Soil Stack Vent

[britishrallying]

Hi,

For the past 6 months or so we've had a intermittant problem with the soil stack in the bathroom, well I think its the stack! The problem being a really bad smell driffing through the house, really strong in bathroom.

But its not all the time, came home today and alls fine but yesterday morning was really bad. Iwas taking to a joiner in work today and he seams to think it could be the vent thats gone, sometimes the diaphram is closing other times its not? could this be true?

I took the vent off end of last year to check it out, looked ok. The sink and bath both flow into the stack as well.

Would one of these be better:

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/22674/Plumbing/Soil-Vent/Push-Fit-Air-Admittance-Valve-Black

Lately it seems to be getting worse.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Gaz

 

[seco services]

its more likely sticking open letting the smell out.
as you say fit a new one.
it's also to low must be above the highest flood level that being your basin.

http://www.brettmartin.com/building/soilwaste/technical_guide/design/airadmittancevalve.aspx

 

[britishrallying]

its more likely sticking open letting the smell out.
as you say fit a new one.
it's also to low must be above the highest flood level that being your basin.

http://www.brettmartin.com/building/soilwaste/technical_guide/design/airadmittancevalve.aspx[/QUOTE]

Funnily enough the joiner told me that today as well!! Will nip out to screw'd fix in a bit and grab one.

Thanks for the advice!!

Gaz

 

[britishrallying]

Hmmmm replaced the vent Friday night with this one:

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/22674/Plumbing/Soil-Vent/Push-Fit-Air-Admittance-Valve-Black

Thought it had worked until tonight when the smell came back. The smell originates in the bathroom and drifts through the whole house even up stairs! (bathroom downstairs!) I just cant seem to locate the smell and work out exactly where its coming from.

Ive sniffed the sink and bath plug hole, no smell there, sniffed all round the stack and cant smell it there.

It has been fine all day, went the loo flushed washed hands and came out, 30 minutes or so later the smell was extremely bad. Couldnt believe it, again both manhole in property is clear and main sewer manhole all clear.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, starting to get embarrassing now

Thanks

Gaz

 

[WDIK]

take a look at the water level in the toilet basin

 

[britishrallying]

Thanks for the speedy reply! Toilet level fine, checked for leaks all round the toilet.

Its only a short run from toilet to stack, literally right next to each other.

Gaz

 

[WDIK]

you could have a trap that is emptying

 

[britishrallying]

Checked that to! checked down sink and bath plug, still water in the traps.

The image above is a rough idea of the layout!

Sink waste pipe connects to pipe from bath, then flows to soil stack

Gaz

 

[britishrallying]

Further investigation into the sink trap, when water travels through the plug hole, some times it draws nearly all the water out of the U bend. Can see this happening when shinning a torch down plug hole!

Will leave plug in tonight and see if the smell comes back tomorrow!

Thank for the help, will let U know the outcome.

Gaz

 

[tincup]

Hi


Take the aav off, add a length of 110mm soil pipe, so the aav is futher away from the bends.

HTH

 

[ChrisR]

Pongs are generally either gas coming back up from the sewer, past a trap, or more usually just the gunge which lurks in and around the traps, overflows etc, getting disturbed when the water moves.
For the latter, bleach is good. A bottle of cheap stuff diluted into a bucket of water, poured down everything, is usually enough to kill it for a while. If the pong comes back immediately it's more likely to be from the sewer.

To check a vent you can tie a bag over it.

You can also light a couple of smoke pellets in the manhole, and close the lid. That'll fill the pipes with smoke, which you might see coming up somewhere.

 

[TicklyT]

........Will leave plug in tonight and see if the smell comes back tomorrow!.......

Gaz

Don't forget the overflows! They won't be stopped up by just putting the plug in.

Do you have an open vent stack elsewhere to vent the drains?

 

[britishrallying]

Do you have an open vent stack elsewhere to vent the drains?

No only the one in the bathroom, Pictured above.

No smell this morning, think it may have been the sink trap. put a shed load on strong bleach down sink bath and bog last night. If the smell comes back will check the sink trap first!

Thanks for the help and advice

 

[Softus]

Do you have an open vent stack elsewhere to vent the drains?

No only the one in the bathroom, Pictured above.

That's not a vent.

I'm at a loss to know why people continue to think that an AAV is a vent.

No smell this morning, think it may have been the sink trap. put a shed load on strong bleach down sink bath and bog last night. If the smell comes back will check the sink trap first!

It will be back, because you haven't fixed anything.

 

[Bahco]

I'm at a loss to know why people continue to think that an AAV is a vent.
.

FAQ coming up.