheap, so buyers who do not particularly care about stylish design often choose them.

Composite sheet ABS + PMMA

This material has the intricate name acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. Baths from it are somewhat more expensive, but they have more positive properties, because extrusion acrylic, which has good amorphous properties, is combined with a thermoplastic resin. The resin has good anti-shock properties.

Advantages of fonts made of composite material:

• strength;
• resistance to heat;
• resistance to abrasives;
• resistance to aggressive chemicals.

In addition, the material is plastic enough, so make it a variety of things, including whimsical baths. It would seem that the material is perfection itself. But it is the baths from the composite sheet that most often emit a smell, which justifiably worries the newly-minted owners.

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production technology To understand where the smell of an acrylic bath comes from, let's talk about how fonts are made, because it's technology violations that are the cause of stink.

The ideal font should not smell.

Bowls made of drinking acrylic

For the production of a quality bath, the acrylic plate is placed in a special thermoforming machine. It melts, after which it is pressed into the shape of the font with the help of a vacuum unit. Then the process goes as follows:

1. On the outer side of the workpiece, a reinforcement layer is applied, which consists of a special resin-a polymer or a familiar epoxy, into which glass fibers are added.
2. The procedure is repeated several times, imposing more and more reinforcing layers.
3. The workpiece is put into the furnace.
4. The layers are fused until the product becomes extremely hard.

Important! This technology is quite cheap, that's why most manufacturers keep it. That is, the buyer has more chances to buy a quality product that does not harm his health.

Composite sheet

The production of the font from the composite sheet is somewhat different. On the layer of acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene( ABS), a layer of molten extrusion acrylic with increased viscosity is melted. This makes it possible to pour a bath of any shape. Then the following happens:

1. The bath, as in the previous case, is placed in a special machine where the material melts.
2. Composite sheet is shaped - also with a vacuum unit. But since the material has high amorphous properties, the shape can be any.
3. Apply a few reinforcing layers.
4. All layers are melted in the furnace.

Important! To apply the reinforcing layer, a polyester resin dissolved in styrene is used. Free styrene should be completely eroded - this occurs at a strictly defined temperature and for a given time.

The most vulnerable process

At what stage is the technology violated? Usually this happens at the final stage, that is, joining the layers into a single whole. It gives off the smell from the acrylic bath is a free styrene - a substance not only smelly, but in high concentrations dangerous to health. Where does it come from?

The technology of manufacturing baths from a composite sheet is quite expensive, so unscrupulous producers try to shorten the process:

1. If the bath( or any other product) can not withstand in the oven as much as necessary - styrene will not erode.
2. After you fill the font with warm water, the harmful binder begins to evaporate.

Important! In the countries of the European Union, the use of extrusion acrylic is forbidden where objects that contact the human body are made, but in China, for the manufacture of cheap baths, it is used very often, as in a number of other countries.

Two words about the properties of styrene

Styrene, the same phenylethylene or vinylbenzene. It is a colorless liquid. In addition to the fact that it smells strongly, styrene has such properties:

• does not dissolve in water;
• is highly soluble in organic solvents;
• itself excellently dissolves polymers;
• is slightly toxic.

Important! The maximum permissible concentration in the air is 0.005 mg / ccd.

How to distinguish one font from another?

Is it possible to determine which bath will produce a foreign smell, and which one is not? Do it "by eye" does not work, even if you buy a font not through the Internet, but in the most ordinary store. So what - have to wait: lucky or not?

Not exactly. Some steps you can take:

1. Ask the seller for a product certificate.
2. Read it carefully.
3. Do not forget to ask for a certificate for the material.

Unfortunately, such measures do not guarantee that the real qualities of the bath will be the same as those described in the documents. The manufacturer is responsible for the content of the certificates. Hence follows a logical conclusion - you need to choose only products of companies that have long and well-proven in the market of sanitary equipment. Usually it's European companies - English and German.

Important! Some of the bathtubs are made so poorly that the smell of styrene from them is felt already in the store. If you are going to buy a font, do not forget to smell it from the side of the reinforcing layer: the presence of a smell will tell you that it is better to look for another bath.

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How does the sealant smell?

Even if you are lucky and you bought an acrylic bath that meets the European sanitary requirements, after installation you will still feel an easy, but perhaps not very pleasant scent. So far, there is no reason to worry: the sealant, which is treated with docking seams, smells, although not very much. When the substance hardens - the aroma disappears.

Important! Sealants, which are used for the installation of sanitary ware, differ in many parameters, including the rate of congealing. So, if you do not want the not-so-usual flavor to fill your bathroom too long, choose a high-speed sealant.

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The smell from an acrylic bath - how to eliminate?

If the sewer system is ok, the sealant is dry and the bathroom is still nasty, check if the font is really the fault. It is necessary strongly, but gently press the surface of the font. If you hear a crunch - it means that the bath was not kept in the oven and the reinforcing layer did not connect to the main one. You can try to fix the problem, so that the smell from the acrylic bath does not bother you more:

1. Pour a full bath of very hot water.
2. Allow the water to cool to room temperature.
3. Repeat the procedure for one to two weeks.

Important! Hot water will make it possible to harden the reinforcing layer. Use the bathroom, if you are not very worried about the smell, at this time you can. As the reinforcing layer dries, the smell should weaken. Accordingly - if you have done this procedure a couple of times, you have felt the change for the better - continue the process.

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If the smell does not disappear

It can also happen that when you pour hot water, the smell will intensify. This means that the matter is not in the reinforcement layer, but in the fact that the composite itself is of poor quality. In this case, to bring the bath to an acceptable state on its own will not succeed. On the contrary, you can harm the health of your family members.

What should I do?- Try to return the bath to the supplier. If you bought it in a normal salon, it would not be worth it. Problems can arise from those who purchased a useless product through an online store.

And what to do if you can not exchange a font for a new one, but there is not money for one more purchase? Have to block styrene vapor. Not the best way out, but the only one. When styrene is not active - it is harmless, and toxic fumes appear when it begins to react with the environment:

• when the temperature rises;
• with increasing humidity;
• when exposed to ultraviolet radiation.

Important! To block the penetration of styrene into the room, a layer of liquid acrylic plastic must be applied to the bath. This technology is called "stakril."You can easily find the necessary components in the nearest construction store. Now many people face this problem.

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Baths without styrene

On sale now you can already find baths, in the production of which styrene is not used at all. Assortment, however, is still small. They are supplied mainly by the company "Thermolux".Instead of resin with diluted liquid glass for the reinforcing layer, polyurethane is used - neutral to the environment and absolutely harmless to the human body substance.

Important! If the certificate you see the mark of the Green armor - this is exactly what you need, that is, a bath that has all the advantages of an acrylic font, but completely devoid of its shortcomings. No foreign smell from the acrylic bath after installing this model in your bathroom will not be exactly.

We hope you were able to cope with the problem, and now you enjoy the purchase and use of a new font.