Toilet and annoying bad smell

[jaydebruyne]

I'm stumped and I could do with some help.

Went to a property today which has 3 floors. The property starts on the first floor of a building of 2 flats.

There are 2 toilets on the 2nd floor of this property (which is the 3rd floor of the building) which I believe are both tee'd into the same waste pipe going into the stack at the rear of the building.

Both toilets are the same design. When flushing either of them the water empties the pan right to the bend where the water seal breaks the siphonic actions, allowing the pan to refill. This happens on both toilets.

The waste pipe (viewing from the tee the smelly toilet is connected to) is full of standing water.

There appears to be no blockage as the water drains on both toilets. There is no leak behind the toilet (I had to remove tiled boxing in order to investigate).

The room where the smell is comes from the toilet nearest the stack.

I'm thinking that:

a) flushing this toilet induces a siphonic action and drains both toilet traps, momentarily allowing the sewer air into the property.

b) there is a partial blockage somewhere (the previous tenant used to flush her babies nappies down the lav :/)

c) The fall in the pipework is towards the toilets instead of towards the stack, hence why it's filled with water.

I've recommended rodding the stack before looking at pipework design.

Am I looking too deeply into this? Is there something I'm missing?

Any help would be grand as 4 other firms have been out and have basically run away from the job saying there is nothing that they can do, or denying that there is a smell (it's a bloody awful smell!).

Cheers all
Jay

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Is there an AAV on the run? If yes is it vented and functioning properly?

 

[jaydebruyne]

it's a vented stack but unsure as to if it's working properly. How could I test this? As far as I could tell, there are no AAV's on the pipe run.

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

If when you flush the toilet it sucks out the water on the other then I would say the bent is blocked or the run from the toilet to the stack is too long?

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Sometimes birds nest on the top of soils and block the vent?

 

[jaydebruyne]

*gulp* so it's on to the ladder to check the top of the stack? That's pretty high for someone who doesn't like heights haha

Also, why would the run would be full of water?

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Maybe the stack back falls at some point? Hard to say without looking?
are their any basins on the same run? If so are the traps sucking out?

 

[jaydebruyne]

There is a basin in both rooms but not sure if they're on the same run. I did't check the traps :/ I should have!!! Weird thing is, the tenant said the smell clears a bit when she flushes the toilet. The entire thing is bugging me

 

[Chalked]

I'd say you have two options.
lack of ventilation or air admission.
blockage.

as this is not a new system and has worked in the past. I would go for blocked drain.
this could be blocked in the street, and can still cause the problems you have.

 

[lame plumber]

just been in my loo, used it and it too stinks now, any ideas

 

[Chalked]

just been in my loo, used it and it too stinks now, any ideas

That's your blockage sorted!

 

[jaydebruyne]

I'd say you have two options.
lack of ventilation or air admission.
blockage.

as this is not a new system and has worked in the past. I would go for blocked drain.
this could be blocked in the street, and can still cause the problems you have.

I'm not sure it's worked in the past as the tenant has only been in the property for about 8 months and it's been like this for the entire time.

I'll look into the blockage next I think. Cheers guys

My money is on something to do with ventilation/air admission.

 

[jaydebruyne]

just been in my loo, used it and it too stinks now, any ideas

Yeah, lay off the vindaloo

 

[wetdrip]

Yeah, lay off the vindaloo

That aint a blockage, that's pebble dashing.

 

[oz-plumber]

Can you not get someone to camera the drain.

It may be costly, but it would save you a lot of guess work.
And it would also enable you to locate the problem area of the drain if it is a drain problem.

 

[scorps]

Had a problem like this once on a new build,it was an out of shape outlet on the pan, oval if you like,the pan connector did'nt leak water but it let the smells out of the top of seal.

 

[newcastle phill]

just been in my loo, used it and it too stinks now, any ideas

Ive got same problem its called

'Wor lass'

 

[jaydebruyne]

Had a problem like this once on a new build,it was an out of shape outlet on the pan, oval if you like,the pan connector did'nt leak water but it let the smells out of the top of seal.

I checked the pan connector and it was fine..