|
Over 100,000 Threads 500,000 Plumbing Posts
Plbg.com also known as the PlumbingForum.com. The popular plumbing tips, remodel and advice forum and blog. Ask any toilet, sink, faucet, pump, water quality and plumbing related questions.
|
|
Author:
squinn (CT)
Hopefully someone can point me in the right direction We live in a raised ranch with two bathrooms on the second floor. Both bathrooms are back to back with seperate P- traps that share one vent with a T- connector that runs up into the attic over to the main vent. After the p-traps the two drains are connected to one pipe that connects to the main drain for the entire house.
When we run the shower in our hallway bathroom a sulpher smell fills the bathroom from the drain. The bathrooms have always been throughly cleaned on a weekly basis since 1993 since the house was new. We have tried drain cleaner,bleach and baking soda. Since I have access below I even took the trap apart and it was clean as a whistle.(I also checked and cleaned the overfill tube) There is also a clean-out cap on the end cap for the drain for two showers and even that is clean. I even went as far to add a second P-trap to the single drain pipe that leads to our main drain. The shower type is single piece fiberglass tub/shower unit with a brass over fill tube and a brass drain the connects to the plastic p- trap. I also went on the roof and connected the blower end of a wet vac to see if the vent was clogged and all the toilets bubbled up from the forced air. This problem just started occuring a couple months ago, we have lived in the house since 93 and nothing has changed. I been told the trap could be siphoning during a shower allowing sewer gas to pass thru mixing in with the steam from from the hot water but Im curious to why the adjacent bathroom which passes through the same drain is normal. My next step is to add a whole house trap on the main drain. Any advice would be appreciated
Thanks
Edited 1 times.
|
 |
|
|
Author:
Paul48 (CT)
You need to bring in a qualified plumber.Your descriptions may be inaccurate,but what you are describing is handyman plumbing.
|
|
|
|
|
Author:
squinn (CT)
What would you suspect, a venting issue?
Thank you
|
|
|
|
|
Author:
hj
I would suspect a reaction between the water heater's anode rod and your water, especially if you have a water softener, creating magnesium sulphide with has a "sewer gas" odor.
|
|
|
|
|
Author:
Paul48 (CT)
Stop adding, and remove the additional trap you added. They will just create clog points.hj's theory makes the most sense, look at the water.Is it well water?
|
|
|
|
|
Author:
squinn (CT)
I suspected that also, that was the first question my plumber asked me over the phone but my wife and I use the master bathroom with no issue, while the kids use the the hallway bathroom where the smell is coming from, both bathrooms are used on a daily basis. We have city water, however the hot water heater was changed out within the last year(50 gallon- gas). Just to get into the process of elimination I have also changed out the shower head since it appeared to have less pressure, but that didnt help anything. The plumbers recommendation after telling him the whole scenario is a whole house trap, or a smoke test but again this was just over the phone and he is just guessing
I was wondering if was the brass drain and piping was giving off the smell from the cleaning chemicals over the years and now its reacting with the hot water. This shower was only used occassionally up until a couple of years ago now that the kids are older
Thank you both for your responses.
|
|
|
|
|
Author:
hj
There are so many factors which affect odors and where you smell them, that they are hard to pinpoint. The air currents in your shower will be different than theirs, and your room is probably a lot larger also, which can affect the odor's concentration.
|
|
|
|
|
Author:
Paul48 (CT)
Each fixture should have its own trap, and no additional traps.Maybe I'm wrong, and the plumbers will correct me, but I think "running" traps could cause sewer gas to burp from improperly vented fixtures.
|
|
|
|
|
Author:
hj
Adding traps AFTER a trap's vent does not create a "double trap" situation. Adding a trap before the vent will create one and then the fixture will either NOT drain or will drain slowly.
|
|
|
|
|
Author:
Xfire (NY)
I had a similar issue. When my house was built, they put a nail through one of my main drain pipes while hanging clost shelving. A nice size nail but still a small hole was enough to cause a horrible smell. Took months to find the problem. Fortunately I have video so I know where my pipes are. I was able to trace the path and see what was potentially broken. Quick fix once you find it. Plumber used some special glue to fill the hole. Said putting a joint there would not be a good idea.
Good luck
|
|
|
|
|
Author:
squinn (CT)
Thanks for the response, still trying to figure this out, I did find a small leak coming from either the shower head or the control valve that is dripping ever so slightly down the inside of the shower enclosure onto the basement floor, you can see some white staining on the inside of the fiberglass when viewed the chase from the basement cieling with a flashlight.I wonder if mold or something else somehow impregnated the unfinished inside of the fiberglass stall?
|
|
|
|
|
Author:
squinn (CT)
Fixed !..one day the bathroom sink started draining slow so I snaked and poured Draino down the drain, while snaking it I pulled out a nasty hairball. Since then my shower drain smell issue has gone away. Its funny how the smell never pointed to the sink drain but our bathroom odor is now gone.
Edited 1 times.
|
|
|
|
