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Discuss Problem with bad smell, possibly from soil stack? in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

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Hi all. My apologies for a newbie/DIY-style question, possibly in the wrong forum.

I live in a property with a ground-floor bedroom beneath the bathroom. In the corner of the room, there is a sink inside a cupboard and, as far as I can tell, the soil stack is boxed-in and passes through this cupboard.

There have been various issues in this room, including rats getting to the water pipes underneath the sink and causing leaks. This probably accounts for some of the damp smell in the room, as does the generally poor construction (no proper damp proofing). We've had some work done to prevent future rodent issues the sink cupboard is kept closed - it's not really fit for use.

My main concern is an occasional, strong, sulphurous smell in this room. It reminds me of a similar smell we had in the converted loft, traced to a faulty Durgo valve, which leads me to think it might be a soil stack issue. I can't find any pattern of when this smell appears - perhaps more in the evenings.

I appreciate there is hardly any info to go on here, and a proper diagnosis can't be made. But I wonder if anyone has any initial thoughts that might help me investigate? We've had plumbers out to look at various issues, but it's never possible to recreate the smell for them to check. I guess I'd like to have some understanding of possible issues, and then be able to discuss this with them.

The property is old and rented from a landlord who is supportive, but is unlikely to fund the full refurbishment needed. The house brings enough advantages for us to tolerate this issue, but I'd like to find some solutions to help improve the situation.

Many thanks
 
The property is old and rented from a landlord who is supportive, but is unlikely to fund the full refurbishment needed.

You need a proper plumber (not one of the unqualified handymen favoured by dodgy landlords), to investigate the integrity of the drains. They will need to do a 'pressure test', which involves blocking the drain temporily, filling it with compressed air or a tracer gas, and monitoring loss of pressure.

It is quite possible that the problem is a leak below ground level. Water from the drain leaks into the soil and your are smelling the results - mud mixed with sewage rotting. Such smells do come and go depending on things like temperature and air pressure/wind direction.

I suggest you contact your local Citzen's Advice Bureau. Based on your description (rat infestation and sewer gas), your landlord should find you alternative accommodation while the building is made fit for habitation and/or be prosecuted.
 
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Thanks Chuck. Just to clarify, the landlord uses a qualified plumbing firm. We've had pest control out several times and builders have now carried out some flooring work to help with this.

Thanks for the tip on possible leak/pressure test.
 
Maybe an idea just to check what sort of trap is fitted to the basin, could be just a case of changing it for an Anti-vac one possible that water seal in trap is getting broken, simple and cheep fix if this is the case
 
Ben , just put your nose very close to the basin waste . Hopefully that maybe your problem and it may just need a anti-vac trap .
 
Maybe an idea just to check what sort of trap is fitted to the basin, could be just a case of changing it for an Anti-vac one possible that water seal in trap is getting broken, simple and cheep fix if this is the case

Sorry JTS just replied without reading your post
 
As others have said, checking wastes is the first step. A pressure test can be useful. As can putting gaffer tape over all wastes and overflows. As if this cures the problem, you know it's an issue with the traps (U bends) and nothing more complicated, if you want to help your landlord. May be as simple as cleaning out traps in case debris in them is preventing proper functioning.

But all sorts of horrible things can be lurking. In my own house, I found a pipe just jammed into a hole drilled into the soil stack and then left open in a stud wall was letting in smells through a screwhole where the toilet was fixed through the plasterboard (really!), and if rats have chewed waste pipes, then there could be gaps anywhere.

As a (former) landlord, I would comment that the ?1985 Housing Act requires the landlord to keep the structure of the property in good order (whatever you may try to agree otherwise this is the law), and that while if you block the drains it could be your problem, this sort of structural item is the landlord's responsibility to remedy. If you paying rent for a jerry-built house and willing to accept inconvenience while proper repairs are carried out, any landlord is lucky to have you as when you eventually leave, everything is sorted. So don't assume your landlord won't pay, take the tack that while you're happy to help him help you, you both know the problem needs sorting properly.
 
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