While garbage bags can leak for various reasons, including punctures, tears, or faulty seams, one specific way trash can leak out when using a garbage bag is related to modifications made to the trash bin itself, as sometimes done to improve airflow.
Airflow and the Vacuum Effect
When a trash bin becomes full, the garbage bag can sometimes cling tightly to the inside walls of the bin. This happens because a full trash bin can create a vacuum that clings the bag to the bin's walls, leaving no room for airflow. This vacuum effect makes it difficult to remove the bag.
Attempting to Improve Airflow
To combat this vacuum effect and make bag removal easier, people sometimes look for ways to improve airflow around the bag inside the bin. Common suggestions include:
- Taping a Tube: A recommended method is to tape a tube inside the trash can. This simple trick helps to keep air flowing around the bag, preventing the vacuum from forming.
- Drilling a Hole: Another method people might consider is drilling a hole in the trash can itself. The idea is that this hole would allow air to enter the bin, breaking the vacuum seal.
How Drilling a Hole Can Cause Leaks
However, while drilling a hole might potentially help with airflow, it introduces a significant risk of leakage. According to some sources, drilling a hole in your trash can to keep air flowing can cause trash to leak out. This means that despite helping with airflow issues, creating an opening in the bin provides a path for waste materials to escape the bin, even if the bag is inside. If the bag tears near the hole, or if liquid pools at the bottom and finds the opening, leakage can occur through the drilled hole.
Therefore, while improving airflow is desirable for easy bag removal, methods like drilling holes can inadvertently lead to leakage of trash from the bin.
