Hi all,
First post, and I've been reading about smelly toilets for the best part of the week, but just want some clarification for my issue.
I've checked a lot of what has already been said in various other threads, and I'll list that in a minute.
The problem: Our ensuite over the course of a day begins to smell of sewage, sulphury etc.
It's an enclosed cistern and pan, but I've checked the waste pipe and it isn't leaking. It's also running down hill (slightly).
When flushing the smell goes away for a while, but begins to come back soon after. I've checked that the other toilet levels are not affected when flushing this one, and they aren't.
The pipes make no gurgles showing no air is being sucked in, waste traps in sink units are all clear (emptied and double checked).
The traps all fill with water and maintain levels otherwise.
I cannot find any leaks anywhere and that would lead me to think there is a stack issue.
The house is ~7-8 years old, and we only brought it 3 months ago and I've been working my way through various issues (usually cosmetic) but this one is a bit more pressing as no one likes a stinky toilet room.
The ensuite in question is the only room that smells, and is also closest to the vertical stack pipe (which is boxed in) it has toilet, sink, shower all flush/drain fine, no untoward smells from plug holes. However, when I took the trap off the sink and left it off for a bit the smell was getting stronger a lot quicker from the waste pipe leading away.
There is another toilet on the same level (the next room across and is main bathroom) but this doesn't suffer from the same issue.
I think it is a single stack system which terminates on a roof tile vent (from what I saw in the dark last night standing in the garden) although there were two of these vents about a tile apart on the roof (what could the other one be for? )
I'm planning on going in to the loft tonight (lack of a ladder has prevented me so far) to have a look around, but does anyone have a clue as to what I will be looking for?
I will also lift the manhole cover tonight to check the drainage, but can't imagine there is a blockage as surely we would have had a bigger problem by now?
sorry for the essay post, but I am just trying to lay out as much information as possible, no doubt I've forgotten something so I'll add what I can when I remember.
I'm pretty good at DIY and an mech eng by profession so should grasp most of the helpful suggestions I get.
Many thanks.
Al.
First post, and I've been reading about smelly toilets for the best part of the week, but just want some clarification for my issue.
I've checked a lot of what has already been said in various other threads, and I'll list that in a minute.
The problem: Our ensuite over the course of a day begins to smell of sewage, sulphury etc.
It's an enclosed cistern and pan, but I've checked the waste pipe and it isn't leaking. It's also running down hill (slightly).
When flushing the smell goes away for a while, but begins to come back soon after. I've checked that the other toilet levels are not affected when flushing this one, and they aren't.
The pipes make no gurgles showing no air is being sucked in, waste traps in sink units are all clear (emptied and double checked).
The traps all fill with water and maintain levels otherwise.
I cannot find any leaks anywhere and that would lead me to think there is a stack issue.
The house is ~7-8 years old, and we only brought it 3 months ago and I've been working my way through various issues (usually cosmetic) but this one is a bit more pressing as no one likes a stinky toilet room.
The ensuite in question is the only room that smells, and is also closest to the vertical stack pipe (which is boxed in) it has toilet, sink, shower all flush/drain fine, no untoward smells from plug holes. However, when I took the trap off the sink and left it off for a bit the smell was getting stronger a lot quicker from the waste pipe leading away.
There is another toilet on the same level (the next room across and is main bathroom) but this doesn't suffer from the same issue.
I think it is a single stack system which terminates on a roof tile vent (from what I saw in the dark last night standing in the garden) although there were two of these vents about a tile apart on the roof (what could the other one be for? )
I'm planning on going in to the loft tonight (lack of a ladder has prevented me so far) to have a look around, but does anyone have a clue as to what I will be looking for?
I will also lift the manhole cover tonight to check the drainage, but can't imagine there is a blockage as surely we would have had a bigger problem by now?
sorry for the essay post, but I am just trying to lay out as much information as possible, no doubt I've forgotten something so I'll add what I can when I remember.
I'm pretty good at DIY and an mech eng by profession so should grasp most of the helpful suggestions I get.
Many thanks.
Al.