The smell of sewage

[Suzie-Q]

Lately I've begun to smell sewage in one of my bathrooms. Of course I know that I'll have to call a plumber. What I'd like from you, though, is ideas about what might be causing it and whether it might be a high-priced or low-priced fix. I will call a plumber, but I need to know about how much money I should have available before I do so! (I've had two high-priced car repairs that have put me in the red for a short time.) I know this is a very general question, but I hope someone can do some educated speculation for me.

FYI, I've quit using the offending toilet for now.

Thanks in advance,

[Joseph Meehan]

A large part of the cost is going to be the house call. Likely any fix will be cheap.

Have you had some high winds about the time it started? If so just running water in all the sinks and flushing all the toilets might take care of it. My guess is the toilet may have a bad wax seal, or you may have a blocked vent.

There is always possible that one of those simple jobs turns into a big job however.

[User Example]

First make sure noone in your house is going to the bathroom right before you. That could cause a sewage smell in the bathroom.

If not that, it has to be some kind of back flow from the sewer. Is your toilet trap staying full of water? A vacuum in the sewer system can suck the water out and make stinkies. Same for the sink.

[Dave]

I had a smell in one of my bathrooms. It was a bath room I hardly used. What I discovered was that the water in the sink and shower traps had dried out, so from then on I run water occasionally in each to fill up the traps, now I don't have that problem anymore. Could that be your problem too?

[meAT]

a couple tablespoons of vegtable oil in the drains after filling the traps will reduce evaporation - good for vacation or seldom used areas.

oren "My doctor says I have a malformed public-duty gland and a natural deficiency in moral fiber, and that I am therefore excused from saving Universes."

[C & M]

Have someone go up on the roof and push a running garden hose down the vents stacks to push any obstruction and flush it at the same time. Did this once many years ago with good success.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, P trap is dry or vent stack is plugged or blocked? Tony

[Norminn]

I've had the same experience. Absolutely nothing wrong with sewer line, no slowing or backup. Just have to remember to run some water in the guest bath now and then.

[Terry]

e.g. bird's nest fell down vent stack pipe?

Also; we suspected slightly rocking toilet for recent smell in our bathroom, although it is foam rubber not a wax seal. However smell was due build up of brown grunge in the wash sink over flow. Don't know why, but it did. Pushed a piece of that spirally/flexible curtain hanger wire up and down the overflow slot in the sink to dislodge, flushed with hot water etc. few teaspoons of 'Javex' etc. Wasn't the toilet at all! Now properly chocked.

[nospambob]

[Suzie-Q]

-> I had a smell in one of my bathrooms. It was a bath room I hardly used. What

-> I discovered was that the water in the sink and shower traps had dried out,

-> so from then on I run water occasionally in each to fill up the traps, now I

-> don't have that problem anymore. Could that be your problem too?

->

->

-> > Suzie-Q wrote:

-> > > Lately I've begun to smell sewage in one of my bathrooms. Of course

-> >

-> > First make sure noone in your house is going to the bathroom right

-> > before you. That could cause a sewage smell in the bathroom.

-> >

-> > If not that, it has to be some kind of back flow from the sewer. Is

-> > your toilet trap staying full of water? A vacuum in the sewer system

-> > can suck the water out and make stinkies. Same for the sink.