Any idea what's causing this smell?

[themoo]

My bathroom smells occasionally of drains. I live in a ground floor flat with a drain right outside. The washing machine, dishwasher and kitchen sink all go into this drain. I had it cleared by a drain chap a couple of months ago who said I should run clear water through it once a week for 15 minutes, which I do. The smell has abated but every now and then I still catch the smell, and it's driving me potty (pun intended).

About 6 months ago my plumber put in a new loo and I have been wondering if that has anything to do with it. I didn't need one per se, but the seat had broken and it was impossible to get a new seat to replace it (stupid style of loo) so I had to have a new loo (which I kind of wanted anyway as the cistern was hidden behind a load of tiles). The old cistern is hidden behind the tiles. Could this have anything to do with it?

Thank you in advance for any help you can give!

 

[big-all]

worth checking the u bends in sink bath and shower are full
off course iff they keep emptying then you need to find the reason for the syphoning or u bend drying out ??

 

[themoo]

Thank you. The little basin in the bathroom does drain slowly although I thought this was because it has a small plughole! Can you recommend a product to give it a good blast please? Bath & shower are fine and were cleaned out by my plumber at the same time as the loo was fitted.

 

[Wayners]

Something different to drains.
Pull switches or lights smell of fish.. Kind of.. If the bulb or wires are not right and start to arc causing plastic to melt. Shower pull switches are a common one and to me it's a rotten fish smell.
You can see its melting when inspected.

Get a bin liner over you hand or pond gloves and clean drains out. Scoop out to the bottom. Stop stink coming up pipes.

Hope you sort. Get plumber back

 

[Bosswhite]

Something different to drains.
Pull switches or lights smell of fish.. Kind of.. If the bulb or wires are not right and start to arc causing plastic to melt. Shower pull switches are a common one and to me it's a rotten fish smell.
You can see its melting when inspected.

Get a bin liner over you hand or pond gloves and clean drains out. Scoop out to the bottom. Stop stink coming up pipes.

Hope you sort. Get plumber back

I have come across this sort of Problem a couple of times now, putting in the old style High Wattage Bulbs which charred the lamp holder or plastic shade caused the smell .

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Can you recommend a product to give it a good blast please? Bath & shower are fine and were cleaned out by my plumber at the same time as the loo was fitted.

Best - strip the pipes + trap and clean out thoroughly. 2nd best, put bleach down and leave it over night to soak. Much better - bung up the exit and fill entire pipe and trap with water plus bleach and leave to soak, but watch your eyes when you remove the bung.

 

[tell80]

Hi,
Its not clear but are you saying the old cistern is still in position & being used with the new pan or has the new pan & cistern been installed?
Given all your wastes discharge into a gulley then any waste/soil pipe connection will be made in a manhole or underground.

Typical causes of smells are as above &:
1. a bad wc connection with the soil pipe - typically the pan connector. Do you have a flex pan connector and is the pan connector going straight into the soil pipe, good - not into the soil pipe socket, bad?
2. lack of adequate ventilation for the waste pipes and/or soil pipe.
3. badly made compression fittings.
4. Blocked traps or pipework.

No need for running water thro every week.
With respect: Definitely dont use any chemicals down any waste or soil drainage - they can injure unsuspecting plumbers - or yourself.

 

[themoo]

Thank you all for your replies, which I didn't realise I had!

The bathroom had a new fan put in it fairly recently, so I think the electrician would have noticed any melting, but I wasn't aware of that so I will bear it in mind, thank you.

I put some of those sink-unblocking crystals down the drain and that seems to have done the job so far, but I will keep an eye on it.

Tell80 - the new cistern & pan have been installed and are being used. The old cistern is still in place, as it's put in behind a load of tiles which are just going to be destroyed if we take it out.

I run water into the drain (outside) because the last chap who cleaned them out told me to do this - about 15 minutes a week - as it would keep the water in there clean. My dishwasher, sinks, bath and washing machine run into it so he said I ought to do this.

By 'chemical' do you mean bleach? As in I shouldn't use bleach either?

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Bleach is fine, in moderation.

'Chemicals' refers to 'One Shot' or anything similar, these are Caustic Soda, which will easily melt skin, tissue and even your pipework.....

 

[themoo]

Thank you. I used this stuff: Buster Bathroom Drain Unblocker, Dissolves Hair and Sludge, 3 Dose Pack, 900ml : Amazon.co.uk: Grocery

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Thank you. I used this stuff: Buster Bathroom Drain Unblocker, Dissolves Hair and Sludge, 3 Dose Pack, 900ml : Amazon.co.uk: Grocery

That's exactly what you shouldn't use! Copious quantities of water down behind it to wash it through, and bear in mind traces may still remain. Warn anyone else at risk what you've used.

As for the outside drain, it's never going to be something thats smells of fresh cut flowers, but provided the pipework is set up correctly and it doesn't build up a load a crud on the grating, there's not much more you can do. Dose of bleach in plugholes, overflows and the outside drain now and again may help.

 

[themoo]

Oh blimey! If one shouldn't use it it shouldn't be for sale to the general public!

The outside drain itself doesn't smell, it's the basin I think which I have hopefully sorted now. There was some stuff on the grating but I have cleaned that off now.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Agreed it shouldn't be for sale to the Public, its evil stuff, and in the wrong hands, can cause life changing injuries. (Acid Attacks.) Basin may well have been clogged with hair and/or soap, but it is always preferable to use milder solutions wherever possible.

 

[themoo]

What would you recommend apart from bleach?

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Soda crystals.