Urine smell

woppi

A recent post about a septic tank got me thinking about another 'something must be wrong' scenario.

From time to time we are getting a strong urine smell in one part of the downstairs extension. It is near the downstairs toilet, but the waste pipe from the toilet goes in the opposite direction, not through the part that has the pong. We can not figure out where it is coming from. Here are some possibilities, which I'd like to hear from others on the feasibility of them:

(a) Membrane ripped/leaking. An animal, perhaps rat(s), gets in through the gap between our extension and our neighbours extension, does their business and it seeps in under damp proofing membrane.

(b) The downstairs toilet waste pipe was blocked at some stage and the overflow seeped in under this part of the extension. The waste has just been sitting there and fumes get released if the wind is in the right direction.

(c) The council sewer is cracked. The extension is built over the sewer pipe for the street. This pipe runs underground at the back of the original houses. Perhaps this pipe is cracked and fumes are making their way up through the earth.

As you can see, I'm really grasping at straws here. My guess is that I'm going to have to dig the floor of the extension up, but I want to exhaust other possibilities before doing so.

Has anyone faced (nosed?) this problem before?

Thanks,

Woppi

DOCARCH

Is there any MDF in the vicinity of the wc (e.g. boxing around pipes)?

Once had a problem a little like this - the builder had boxed in the waste pipes to the back of the wc with MDF - there was a little leak (more weeping) between the wc and the waste pipe - the MDF got damp and resulted in a smell like cess pit!

woppi

There's no MDF. Neither the bowl or cistern are boxed in. However, the waste pipe had been completely blocked up before. This makes me wonder did waster water make it's way under the house.

I'm fairly sure I'm going to have to start digging, but I want to make sure that there isn't something simple that I need to be checking first.

Thanks.

Mellor

that can happen, wsp with older/cheaper MDF.
IIRC, its the Urea based glue which breaks down on contact with water.
Water and Urea is also key make up of urine

copper12

As you can see, I'm really grasping at straws here. My guess is that I'm going to have to dig the floor of the extension up, but I want to exhaust other possibilities before doing so.

is the room used frequently or seldom used
You say the waste pipe from the toilet goes the opp way; is this into a manhole
Are there pipes leading from this manhole, going under the extension’ are these pipes waven ‘or clay pipes’ .
Before you dig check everything’ from carpets’ to light fittings’ you never know’ stranger things have happened’ it may have nothing to do with the sewers

JPJ

I had a similar problem some time back in a bedroom. Not sure if the odour in my case was a Urine smell, but it was a nasty one from the same neighbourhood. Or so I thought.
I originally thought it was a dead mouse, and hoped it would reduce over time and did not want to rip up the floor boards. And the really confusing thing was it was intermittent! This next led me to believe it was dirty undewear that had escaped from the washbasket. But not that either.

I eventually discovered it was the plastic screw-on lightshade holder on the ceiling light fitting. The fitting was ancient and ever so slowly burning from the heat generated from the bulb. It emitted quite a pong when you got close to it.

I later discovered that can also happen in a new light fitting if the bulb is stronger than the recommended wattage lamp.

Hope this is the answer you were looking for.

woppi

JPJ wrote: »

I eventually discovered it was the plastic screw-on lightshade holder on the ceiling light fitting. The fitting was ancient and ever so slowly burning from the heat generated from the bulb. It emitted quite a pong when you got close to it.

This is exactly what the problem was and changing the fitting got rid of the nasty smell. Thanks!