Sewer gas smell in bathroom, advice needed

[Paul6]

Hi there, this is my first posting so hope I get it right, forgive me if not. (Sorry I've just realised it might have been better to post this in the bathroom forum but don't know how to move it).

The toilet in our ensuite bathroom has always been slow to drain, we suspect due to not enough of a fall in pipework, plus a modern flush that uses less water, so it has clogged regularly every six months or so. Usually sorted with a blast with a plunger. This happened at christmas with extra people in the house but we thought we'd sorted the blockage. However since then there has been a nasty smell in the bathroom, especially if door and window is closed. Long story short I've removed a tile from the boxing in behind toilet and can see that there are no 'wet leaks'. However the smell is definitely stronger here. Any suggestions on where to start identifying the problem. I've added a photo of the connection to toilet, can these crack or need new seals? Sorry I don't know the correct terms.
Thanks

 

[RayW]

Have you got an AAV? It's always the AAV.

 

[Chuck]

I think that you've got two problems, which may or may not stem from the same root cause. Firstly you have poor emptying and regular blockages. You need someone with a drain camera to investigate and fix this next time it happens. Secondly, you have the smell, which could be the AAV if you have one, or a leaky joint that your plunging has opened up, or (rarely) a faulty toilet bowl, or (commonly) a break at the foot of the downpipe.

This is something that needs fixing properly and it probably a bit beyond the scope of DIY as you'll need a drain camera and the kit needed to pressure test the drain.

 

[rpm]

Ugh, the dreaded flexi.

 

[Rob Foster]

Check that the traps on the bath,shower and basin are not evacuating when bog is flushed ...ie pour some water or bleach down till they are full, see if it dis appears over course of a day or so. is your bog an internal overflow or external job ?

 

[Paul6]

Have you got an AAV? It's always the AAV.

Not that I know of... most of the pipe is behind walls though and doesn't seem to be any access, unless in the loft, which I can't get into at the moment.

 

[Paul6]

I think that you've got two problems, which may or may not stem from the same root cause. Firstly you have poor emptying and regular blockages. You need someone with a drain camera to investigate and fix this next time it happens. Secondly, you have the smell, which could be the AAV if you have one, or a leaky joint that your plunging has opened up, or (rarely) a faulty toilet bowl, or (commonly) a break at the foot of the downpipe.

This is something that needs fixing properly and it probably a bit beyond the scope of DIY as you'll need a drain camera and the kit needed to pressure test the drain.

Thankyou for your reply. I don't know how the flow from toilet could be fixed as there is no way to improve the angle of the pipework? I don't think there is an AAV, as far as I can tell but most of the pipework is behind walls, built in cupboards that aren't easy to get to. There is no sign of any 'wet' leaks as far as I can tell. The smell is only recent, since the latest plunging was needed, so I guess it could stem from then.
Its a really awkward place to get to, without needing a lot of repair work, which is a pain but it seems like I might need to call a more experienced plumber.
Thanks again.

 

[Paul6]

Ugh, the dreaded flexi.

Sorry if I'm being dumb but I have no idea what drrs means?

 

[Paul6]

Check that the traps on the bath,shower and basin are not evacuating when bog is flushed ...ie pour some water or bleach down till they are full, see if it dis appears over course of a day or so. is your bog an internal overflow or external job ?

Its an internal one, nearly all hidden behind boxing in etc. The smell is definitely coming from behind the toilet though, not elsewhere in the room. Much bleach has been used by my wife!

 

[Rob Foster]

Sorry if I'm being dumb but I have no idea what drrs means?

no drrs just AAV ...automatic air vent lets air in behind your poo etc and corrects a vacuum
but crucially only works one way ....air in smells NOT out
when they fail as they are a mechanical device...smelly uck
look up pics of aav and see if you can see one ,inside or outside your gaff
Rob Foster ...aka centralheatking

 

[rpm]

Sounds like yet another "Pretty Bathroom" with absolutely no thought given as to access in time. Time to take the toilet out/ take the boxing out/ take the wall down/ access it from the other side of the wall? Whatever is needed.

 

[Rob Foster]

Hi there, this is my first posting so hope I get it right, forgive me if not. (Sorry I've just realised it might have been better to post this in the bathroom forum but don't know how to move it).

The toilet in our ensuite bathroom has always been slow to drain, we suspect due to not enough of a fall in pipework, plus a modern flush that uses less water, so it has clogged regularly every six months or so. Usually sorted with a blast with a plunger. This happened at christmas with extra people in the house but we thought we'd sorted the blockage. However since then there has been a nasty smell in the bathroom, especially if door and window is closed. Long story short I've removed a tile from the boxing in behind toilet and can see that there are no 'wet leaks'. However the smell is definitely stronger here. Any suggestions on where to start identifying the problem. I've added a photo of the connection to toilet, can these crack or need new seals? Sorry I don't know the correct terms.
Thanks

View attachment 36432

looks like a dead rat l/h side of the vertical copper
in the distance ...they really honk ..chking

 

[rpm]

Piece of wood.

 

[Rob Foster]

Piece of wood.

that looks like a dead rat ,
centralheatking

Piece of wood.

