Smelly Toilets

[topgazza]

Getting a faint but musty smell in a wardrobe in my sons room that the soil pipe from the bathroom runs through under the floor. Get it in the cloakroom as well. Not sure where its coming from. I did have a water leak a while ago which would have got under the chipboard flooring and possibly that is damp and musty now?

However the fact it is downstairs as well, sometimes, is odd. Would a few gallons of bleach down the loos help ? Or has anyone any suggestions please?

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

This question has been up a few hours without reply
Probably because there are so many possible answers and its one of those jobs that would require an inspection.

Here's some ideas to point you to probable causes

I would be looking to check the integrity of the soil stack. If there are any untrapped connections to it then that could be the cause as the water in the trap is there to prevent smells getting out.
Probable culprits are connections that have not been sealed properly or perhaps an ensuite basin that hasn't been used for so long that the water in the trap has evaporated.
If its not a sewer/drain smell that you are getting and more of the musty smell that you say then instead you will be looking for a leak. Whether its from the weathering at the top of the soil pipe where it goes through the roof or leaking waste or water pipe would require investigation.
A musty smell is also a symptom of condensation so it could be the place in question has an excess of moist air and inadequate ventilation.

 

[topgazza]

Thank you. Yes, I appreciated after I posted that it could be anything and very difficult to isolate on a web forum.

Your comments are appreciated. I have been around all the toilets and selaed the soil pipe joints with sealent and it seems to have eased the smell a lot. I suspect that it is coming from between the floor upstairs and I agree damp is probably the problem. Possibly I will need to lift the chipboard flooring up and inspect but I was hoping above hope to avoid that as it will obviously not go away otherwise if I don't

DOH!