Foul stench when neighbour flushes loo

[bigglesuk]

Hi,

I've been doing plumbing work in my bathroom (replacing suite etc) and have a slight issue. When ever my neighbours in the flat downstairs flush their loo I get a foul stench in my bathroom. It's a really strong stench.

It's not coming from the WC or where the Pan connector goes into the soil pipe, it's coming from somewhere in/near the soil stack.

Any ideas how I can find out where bad air is coming from?

The soil pipe extension that goes from the stack towards the loo moved during installation (twisted round a little) should that be glued/sealed in place on the stack?

Thanks in advance for any help.


Adam

 

[uknokianut]

Do you know if they had a curry the night before >

 

[bster]

have you still got open ended waste pipe work (bath, basin,WC etc) or have you finished the installation and filled all traps with water?

 

[bigglesuk]

There are three connections into the soil stack from my bathroom. Firstly the toilet which is completely plumbed in. Secondly that bath, which is also plumbed in and both of these have water in the traps.

My sink isn't plumbed in so we have put some paper down the waste to keep the stench out the room. The soil stack is in a boxed section in the corner of the room, where the smell is very strong compared to the rest of the room. The waste pipe for the sink is over the other side of the room so it's not that.

I think there is a hole/crack in the piping somewhere though I'm not sure where!!

Is there any kind of smoke system we could employ to try and find where the smell is getting out?

Thanks,

Adam

 

[gavinda]

no but itll cover the smell.

seriously though... get that boxing off. sharpish. if it is cracked it may not be just smells leaking out

 

[bster]

sounds like you may have dislodged the pipe work somewhere

Where is the soil pipe terminated to?

 

[kevplumb]

does the stack go all the way up through the ceiling

 

[bigglesuk]

The boxing is off as I'm only half way through sorting out the bathroom. The pipe goes up into the loft and out the roof. I've looked for obvious cracks/gaps etc and can't see any.

The soil stack is standard grey piping. Originally from the soil stack a grey extension pipe came out and then a right angle connector was on the end. The right angle connector was glued onto the extension. We cut the extension back and placed a new right angle connector in that is designed to be slid inside the soil pipe. When finding out the original right angle connector was glued, the other end of the extension (end that connects into the stack) rotated round a bit. Shouldn't that be glued in?

Adam

 

[dr gonzo]

is the sink trap in place ??

if so fill it with water insead of brown paper

if you havent got the trap in place put it there and fill it with water

and if the smell goes you will know why and it saves you ripping stuff out

 

[DP]

Typical case of not knowing when the hole is too deep.

 

[bigglesuk]

I need to get a new trap before I can put it on the sink waste pipe.

However....

As I said before, the stench is strongest in the boxed in section (which has the side off), this contains the soil stack. The sink waste pipe is over the other side of the room so the theory that the smell is coming from there can't be right otherwise it would be stronger over there than by the soil stack area.

 

[bigglesuk]

Ok, I've still got the issue.

Recap: Neighbour downstairs flushes toilet after a disposing of bodily solids and I get a foul stench in my bathroom. It is strong, as though you have just walked into a freshly used loo and appears just after they have flushed.

All connectors into the soil stack in both mine and my neighbours flat seem ok. All connections have P or S traps on them. When I flush my loo I do see that the water in my bath P trap moves slightly (ripple) but nothing major.

My neighbours boxed in section is complete (tiled over fully) and have an extractor fan going straight into the pipework up and out the roof.

Questions: -

• Should a soil stack be airtight?
  Is there anyway of checking a soil stack for slight air leaks?

I'm getting no where with my managing agents for the block of flats, they just keep telling me to box it in and it will be fine. Which isn't actually solving the problem!

 

[dunny]

I had this and it was a faulty trap in the shower. I had to put an external trap in as the other was under the floor. Once that was in it was sorted. I would get the trap on the sink first and see if the smell goes away. I know what your saying about where the smell is strongest but it could be a red herring...

D

 

[JonB]

Nowt worse than a gone off Herring.