Sewage smell in bathroom

padraig.od · 20-05-2019 3:11pm #1

Recently we've been getting a very strong sewage smell in one of our bathrooms. I think it is coming from the shower but I can't be certain. The smell comes and goes, but has been ferociously strong recently. All of our grey and brown water goes into a 3 chamber septic tank.

I've checked the input into the tank and it is running free and there is no blockage in the pipe between the bathroom and the septic tank. I blocked up the shower drain with plastic for a couple of days but the smell remained.

I'm guessing the tank is fully or almost full, however I can't explain why there is no similar smell in any of the other rooms in the house. Between the kitchen, utility and other bathrooms there are 4 sinks, 2 toilets, another shower and a bath and there is no smell in any of those rooms. At the end of the mainline between the septic tank and the sewage pipe we have a vertical outlet to release any odours or gases that come back at us.

Before I get dyno-rod or whoever out to take a look can anyone make a suggestion on how I can diagnose the smell or eliminate it? Even if the tank was full I wouldn't have expected smells to come back into the house. Is the shower drain install incorrectly maybe?

Any ideas?

upupup · 20-05-2019 5:42pm

I have come across a smell problem twice before so this is worth checking.
Sometime there is no seal between the toilet and the floortiles which allows waste water to go under the toilet and it cant be cleaned and smell gets worse in hot weather...easy fixed with a tube of sealant

Call me Al · 20-05-2019 5:46pm

We had a whiffy shower plug-hole a while back. That vile sewerage-type smell you can get. Bleach didn't seem to make any difference. I used soda crystals, left them for a while and then washed away, the problem was fixed and never returned.

Maybe give it a go before you start spending big bucks.

padraig.od · 21-05-2019 6:57am

upupup wrote: »

I have come across a smell problem twice before so this is worth checking.
Sometime there is no seal between the toilet and the floortiles which allows waste water to go under the toilet and it cant be cleaned and smell gets worse in hot weather...easy fixed with a tube of sealant

OK thanks I will check that out.

padraig.od · 21-05-2019 6:58am

Call me Al wrote: »

We had a whiffy shower plug-hole a while back. That vile sewerage-type smell you can get. Bleach didn't seem to make any difference. I used soda crystals, left them for a while and then washed away, the problem was fixed and never returned.

Maybe give it a go before you start spending big bucks.

So pour some soda crystals down the shower drain and follow up with water? How long should they be left there before the water? What are soda crystals anyway? I've never heard of the product.

drdidlittle · 21-05-2019 7:00am

Do you use this shower? If not, the water in the u bend will dry out and allow fumes back. Run some water down it every so often. If used regularly im not sure.

whomitconcerns · 21-05-2019 7:03am

What the last poster said. We have the same problem. If shower isn't used for a while the seal becomes dry under the tray and let's a smell out. Running the shower for 2 mins every few weeks at least fixes that

riemann · 21-05-2019 7:11am

padraig.od wrote: »

Recently we've been getting a very strong sewage smell in one of our bathrooms. I think it is coming from the shower but I can't be certain. The smell comes and goes, but has been ferociously strong recently. All of our grey and brown water goes into a 3 chamber septic tank.

I've checked the input into the tank and it is running free and there is no blockage in the pipe between the bathroom and the septic tank. I blocked up the shower drain with plastic for a couple of days but the smell remained.

I'm guessing the tank is fully or almost full, however I can't explain why there is no similar smell in any of the other rooms in the house. Between the kitchen, utility and other bathrooms there are 4 sinks, 2 toilets, another shower and a bath and there is no smell in any of those rooms. At the end of the mainline between the septic tank and the sewage pipe we have a vertical outlet to release any odours or gases that come back at us.

Before I get dyno-rod or whoever out to take a look can anyone make a suggestion on how I can diagnose the smell or eliminate it? Even if the tank was full I wouldn't have expected smells to come back into the house. Is the shower drain install incorrectly maybe?

Any ideas?

It sounds like your wc waste is upstream of the sink/shower waste. This means the WC Waste passes by the sink/shower on its way to the sewer system.

It is possible to have this type of arrangement with specialist fittings to ensure WC waste/odours don't back up to the sink/shower, however in reality most builders don't do this on small one off residential jobs. I would suggest plugging the sink + shower and try blowing the system through the WC.

It is likely there is a blockage and this is probably your best senario. If no blockage and work done recently you will be looking at reinstallation with correct components.

Also worth checking the soil vent pipe to ensure it is still upright and hasn't got blown over.

https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/technical_guidance_document_h_2016.pdf

chewed · 21-05-2019 7:15am

Simply use a plunger on the shower and bath

I sometimes get a sewage smell emanating from the plug hole in the bath. I just use the plunger and it clears it.

fleet · 21-05-2019 7:19am

Check for leaks, it may not be sewage.
I had a huge 30 cm black mould grow behind the basin due to a pooly sealed faucet in a new house. It would smell when the weather was hot...

Call me Al · 21-05-2019 8:09am

padraig.od wrote: »

So pour some soda crystals down the shower drain and follow up with water? How long should they be left there before the water? What are soda crystals anyway? I've never heard of the product.

