Sewage smell in bathrooms

Andy J.

Andy J.

Doin’ it LIVE
Joined
Nov 5, 2005
Location
Winston
Ive got a sewage smell in 2 of my 3 bathrooms that I cant get rid of. It started in my downstairs 1/2 bath a couple months ago, and now has started this week in my upstairs bathroom. I have not had any backups and everything seems to be working properly. I can extensively clean the entire bathroom and it will smell like poo again within a couple hours. Any ideas? :confused: The house is on a slab and built in 2005.
 
Septic? I'd call a plumber before it gets worse.
 
City Sewer or septic?
 
We'll get a fairly nasty smell every once in a while. Finally tracked it down to the overflow tube molded into the sinks. Tried a bunch of different things. Finally found a little baking soda/vinegar foams up to fill the channel, kills the gunk, and all is fine for a few more months.
 
FrontPorchFab said:
Ive got a sewage smell in 2 of my 3 bathrooms that I cant get rid of. It started in my downstairs 1/2 bath a couple months ago, and now has started this week in my upstairs bathroom. I have not had any backups and everything seems to be working properly. I can extensively clean the entire bathroom and it will smell like poo again within a couple hours. Any ideas? :confused: The house is on a slab and built in 2005.
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Is there a shower or tub in those bathrooms that never get used? If that happens, the traps can dry up and let sewer gas come through the drain.
Unlikely in a house but just a thought.
 
Yep, as said above... check vents and wet traps. The traps can be damaged through water evaporation in the lines, too much/little pressure, or even wind blowing into your vents.
 
Thanks everyone! I will definetly check those things. We use all the fixtures regularly, so the traps shouldn't have dried up. I have seen on several TV shows where the vents didn't actually vent anywhere as well, so I'll check that.

Didn't occur to me to check the sink overflows either!
 
make sure you havent been "upperdecked".


x2 on the vents.
 
me and a friend just rented a house for work here in raleigh and had a HORRIBLE sewage smell coming up from the shower..... they came and installed a vent down stream of the P trap and it's fixed. i would guess having a clogged vent is the same as no vent at all.....

my money is on clogged vents.
 
smell

I'm a plumber of 33years...The most probable cause of your smell is loose/rocking toilets..if the base of the toilet moves even the slightest bit it will compress the wax seal and the wax wont spring back leaving a place for gas to escape .Most ppl think that a compromised wax will leak liquid but there is a "horn" underneath every toilet that protrudes into the wax seal letting gas to escape without it leaking. After re-setting and before the throne is sat upon.Be sure to use grout/thinset around the base/floor contact point .... Lowes sells quick setting mortar in a 2lb tub that we use it will set in app 15 mins...and then you can caulk over the grout to trim out...and the toilet will Never need re-setting again.....:beer:
 
bulldogg213 said:
Be sure to use grout/thinset around the base/floor contact point .... Lowes sells quick setting mortar in a 2lb tub that we use it will set in app 15 mins...and then you can caulk over the grout to trim out...and the toilet will Never need re-setting again.....:beer:
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That's a good fawking idea....

How thick can you build that up? I've got a toilet that needs about 1/4" - 1/2" of shim under it to make up for the flange sitting proud of the floor. After a year or so, the shims start to move around and the toilet needs reset again.

I've considered cutting the flange off (bell end cast pipe) and lowering it... but the floor doesn't come w/in 2" of the flange, so I'd have to use a twist-n-set or something.
 
saf-t scissors said:
That's a good fawking idea....
How thick can you build that up? I've got a toilet that needs about 1/4" - 1/2" of shim under it to make up for the flange sitting proud of the floor. After a year or so, the shims start to move around and the toilet needs reset again.
I've considered cutting the flange off (bell end cast pipe) and lowering it... but the floor doesn't come w/in 2" of the flange, so I'd have to use a twist-n-set or something.
Click to expand...

I dont like to....but have in the past mixed the mud thick and grouted a gap of an inch before..so 1/4 to 1/2 would work fine...just use a wet rag and wipe it inward to leave you enuff space to cover the grout with caulk to match the color of the toilet...cuz the grout dries greyish in color...I have also tinted the grout to help match the bowl....it works great:beer:
Hope this helps!!
 
I thought about checking the wax ring, but that's a great idea about the grout! I plan to dive into this thing this weekend. We'll see what happens
 
FrontPorchFab said:
I thought about checking the wax ring, but that's a great idea about the grout! I plan to dive into this thing this weekend. We'll see what happens
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Be sure when you reset the bowl that you have to push down and that you feel the wax crush...if there's any doubt at all....stack two rings on top of each other:beer:
ps dont use the kantleak seals ...use plain ole wax by itself..the plastic funnel on the kantleak actually causes stoppages..:beer:
 
I need a little more info about the grout... you find it in the tile section with the rest of the grout and mastic? Is it premix or powder? I looked tonight, but didn't see anything that set up quickly.

But one of the flange bolts is broken, so I've got to go back tomorrow regardless. :rolleyes:
 
saf-t scissors said:
I need a little more info about the grout... you find it in the tile section with the rest of the grout and mastic? Is it premix or powder? I looked tonight, but didn't see anything that set up quickly.

But one of the flange bolts is broken, so I've got to go back tomorrow regardless. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I used the word grout as a generic word for pointing the gap between floor and bowl,although you could use tile grout also but would have to wait 24 hrs for it to set up.

It is usually near the small bags of sackreet and is made by sackreet our Lowes here has it on the endcap its called quick kreet quick setting cement and its a 10 llb burnt orange bucket not a 2 lb as earlier stated :beer::beer:
 
This weekend I replaced the wax ring and sealed up the toilet in the downstairs 1/2 bath. My wife seems to think its fixed now, but she sprayed so much smelly air freshener in there that I can't tell yet :rolleyes:. We had a party at the house about 2 hours after the repair and some relatives that were aware said they didn't smell it any more. I guess it is time to do the upstairs...

I think I did use the kantleak seal :(. I don't remember the brand name, but it did have the plastic funnel. FWIW, I tested it thoroughly afterwards ;)
 
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