Bad sewage odours

[amatureleccy]

I have read many of the post on this topic and am looking for advice on what expert I can get in to identify the cause of my problem.

Basically I had some building work done that involved a new bathroom, new waste pipe to the manhole and a new megaflow.

From certain spots in the house I am, a year after the building work, starting to get smells in various locations of the house.

I have spent weeks trying to get a clearer picture of my problem but cannot trace it. It would get very complicated to describe my waste pipe layout. I realize I could have a multitude of problems from broken sewer pipes under the floor base to badly set out vents

If I were to get an expert in, would I get a standard plumber to start with. Or, do I go straight to a full drain survey. Would a drain survey be able to trace the layout of all the pipes and then advise on the problem. I have googled for a drain surveyor but just get millions of hits from all over.

I live in Surrey. Anyone able to recommend anyone.

Thanks[/quote]

 

[Nige F]

From certain spots in the house I am, a year after the building work, starting to get smells in various locations of the house.

from broken sewer pipes under the floor base to badly set out vents

If I were to get an expert in, would I get a standard plumber to start with. I live in Surrey. Anyone able to recommend anyone.

Thanks

[/quote] I can recommend someone in Hertfordshire who`s on the forum - does plumbing and drainage Then there`s me in Sussex . I would say it`s more likely to be badly set vents

 

[Burnerman]

I'd start by trying to trace the whereabouts of the soil vent pipe (SVP)......does it exit to outside, or somewhere in the building with an automatic air vent fixing?
John

 

[Nige F]

If I were to get an expert in, would I get a standard plumber to start with.

Thanks

[/quote] You`ll be lucky in Surrey - Treasure Island comes to mind - of course you could hire a Dom Littlewood lookalike

 

[amatureleccy]

The SVP rises up through the extension, protrudes throught it's roof, proceeds up the side of the house, joined to the exterior wall of an original part of the house. There is a cap just above the level of the top window of the loft stairwell.

There is every possibility that the are open pipes connected to it. This is where I imagine a CCTV camera will come in handy.

 

[Nige F]

save your money on a CCTV your description is adequate for a diagnosis the Cap on the SVP - is it a Durgo or Air Admittance Valve ? . Secondly , get some of those wooden coffee stirrers - use them to dip the traps in the house , in the morning before the appliances are used - see if the traps have a correct level of water in them to effect a seal Report back . Smells can travel all over the place in ducts etc. I stunk out the reception area of an Hotel I worked in once I cleaned a trap in the health club @ the far end basement with drain cleaner - there was an open end in pipework buried in a boxing in the basement offices - the pong crept yards through boxings/ ducts/ voids and went upstairs - took a long time to locate and fix . yours sounds like traps being drawn out to me

 

[Burnerman]

save your money on a CCTV your description is adequate for a diagnosis the Cap on the SVP - is it a Durgo or Air Admittance Valve ? . Secondly , get some of those wooden coffee stirrers - use them to dip the traps in the house , in the morning before the appliances are used - see if the traps have a correct level of water in them to effect a seal Report back . Smells can travel all over the place in ducts etc. I stunk out the reception area of an Hotel I worked in once I cleaned a trap in the health club @ the far end basement with drain cleaner - there was an open end in pipework buried in a boxing buried in the basement offices - the pong crept yards through boxings/ ducts/ voids and went upstairs - took a long time to locate and fix . yours sounds like traps being drawn out to me

I reckon you'll be bloomin' close with that, mate
John

 

[amatureleccy]

You folk are great - thanks. I will start looking at the traps and get back to you.