Its washing soda. You get it in most supermarkets, I usually see it with the detergents.
You'll have to forgive me as it's a while ago i had to do this. But knowing me I let it sit for a few hours. It's known to absorb odours. I'd have used warm water then to dissolve.
It worked for me is all I know.

celt262 · 21-05-2019 8:16am

I had this exact problem before and poured everything and anything down it but the smell wouldn't go.

I eventually decided to pull out the plug and put my hand in and pulled out a foot long clump of hair that had obviously been accumulating for years and that was the end of the smell.

padraig.od · 21-05-2019 8:17am

drdidlittle wrote: »

Do you use this shower? If not, the water in the u bend will dry out and allow fumes back. Run some water down it every so often. If used regularly im not sure.

We haven't been using it as regularly as we used to. But it would be used weekly or thereabouts I'd say. My wife says that the smell predates our scaling back use of the shower.

padraig.od · 21-05-2019 8:19am

riemann wrote: »

It sounds like your wc waste is upstream of the sink/shower waste. This means the WC Waste passes by the sink/shower on its way to the sewer system.

It is possible to have this type of arrangement with specialist fittings to ensure WC waste/odours don't back up to the sink/shower, however in reality most builders don't do this on small one off residential jobs. I would suggest plugging the sink + shower and try blowing the system through the WC.

It is likely there is a blockage and this is probably your best senario. If no blockage and work done recently you will be looking at reinstallation with correct components.

Also worth checking the soil vent pipe to ensure it is still upright and hasn't got blown over.

https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/technical_guidance_document_h_2016.pdf

That's not the case. The WC is downstream of the shower. I never considered the odour coming from the sink rather than the shower, I will check that out.

padraig.od · 21-05-2019 8:20am

chewed wrote: »

Simply use a plunger on the shower and bath

I sometimes get a sewage smell emanating from the plug hole in the bath. I just use the plunger and it clears it.

Thanks I'll give that a try

padraig.od · 21-05-2019 8:21am

celt262 wrote: »

I had this exact problem before and poured everything and anything down it but the smell wouldn't go.

I eventually decided to pull out the plug and put my hand in and pulled out a foot long clump of hair that had obviously been accumulating for years and that was the end of the smell.

I've had a look but can't see anything like that. I might get the plunger onto it though.

Call me Al · 21-05-2019 8:21am

celt262 wrote: »

I had this exact problem before and poured everything and anything down it but the smell wouldn't go.

I eventually decided to pull out the plug and put my hand in and pulled out a foot long clump of hair that had obviously been accumulating for years and that was the end of the smell.

Regular cleaning helps too... you can use a toothbrush for this particular job. It'll clean out all that yeuchy build-up.

padraig.od · 21-05-2019 8:21am

Thanks for all of the tips and advice. Lots of things to try before I get a professional out.

GooglePlus · 21-05-2019 8:52am

Had the same issue myself, with the smell only coming about when it's dry and sunny.

Always put it down to the septic tank, but was never sure. Problem is still there!

padraig.od · 21-05-2019 9:04am

GooglePlus wrote: »

Had the same issue myself, with the smell only coming about when it's dry and sunny.

Always put it down to the septic tank, but was never sure. Problem is still there!

I'll report back after I've tried all of the above:D

chewed · 21-05-2019 9:40am

padraig.od wrote: »

I'll report back after I've tried all of the above:D

Run the tap or shower while you're using the plunger.

Audioslaven · 22-05-2019 12:09am

I had this and I vented the pipe where it exists the building and put a T on it and connected it back into the sewer pipe. The smell leaves at the top of the T. I have not have this issue since.

Plugguy · 22-05-2019 12:27am

padraig.od wrote: »

Recently we've been getting a very strong sewage smell in one of our bathrooms. I think it is coming from the shower but I can't be certain. The smell comes and goes, but has been ferociously strong recently. All of our grey and brown water goes into a 3 chamber septic tank.

I've checked the input into the tank and it is running free and there is no blockage in the pipe between the bathroom and the septic tank. I blocked up the shower drain with plastic for a couple of days but the smell remained.

I'm guessing the tank is fully or almost full, however I can't explain why there is no similar smell in any of the other rooms in the house. Between the kitchen, utility and other bathrooms there are 4 sinks, 2 toilets, another shower and a bath and there is no smell in any of those rooms. At the end of the mainline between the septic tank and the sewage pipe we have a vertical outlet to release any odours or gases that come back at us.

Before I get dyno-rod or whoever out to take a look can anyone make a suggestion on how I can diagnose the smell or eliminate it? Even if the tank was full I wouldn't have expected smells to come back into the house. Is the shower drain install incorrectly maybe?

Any ideas?

I've had this problem before, I found that when I lifted the cover off the plug hole in the shower tray there should be a certain amount water in there. The water level in my shower tray plug hole had gone down and was allowing the smell to enter the bathroom. The solution was to fill up the water level in the plug hole.

Sewage smell in bathroom

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