Hi, I have a problem that is driving me crazy! I bought a…

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Hi, I have a problem that is driving me crazy! I bought a…

Hi, I have a problem...

Hi, I have a problem that is driving me crazy! I bought a new house about 2 months ago and ever since we moved in there has been a bad sewer smell in our main floor half bath. The previous owners deny having a smell. We have had the wax ring replaced twice. The p-traps are fine. The basement is not finished and you can see the main line going out - looks good. The septic tank was replaced before we moved in and the septic installer has been out twice - looks good to him. No septic smells outside. There was a clog in a vent pipe that we had removed but the smell hasn't improved. We had some work done on the roof and the roofing guy said the smell coming out of the vent pipe was really strong - stronger than the other 2 vent pipes by a lot. We have stumped 4 plumbers and I can't take the smell. Please help!

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Customer reply replied 6 years ago

Hi there. Thanks so much for the quick reply. I don't think the p traps are an issue because there is always water in the toilet bowl - it doesn't get sucked dry when using any other appliance - and we have had the sink stopper in and the sink filled up with water as a test to see if that was the issue. The smell is still there. The smell is hard to track down, but it doesn't smell near the floor. Smells more near the back of the toilet I think and maybe more near the ceiling / ceiling fan area. The vent pipe also runs up along the wall through an upstairs bedroom. The plumber had to cut a section of wall out in that bedroom to cut the vent pipe out to remove the clog - he couldn't get it out with the snake. Wouldn't I smell the odor in the bedroom, too if it was a crack in the vent pipe? Why would it concentrate only in the bathroom? Our plumber seems to think it might be something wrong with the toilet itself - is that even a possibility? When the septic tank was installed they replaced all of the pipes with the exception of the 5 or 6 foot piece of cast iron running from the house to the otherside of a walkway, where the septic piping begins. If there were an issue with the cast iron pipe would the smell be outside or in the basement where the main line goes out? I don't smell anything anywhere other than the bathroom and it is STRONG in the bathroom. And yes, the wax ring was replaced - twice. THANK YOU!

Customer reply replied 6 years ago

Thank you. The sink does not have an overflow and there is no tub (just a powder room) so everyhing should be sealed. Is it possible that a clog in one of the other vent pipes in the house could affect this bathroom wihout smelling up another part of the house? The plumber snaked the vent pipe that was clogged twice all the way up tp the roof and down to the main line. All clear.

Plumber: Theplumber717, Plumber, Hvac Tech replied 6 years ago

Depends on how it's vented but yes if it's clogged somewhere else and it can grab air from the sink tap easier it will

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Plumber: Theplumber717, Plumber, Hvac Tech replied 6 years ago · Answer 1

Hi
When you say the p traps are fine, what do you mean, besides the look of them. The reason i ask is they can look fine, but if they are getting sucked dry from a improper venting in the plumbing, or non venting they can get sucked dry when another fixture is being used and the system needs air, thus sucking that drain dry. Also you could have a hole in a vent pipe from say a unglued fitting in the wall, or a drywall screw that has penetrated a drain/vent pipe in the wall from construction. (To find hard to find breaks in the wall you would need to find a plumber with a smoke machine for a test to find that location of the break, as smoke would seep out the wall, under the baseboard to show you the general area to remove the wall board and repair. If it's just this bathroom and the smell is constant, take some duct tape and seal the sink, and the tub drain so no sewer gas get's thru (Also the overflow in the sink bowel and tub drain, and if the smell go's away you know the traps are dry and getting sucked dry from a venting issue (assuming it's not a bad was ring on the toilet which you say was taken care of and replaced. Reply back after reading this if you have more question's on this after reading my reply.

Plumber: Theplumber717, Plumber, Hvac Tech replied 6 years ago · Answer 2

I would rule out the toilet, the only way you could get sewer smell from that would be if the bowel was dry, or the wax ring. If you used a stopper on the sink the overflow in the front top of the sink bowl would have to be tapped over to or gas will come from there, same with the tub drain and the overflow taped at top of tub(there is a hole in the bottom if round face plate. If there was a clog in the vent I almost think it's still there or returned as this will suck the sink or tub trap dry when toilet is flushed if plugged. If a hole in the pipe in wall you may only smell it in the room it can get to easiest day under baseboard trim at wall

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