Smell from shower tray in ensuite bathroom

don marco · 14-11-2011 07:15PM #1

Hi,
wondering if anyone can help me
pinpoint the reason for a problem I'm having. I have an upstairs ensuite bathroom with shower.For the last year or so occasionally an atrocious smell has been coming from the shower tray.I've applied all usual drain cleaners which helps for a while but always comes back worse than ever.I dont have this problem in any other bathroom.
There is water in the shower trap but I've noticed two things-when I run tap in the sink I can hear a gurgling noise in the shower tray and can see air bubbles in the water in shower trap.Also it was very windy last night and when I put my hand over the shower trap I could feel a distinct breeze coming out even though I could see water!(no wonder it smells)
Am I looking at pulling up the whole shower, ripping up tiles etc and getting plumber in to solve this? House is detached and only 4 years old.

Thanks

Carlow52 · 14-11-2011 08:30PM

Smells like u have an issue with the shower trap, is it not possible to get at it under the shower-tray.

It looks like the tray is on same pipe as basin, this is verboten:)

The other idea is to see if u can improve the air flow through the stack and reduce the back pressure on the tray trap.

While in an ideal world u need to fix it, what I did once was fit a Tee to the pipe as it came into the attic space from the shower and ran a 2" pipe up to the roof on the side away from where the stack was and put a roof tile vent in. It sorted the problem as it took the back pressure off the trap by equalizing the pressures in the pipe caused by wind blowing across the roof

Joey the lips · 14-11-2011 09:17PM

Check this video out i usually find its the problem. Let us know what happens when you try it.

http://youtu.be/r5Gb3EWnb5o

Nobbies · 14-11-2011 10:55PM

do you use this shower infrequently?if so i would think it,s simply the water in the u bend just drying up that little bit by bit till the smell can come in,even though ucan see water the levels just not enough to prevent the smell and the u bend do it,s job.

Billy Bunting · 14-11-2011 11:49PM

Joey the lips wrote: »

Check this video out i usually find its the problem. Let us know what happens when you try it.

http://youtu.be/r5Gb3EWnb5o

And quite often the white piece in Joey's video hasn't been fitted, this leaves your trap without the vital piece that forms the water trap in a shallow shower trap.

mad m · 15-11-2011 08:48PM

Could also be the little black rubber seal also is missing or has broke off. Sometimes I find that when twisting the easy clean trap back in place that I really have to make sure its down all the way or else it will start to smell....

Smell from shower tray in ensuite bathroom

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