Damp smell in downstairs toilet

[GazM]

Hi All , I've just bought a house and the downstairs toilet stinks of a damp smell. After a lot of destruction I found the source. The sink is set in a "boxed in" vanity type thing which I want to remove and the waste pipe drains in to what looks like a open sewer. There is mould and rat/mouse poo present so obviosly want to sort this out. The waste pipe hangs into a rectangular clay hopper ( I think thats what its called ) with a 5x6 and a 6x6 square opening , there is no cover or lid. It has water in the bottom so I assume there is a trap of some sort. I dont think removing it is possible so my plan is to clean it back to new condition and either make some lids from thick plastic and fit some kind of 32mm or 40mm adapter for the waste pipe OR gently push a soil pipe adapter into the hopper and back fill it with cement and fit a cap with 32mm and 40mm holes. I am clearly not in the plumbing business but do these ideas seem ok or not. Any help is greatly appreiciated.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

I think you only need to get new seals + would you be able to post a picture

 

[oz-plumber]

From what I can gather from your post, it sound like a handyman has done the installation originally.
If the vanity was boxed in, then the only way rats could enter the area is from the sewer pipe.
Something is catastrophically wrong somewhere.

To find what the exact problem is and how to remedy the problem so it doesn't happen again, I would call someone who has experience in this field - eg: a Plumber.

Hope this helps,

Oz Plumber

 

[GazM]

Thanks for your replies , I'm not at the house for a few days so can't send a photo , I realise this would help massively. In my last house there was a thing called an " elephants foot " . I think this the kind of thing I need just to cover it all over . Like you say probably best to get a plumber in.