Stink in bathroom

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Hi First off its not from "that" stink.;-) Ive cleaned the floor, toilet, sink, shower with comet and then used lysol over and over and over but this odor seems to stay. Its like an open sewer line or the like. Ive poored water down the shower stall drain. This shower rarely gets used its the "2nd" bath not main one. The toilet and sink though get used every day.

What now should I check for?

Im guessing I should look at the toilet as the cause but what to check? Ive been thinking of pulling the toilet to check the wax seal but is there any way to tell the wax seal is leaking without pulling the toilet off, which is something Ive never done? I too about last year at this time had to tighten the bolts cause the toilet was rocking a bit. This bathroom was put in 4 years ago but the smell started like last

5months or so. Thanks Ray

[alvaradotx]

[jerryhilde]

[Goedjn]

Take apart the overflow drains if you can, and try a bottle-brush on them.

[Todd H.]

If the shower went unused for a very long time, the water in its trap could've evaporated and left an open conduit for sewer vapors. But you've put water down that drain so the "seal" if you will is there, so cross that off the list.

Pull the P trap of your sink and clean it. Rotting toothpaste hair and spit may be the culprit.

If the wax seal were leaking, I'd have to think you've have water problems on the floor below. But wax seals are cheap-- you can pull the toilet and simply replace the wax seal and reinstall and cross that off your list too.

Hrmm...

Clean that sink drain p trap, and the tip about cleaning the overflow was a good one too. Report back!

-- Todd H.

[M Q]

Since you put water down the shower drain, that is probably not it.

The toilet seal is a very good guess. If the toilet hold down bolts are corroded it is likely that the toilet is leaking. If the toilet was rocking it is likely that the seal is leaking, as the wax seal is not intended to flex. Once the toilet is installed with the wax seal, any further motion can cause leaking.

Should you pull the toilet you will have to replace the seal. Things to note:

1) check the height from the flange to the floor. Sometimes flooring (tile, linoleum, etc.) gets added after construction which raises the toilet too high for a standard seal. There are devices available to raise the flange, and there are extra thick seals. 2) Sometimes the toilet bolts screw into the floor, rather than hook on to the flange. If that is the case, make sure that the flange is well fastened down to the floor, or switch to T- bolts. 3) There is available a non-wax seal system that will let you pull and replace the toilet without having to replace the seal. It may also be more reliable for beginners. 4) Do you like this toilet? Does it flush well without clogging? If not, you are doing almost all the work of replacing the toilet. Might as well put in a better toilet. I favor Toto toilets.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Thanks for the tips. I guess I left out that this bathroom is on the concrete lower level of my tri-level house so no way to tell if its leaking below.

1.I ran the shower again for about 3 minutes

1. Will pull the sink trap and clean it.

1. Is there a "standard" distance from the flange to the top of flooring? I will need to "read-up" a bit before pulling the toilet just to get familiar with what Im facing.

2. My sink doesnt have an overflow drain hole so nothing there.

If it comes to pulling the toilet will a vac be able to get all the water out? This way when the toilet comes off seal no water comes out and then if I do see wet areas then it was a leak.

[M Q]

The package that the wax seal comes in should give a range of distances. Yes, of course, read up on toilet reseating/replacement. Don't rely just on this newsgroup.

I use a toilet brush to shove as much water as I can out the trap, then a small paper cup in a gloved hand to bail the trap. As your complaint was odor, the seal leak might only be passing gasses and not liquid (please send scatological jokes to a different newsgroup), and so you might not be able to determine if there was a leak by examination. You will only know for certain if the problem goes away.

There could be many other causes for sewer gas odor. Others that come to mind are cracked, broken, or cut drain, waste or vent plumbing. I have seen open tees and saw cuts that did not get noticed for decades. Here is a suggestion for one more diagnostic technique: Use a window fan to pull a slight vacuum on the bathroom (put it blowing out in a window, seal with cardboard around it, and close the door). Sniff for odors and feel for drafts.

Good luck.