How Can I Eliminate Sewer Gas Smell In Bathroom?

Question

How Can I Eliminate Sewer Gas Smell In Bathroom?

3 Answers

Answer Question

Answer 1

The distinctive smell of sewer gas wafting through your home means
something is wrong with the plumbing. Odors can signify a toilet leak or
a crack in one of the plumbing vent pipes.Even when all the vent pipes are intact, there's still a good chance that blocked vents are responsible for the odors. To fix the problem, you need to clear the vents.

Locate the source of the
odor. If it's coming from a toilet, the toilet may need servicing. If
you smell the odors at a fixture drain, the vents are probably blocked.
Smells coming from the wall signify the need to repair cracked or
disconnected vent pipes.

2 Pull
off the toilet if the smells originate there. Do this by turning off
the water, draining the tank and unscrewing the toilet bolts with a
wrench. Examine the subfloor for moisture damage. If you see any, repair
the damaged sections.

3 Raise
the flange if the top is more than 1/2 inch below the surface of the
flooring. When the flange is too low, the wax ring can't seal the waste
line, and sewer gases can pass through it. Unscrew the flange with a
screwdriver, place a flange extender on top of it, and replace the
screws to hold the flange and extender to the subfloor. Replace the
toilet when you're done.

4 Clear
the vents if the odors originate from a fixture P-trap. You are able to
smell the gases at that fixture because the trap has been emptied by a
vacuum in the waste line. Confirm this by pouring water down the sink to
fill the trap and then flushing the nearest toilet. You'll probably
hear sucking and gurgling sounds coming from the fixture.

5 Climb
on the roof with an extension ladder and clear debris from the vent
opening. The vent is usually situated just above the main bathroom. It
may be blocked by leaves, sticks or even a dead bird.

6 Pour
water down the vent with a garden hose if the opening isn't blocked.
The water may clear the obstruction. If not, it overflows from the vent
opening.

7 Insert
a sewer auger into the vent and push it down as far as you can if the
water overflows. Crank the handle to work the auger through the
blockage. When the blockage has been cleared, the water standing in the
vent pipe will drain. Spray more water to make sure the vent is open.

8 Examine
the vent pipes in the wall if the smell originates from there. The
pipes may be accessible in the attic or basement, but if they are
running through the main part of the house, you'll probably have to
remove wallboard to get to them.

9 Re-glue
loose joints in the vent pipes with plastic pipe cement. Because vent
pipes don't carry water, plumbers often forget to glue them, and odors
can seep from unglued joints. Repair cracked or failing fittings by
cutting them out with a hacksaw and gluing in replacement pipes and
fittings.

Answer 2

Anonymous answered

If the water is coming from shower drain in a bathroom that is rarely used that may be the cause.

Answer 3

In most toilets the waste either goes down into this reservoir kind of hole in the ground where it settles or in modern cities enters the sewage system and is treated at a sewage plant or emptied at sea or land somewhere else. In the former the waste is not moving at all and in the later the waste may not move away quickly enough. The result is that the waste gasses that form start to rise. Now every drain pipe, especially which is connected to the toilet, has a v shaped design. What this means is that the pipe first drops, rises a little and then drops again. This v holds water in it and this water prevents the gasses from passing through.

Sometimes the smell may be due to the gas escape vents or pipes blocking up. Simple ways to mask the smell are to use room fresheners or deodorants. A simple method to block the smell is to use a cup with the lower end cut like a flap that closes every time after use in the toilet. The most effective way is to call the plumbers and have the pipes refitted to incorporate the v shaped arch or examine the gas exit vents.