# Plumbing and drain checks when opening a holiday home

Source: https://cantleyvidanjoraltyapi.com/en/blog/holiday-home-plumbing-check/

Published: 2026-10-17

## In short

- A sewer smell when you arrive usually comes from dried-out traps. Pouring water down every drain normally stops it.
- Open the main valve slowly, and once the water is on, watch the connections for drips for a while.
- The rubber seal inside the cistern can leak after months without water. A thin trickle running into the toilet bowl is a sign of this.
- Test the drains one by one with plenty of water, and watch the others while you test each one.
- Lift the lid of the garden manhole and look, but never climb down into it.

Checking the plumbing and drains when you open a holiday home starts before you turn the water on and ends with testing every drain in the house in turn. In a house that has been shut for months, the water in the traps evaporates, insects and dust settle in the drains, the rubber parts in the cistern dry out, and soil and roots can build up in the garden line. If you spot these on the first day, they usually stay small jobs.

If you own a holiday home in one of Istanbul's coastal districts such as Şile or Silivri, the first weekend of the season often greets you with a smell or a slow-draining shower. Taking a pen and paper as soon as you walk in and following the order below makes it easier to see which problem is coming from where.

## Where does the smell on opening the door come from?

A sewer smell when you open the door usually comes from dried-out traps. The curved section under each drain normally holds a little water, and that water stops air from the sewer coming up into the house. When nobody runs water for months, it evaporates and the smell spreads straight into the rooms.

The fix is simple: pour a few glasses or a bucket of water down the sink, shower, bath, floor drain and washing machine drain. Bathroom floor drains and a little-used guest bathroom are the places that dry out fastest. If the smell does not fade within a while after you pour the water, the source may be the vent pipe or a loose pipe connection.

## What should you look at before turning the water on?

Before turning the water on, take a look at the connections under the taps, the cistern hoses and any pipes you can see. A connection that has cracked over the winter from damp or cold will start to leak the moment water reaches it. Opening the main valve slowly rather than all at once lets the trapped air and sediment come out in a controlled way.

Once the water is on, open the taps one by one. The first water may be rusty or cloudy, so let it run until it clears. While you do this, check inside the cabinets under the sinks and the bathroom floor. If you see a wet spot, close the relevant isolation valve and inspect the connection.

- Swelling, rust or cracks in the flexible hoses under the taps
- Dripping at the cistern and washing machine valves
- Damp at the water heater or gas geyser connections
- Stains or swelling on cabinet floors left by an old leak

## Insects, dust and leaves in the drain strainers

Drains that have not been used for a long time are a sheltered hiding place for insects. Cobwebs and dust collect under floor drain grates, and balcony and terrace drains gather feathers, pine needles and sand blown in by the wind. The first step is to lift the strainer covers and clean the part you can reach, wearing gloves.

Small insects that came in through dried-out traps usually retreat once the traps fill with water. In most cases, filling the traps with plenty of water is enough, rather than pouring insecticide or chemical drain opener down the drain. Chemicals can damage PVC pipe and seals, and they put at risk the safety of a tradesperson who comes later.

For drains with an outer cover, such as floor drains on the garden side, putting a fine wire mesh over the cover the next time you close up the house reduces the amount of insects and leaves getting in.

## Are the cistern and toilet leaking water?

The rubber seal inside the cistern hardens after months without water and no longer sits properly. The sign is a thin trickle of water running into the toilet bowl when you have not flushed, or a cistern that now and then refills by itself. This leak inflates the water bill and makes a noticeable trickling sound in the quiet of the night.

You can do a simple test: add a few drops of food colouring to the cistern and wait for a while without flushing. If you see coloured water in the bowl, the seal is leaking. Replacing the seal or the inner fittings is usually an easy job, but if the toilet has to be taken off its base, leave that to a plumber.

## In what order should you test the drains?

Testing the drains one by one with plenty of water brings out any narrowing that has formed during the months the house was closed. While you test one drain, watch the others too. Gurgling from the sink when you run the shower, or water rising in a floor drain, shows there is a narrowing in the shared line. This order makes the job easier:

If water starts to hold back during any of the tests, stop using the other drains and note which drain showed what. If only a single sink is slow, taking off the trap and cleaning it is often enough. If several drains are affected together, the problem is at the main outlet of the house, and forcing it will push water up out of the lowest drain.

- Pour a few full pans of warm water into the kitchen sink and watch whether it drains away without holding back.
- Run the shower and bath with the plug out, and see whether water collects at the drain opening.
- Flush the toilet a few times. If the water level rises and goes down slowly, stop flushing.
- Run the washing machine empty on a short programme and watch the floor drain while it empties.
- Test the rainwater line by pouring a bucket of water into the balcony and terrace drains.

## The garden line and manhole covers

In detached holiday homes, the wastewater line from the house usually passes through one or more manholes in the garden before joining the main sewer. Over the winter, soil and leaves get in around the edges of these covers, and the roots of garden trees can work their way into the pipe joints. Lifting the cover and looking inside is enough. Never climb down into the manhole, because harmful gas can build up in these closed chambers.

While someone in the house runs water, watch the manhole. If the water flows through freely, the line is clear. If the water rises in the manhole, overflows from the cover or never arrives, the blockage is between the house and the manhole or in the section after the manhole. Root and soil build-up at these points can be located with a CCTV drain camera inspection and cleared without digging up the garden.

## Frequently asked questions

### Why does a holiday home smell of sewage?

A sewer smell in a holiday home mostly comes from the water in unused traps evaporating. Pouring water down every drain usually stops the smell. If it continues, the vent pipe or a loose connection should be checked.

### Do drains get blocked in a house that has been closed for a long time?

Drains rarely block by themselves in a house that has been closed for a long time, but the grease and soap residue left inside can dry and harden, and balcony drains fill with leaves and soil. Testing with plenty of water on opening day brings this build-up to light.

### What should I do if the cistern keeps leaking water?

If the cistern keeps leaking water, first close the cistern valve and check the rubber seal inside. A seal that has stayed dry for a long time can harden and leak, and it may need replacing.

### What should I do if the manhole in the garden overflows?

If the manhole in the garden overflows, cut down water use in the house straight away and do not go into the manhole. Overflow shows there is a blockage in the line between the manhole and the main sewer, and the line needs to be cleared with machinery.

## Is your holiday home ready for the season?

If you have come across a slow drain or an overflowing manhole on opening, call 0212 923 66 85 or send a photo on WhatsApp. The Cantley team comes to the address, shows you the problem on site and fixes it without breaking tiles or walls.

Phone: 0212 923 66 85 (tel:+902129236685)  
WhatsApp: https://wa.me/905315687185