Recently moved into a house that was built in 2003, and noticed that there are no obvious signs of soil stack vents such as the traditional pipe-through-roof.
If relevant, the drainpipes disappear into larger pipes at ground level, sealed by a rubber diaphragm.
How does the soil stack ventilate, if at all, in these circumstances?
TF
Presumably an Air-Admittance Valve (AAV) which is a one-way valve at the top of your soil stack which lets in air, but doesn't let nasty niffs out. These are typically located within the roof space, or maybe within (ventilated) boxing within the house.
They don't completely replace a conventional open soil stack; eg they can't be fitted at the blind end of a drain run, and (IIRC) at least every fourth house on the same drain in the street needs to have an open stack.
David
You probably have an "air admittance valve" fitted to the top of the stack which I think only has to be 1 metre taller that the highest soil/waste entry point in the stack.
There is a slight problem which may or may not be as a result of soil-stack venting.
Briefly, if you look at the front of the house, running from left to right is Bed 4, Master Bed en-suite, Master Bed. Bed 4 has a slight malodour problem, and I'm trying find out the cause. It isn't much, but it is a sharp sulphurous odour that builds up when Bed 4 door is shut, such as overnight. Crack the window open slightly and there's no pong. There no pong at all anywhere else in the house.
Bed 4 is fitted with an 'old oak' type of laminate flooring, and it's just possible that any foam backing or adhesive could have been of the 'sulphide' type, and be very slowly degrading giving rise to a sulphurous pong.
I'd be very grateful for any advice about how I could differentiate between these and any other possibilities; for example the upstairs bathroom basin has an impressive emptying rate, and gurgles mightily while doing so. Would this suggest a problem with an air admittance valve? The loft doesn't pong either.
I'd be grateful for any suggestions as to the cause and the cure.
TF
I was going to say the toilets could be burping the smell into the bathroom. The AAvs are one way for obvious reasons, so build up of gas has nowhere to go. The fact the smell isn't there when you leave a window open doesn't exactly prove my theory though.
I'd try and find a way of installing a vent. Either external or through a tile vent in the loft. Wouldn't cost much if you can diy.
Dave.
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