sewer smell upstairs bathroom!

[John]

Hey everyone,

I'm having a heck of a time finding the source of a sewer gas smell in the upstairs bath. I'm on a private septic system (tank & field)

Smell is only in the upstairs bath, and only near the toilet area. Can't pinpoint any exact sources. Can't detect smell from sink or shower drain.

I assumed it was the toilet wax ring, so I replaced that. No change. Next thing I did was to remove toilet altogether and seal up the drain hole with seran wrap & rubber bands. No help. All drains seem to work fine. I wondered if it was the vent pipe plugged so ran a hose down the pipe from the roof- it runs trhough just fine, I can hear the water running out the main pipe to the septic tank main pipe.

Could it be bad wax ring let some stink onto the plywood floor where the toilet sat? Wife is scrubbing that now.

Can't seem to find the source!

Septic tank could use pumping, we moved in less than a year ago, but I'd expect that to effect other drains too, especially the downstairs bathroom.

Any helpful suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Johny B

[Jimmy]

Are you sure you don't have a failed auto vent in the wall? If they stick open they can stink up the place bad. These nasty things were often put in if a toilet or sink was not close to the stack.

[Amun]

Just wondering if you say it's only in the one spot. And you seem to have checked all the normal sources (traps all filled)

do you have a vent fan there ? In my last house a bird got trapped in one and died. We just about went nuts trying to locate where the smell was getting in As it only happened when the fireplace was burning and negative house pressure pulled in the smell in through the vent fan

AMUN

[John]

Yes, it seems to be in that spot only. I've removed the toilet altogether so that trap can't be a problem. Shower or sink trap? Unless the trap is siphoning out..we run that water alot. Plus, sticking my nose right up to the other drains does not provide the smell.

No vent, except for a window.

JB

[Jimmy]

Autovents can be used if the drain is slow. They don't go to the roof. They are usually installed in the wall right behind the toilet or sink. If they decide to stick open they stink. They are used illegally quite often to save the expense of properly venting to the roof.

[John]

I can't say that we don't, but the main vent does run up through a wall just a few feet away. The vent seems ok. I ran a garden hose of water down it and could hear the water runing strong in the main septic pipe in the basement. I can't imagine the pipe breaking in the wall, there's nothing tp cause it. And, no water showed up on a wall or ceiling.

To rule out the septic tank, we're having it pumped this wednesday.

I'm about to lock the door and just get used to the downstairs bathroom.

-JB

[John]

Wow, what a crazy thing. That would explain things. Funny, we've been noticing that the wall actually stinks right near the toilet, not the toilet, not even the drain hole but the wall. We washed the wall down with bleach to see if that would help,..no luck.

I think I'm going to keep a window open until we get the tank pumped this wendesday before I do anything. I really don't expect pumping the tank to fix this, but my knowledge is limited here and it needed to be done. I'm not really interested in tearing out the wall to see what's in there just yet.

Thanks for the info, but I hope this is not it!

JB

[ds549]

if you have a bathroom steam vent on the roof near the septic vent , the gases may be coming out the septic vent and cooling and going down the steam vent back into the bathroom.i really dont think pumping your septic tank is going to make it smell better . lucas

[ds549]

it could be your septic vent gasses on the roof are coming in the window.