sulphur smell

[honda]

hi, i have an upstairs toilet with a soil stack that runs down through a front porch. also within the porch is the waste pipe from the bathroom sink/bath which discharges into an open gulley with a water trap. the soil stack has no visible leaks,the gulley is clean as is the waste pipe yet when the toilet is first flushed on a morning i am getting a strong sulphurous smell in the porch. would appreciate your advice on this as the wife's giving me grief.
thanks

 

[JohnD]

might be broken under the floor.

I formerly had a prewar house on London clay, all the houses in my terrace had cracks in the gullies and in the clay pipes that joined onto the iron soil pipes next to the house, where the house had moved relative to the ground.

When you dig it up you might mind there is a cavity (where a leak has washed away the soil) or plenty of bright red worms.

 

[Nige F]

Any chance of a picture ? There are a few ways to solve Are you on a cesspool

 

[honda]

might be broken under the floor.

I formerly had a prewar house on London clay, all the houses in my terrace had cracks in the gullies and in the clay pipes that joined onto the iron soil pipes next to the house, where the house had moved relative to the ground.

When you dig it up you might mind there is a cavity (where a leak has washed away the soil) or plenty of bright red worms.

thanks for that john. have considered that but the porch floor is concreted with floor tiles on top and the smell is immediately there when the toilet is flushed and only occurs once a day. would that be the case you reckon if their was a leak underground?

 

[JohnD]

maybe you can dig a little hole in the garden close to the porch and see if the ground is wet and smelly?

 

[honda]

nige, no cesspool. the far pipe is the soil stack ,the middle one the waste from bathroom sink/bath. the one nearest is just down-pipe from gutters .
the sink/bath waste discharges below floor level but above water level in drain.



http://i734.photobucket.com/albums/ww349/scratchthecat_2009/100_4241.jpg
http://i734.photobucket.com/albums/ww349/scratchthecat_2009/100_4239.jpg
http://i734.photobucket.com/albums/ww349/scratchthecat_2009/100_4240.jpg

 

[Nige F]

Exellent pictures . and a good answer from John. I asked about the cesspool because certain bacteria can cause sulphur smell . Is this a recent occurence ? ( The layout looks old fashioned but good quality ) Now is it when JUST the WC is flushed or when the bathroom is used, and handbasin used first thing in morning ? That Back inlet gulley and it`s wall mounted pipe ( thru`roof) could be a source of smell . It`s open to the air inside the porch. . I`m thinking a dose of Jeyes Fluid in the hopper Above the porch roof would be a good place to start , and do no harm Also, if it`s do-able have a look in the manholes from the house to the main sewer. partial blockages can do strange things to water/air flow in pipework.

 

[honda]

nige, thanks for reply. the strong sulphur smell is a recent occurence (approx 2 weeks) although there has sometimes been a very slight 'drain' smell due to drain being enclosed within the porch, but not really offensive.
the strong smell only occurs when the toilet is flushed.
as you can see by the new connector i recently removed the wall mounted pipe and cleaned the inside and also the hopper.
have already looked in nearest manhole which is in next doors garden. this is clean and running clear.
i know the soil stack is not blocked upwards from where the toilet outlet connects (as i renewed that section last year).
i'm a bit perplexed any ideas?

 

[Agile]

I wonder if the water level in a trap is evaporating overnight and the toilet discharge is "pulling" on the trap.

Could you hold off flushing the toilet until you have run a little water down the kitchen drain and see if that has any effect?

If not then try the bathroom basin first.

Or pour some water into that open drain in the conservatory.

Or anything else you can think of.

By the way you should not have an open gully in there anyway! I suggest you make a plug for it. Or even fit a screw down inspection cover.

Tony

 

[Nige F]

nige, thanks for reply. the strong sulphur smell is a recent occurence (approx 2 weeks) although there has sometimes been a very slight 'drain' smell due to drain being enclosed within the porch, but not really offensive.
the strong smell only occurs when the toilet is flushed.
i'm a bit perplexed any ideas?

As Tony said, the gulley should be sealed that would stop the drain smell. As to the sulphur smell You could observe the water level in the trap with a torch and see if there is any movement when WC is flushed. Referring to the drain run, I would check it right down to the last manhole before the sewer if possible. There may be an interceptor trap there ,and they are notorious for partial blockages. The house I moved in to recently has a 40 foot run of drain back from an interceptor along to the bathroom soil/vent pipe, literally half full all along- and yet the WC and bath etc. functioned. Only found it because I like to look all around a place . The manhole next to the sewer was buried under the garden, yet there was no indication that there was a problem. (I don`t bother paying surveyors ) I wouldn`t know what or how bad the smell was, as I have no sense of smell( the main reason I never did gas work or registered for it since I lost that one of my senses)I do wonder about the cesspool/sulphur .Maybe there is a quantity of sewage lying and fermenting? Stirred up by the WC discharge. If all these suggestions fail, then maybe it`s back to John`s idea of a leak. It`s an intriguing one, thats for sure

 

[Agile]

[) I wouldn`t know what or how bad the smell was, as I have no sense of smell( the main reason I never did gas work or registered for it since I lost that one of my senses)

Its not a requirement for an RGI to be able to smell gas! Nor are they assessed on it!

But, I thought that you once told me that you are still registered?

Oddly, although I have a very sensitive nose for food and wine bouquets, I have a very poor response to the smell of gas.

Tony

 

[seco services]

so you can't smell the gas after a good ruby murray then ?

 

[Agile]

Ruby Murray ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnClIipUPMw&feature=related

 

[Nige F]

[) I wouldn`t know what or how bad the smell was, as I have no sense of smell( the main reason I never did gas work or registered for it since I lost that one of my senses)

Its not a requirement for an RGI to be able to smell gas! Nor are they assessed on it!

But, I thought that you once told me that you are still registered?

Oddly, although I have a very sensitive nose for food and wine bouquets, I have a very poor response to the smell of gas.

Tony

No, I never bothered to register. Just stopped doing it . Other things came along. Wouldn`t feel safe .Strange it`s not a requirement

 

[honda]

thanks for all input. got up this morning, didn't run any water in house at all and asked wife to give toilet it's 1st flush of the day whilst i watched in the porch. couldn't believe it.........NO SMELL! curiouser and curiouser.
looks like plan B, whatever that is.