 

[rpm]

looks like a dead rat l/h side of the vertical copper
in the distance ...they really honk ..chking

that looks like a dead rat ,
centralheatking

So you keeping saying!

 

[Rob Foster]

let us know how you get on, I am off to the Scotch Piper its POETS day. chking

 

[rpm]

let us know how you get on, I am off to the Scotch Piper its POETS day. chking

Bye bye

 

[Paul6]

looks like a dead rat l/h side of the vertical copper
in the distance ...they really honk ..chking

No dead rat and not that kind of smell.

 

[Paul6]

Piece of wood.

Yep, piece of wood and a lot of dust but no rats and no wet mess

 

[Paul6]

no drrs just AAV ...automatic air vent lets air in behind your poo etc and corrects a vacuum
but crucially only works one way ..air in smells NOT out
when they fail as they are a mechanical device...smelly uck
look up pics of aav and see if you can see one ,inside or outside your gaff
Rob Foster ...aka centralheatking

I can't see one anywhere, just top of the vent pipe up by the roof

 

[Paul6]

Sounds like yet another "Pretty Bathroom" with absolutely no thought given as to access in time. Time to take the toilet out/ take the boxing out/ take the wall down/ access it from the other side of the wall? Whatever is needed.

Bathroom not done by me.... yes, its nicely finished and would be costly to start ripping out. Obviously if necessary we will have to but trying to go one step at a time and work out exactly what is wrong before we try fixing things. Not possible to access from other side of wall but if need be we can take tiling off and remove boxing in. Time to start looking for a local plumber I guess. Thanks for your replies.

 

[Rob Foster]

go get some proper drain dye tomorrow, red for the bog, green for the others , bung it in and see what gives where , dont give up yet. centralheatking

 

[king of pipes]

A Smelly bog its not rocket science , check that the soil pipe it is connected to is vented correctly, if you are unable to to access the loft yourself then employ the services of a plumber , get the internals of the cistern swapped you can gain a litre or two more on the flush by having a adjustable flush valve and inlet valve fitted you may need to press and hold the button briefly , but as advised this problem will not go away a your soil pipe needs venting or if a durgo type valve is fitted then it needs to be replaced . Kop

 

[Paul6]

Just to let you know, I've had a plumber round to sort the mess, it was too big of a job to do ourselves. Annoying to start the year fixing someone else's shoddy work but needs must. Thanks for the help and suggestions.

 

[Pickwickpick]

What did they do in the end to fix it?

 

[Stigster]

What did they do in the end to fix it?

Yes, OP, please let us know what they find. We are interested in this kind of thing and we might even learn something from it.

We'd love it if you can come back with whatever the cause was.

 

[Paul6]

Basically, there was stinking waste laying in the ridges of the connector (which was a lot longer than I thought) and due to the lack of fall, wasn't being washed away. Also I suspect, not helped by the over use of loo roll by guests over christmas. I'd tried to remove the concertina type flexible connector myself but couldn't.... it turned out the guy that fitted our bathroom had glued it in place. The plumber has cut it out completely, fitted a new 'smooth' connection and all is pleasant in the bathroom again. It will never be a brilliant flush, but it would cost well over a grand to remove the entire shower and back wall to replace the stack and horizontal waste. Now I will replace the tiled boxing in with easier to access screwed on boards.... we had said before it seemed daft that it was tiled in and they were a swine to remove.
Thanks again for your help.

 

[rpm]

Ah, post #4 "The dreaded flexi" strikes again!
Glad you got it sorted and came back to us with the result.

 

[Chuck]

Ah, post #4 "The dreaded flexi" strikes again!
Glad you got it sorted and came back to us with the result.

Ah, but post #3. He's fixed one problem, but how was the pong getting out of a supposedly leak-tight drain into his bathroom? If it's not already been done, I'd still want to pressure test the drain.

 

[Paul6]

Ah, but post #3. He's fixed one problem, but how was the pong getting out of a supposedly leak-tight drain into his bathroom? If it's not already been done, I'd still want to pressure test the drain.

The smell was literally coming through the flexible connector.... it was a very STRONG smell. Maybe it wasn't a very good quality connector, I don't know enough to judge but I'd be very wary of having one fitted again.

 

[Chuck]

Maybe it wasn't a very good quality connector, I don't know enough to judge but I'd be very wary of having one fitted again.

Okay, let's hope that the connector was the only issue. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

 

[WC1]

Been keeping an eye on this one, I'd be really pleased but also really surprised if that's it unless it wasn't properly seated. The material is specifically not smell permeable.

 

[Aire]

There could have been little holes in the top of the top of the flexi allowing the smell into the bathroom. I refurbed a customers bathroom that had an awful drain smell, the bathroom was in the middle of the bungalow with no ventilation so that didn't help matters. The problem was the flexi pan connector. Back to the wall pan so you couldn't see it but the top fins had perished forming little holes as it bent down into the floor. As the holes were on the top it wasn't causing a leak but they had lived with the smell for years .

 

[Paul6]

I'm really hoping I DON'T have to come back and report any more smells but will let you know if there are any developments. Thanks guys.