Ensuite smell - 3 plumbers cannot diagnose/fix..Please help

[doitall]

Does the smell return when you use the toilet or is it there all the time.

 

[seanmac30]

It is there all of the time and most notable first thing in the morning...at least it seems that way!

 

[doitall]

Any idea of the make/model of the pan.

Cracked pan, or maybe a pan connector problem, need to know type

You did say the smell goes if you cover the pan with clingfilm.

 

[seanmac30]

Any idea of the make/model of the pan.

Cracked pan, or maybe a pan connector problem, need to know type

You did say the smell goes if you cover the pan with clingfilm.

I can't see any manufacturer name on the toilet whatsoever. The only identifying mark is "A89". I suspect its not a common loo as the fill and flush valves are made by a Chinese company (R&T plumbing) but maybe that has nothing to do with it. We checked the seals on the pan connector pipe and they looked fine. No smell behind or under the pan as far as my nose can make out. Smell goes when I clingfilm pan and overflow pipe in cistern

 

[Gasop]

I smell a rat

 

[doitall]

Does it go if you cling film the pan only.

 

[xr4x4]

If you flush the main bathroom toilet, does the level change or bubbles appear in the ensuite toilet?

 

[seanmac30]

Does it go if you cling film the pan only.

Nope, smell percolates up the cistern overflow pipe and then into the ensuite

 

[seanmac30]

If you flush the main bathroom toilet, does the level change or bubbles appear in the ensuite toilet?

No bubbles but the level drops by a few milimeters in ensuite loo before the AAV kicks in and level returns back to normal. At no point does the level go low enough to affect the trap though

 

[doitall]

And what happens if you just block the overflow.

 

[seanmac30]

Not tried that cause overflow is connected to pan. Why would sealing a small outlet make a difference when you leave the big outlet (i.e. pan) open and unsealed

 

[doitall]

This is why you have had 3 em, plumbers so far.

For the smell to be permanent there has to be a fault..

You say the smell stops when you cling film the pan and overflow, but is still present when you clingfilm the pan only.

Problem must be between the overflow and soil pipe.

By blocking just the overflow you would confirm it.

 

[big-all]

yep doitall is spot on
i would also like to add that sometimes that airflow may cause smells to appear well away from source
so sometimes you need to stop using incase the smell is peculating from another area

 

[matt1e]

yep doitall is spot on
i would also like to add that sometimes that airflow may cause smells to appear well away from source
so sometimes you need to stop using incase the smell is peculating from another area

and I'd tend to agree with doitall and big all too

 

[Nige F]

It`s the aav - if the pipe was vented to open air it would work

This was my next thought but I want to be sure that is it before going putting a whole in my roof. As we don't use the main bathroom very often, I wonder could I test the idea by venting into the bathroom with the window open (window is right beside the loo and AAV). I know it won't be the same as venting to the outside but could it work??

If you do a Heath Robinson job with some tumble dryer hose and duct tape - you will be able to seal round the pipe and the window - and do a test for several days just watch the duct tape residue. You don`t necessarily need to go through the roof to vent - you can go through the wall and up the outside - if it`s unobtrusive . I just don`t like AAv`s because they only deal with neg pressure - Drains are subject to positive pressures too -