Soil stacks

[bobby13]

Hi

I wonder if anyone could take a look at these recently installed soil stacks and let me know if all seems ok. I have been getting some foul smells in both of the bathrooms that are served by these 2 soil stacks (one more so than the other) and I'm trying to identify the cause of the smells.

I have of course asked my plumber to investigate but he seems reluctant to accept that the smells might be due to anything he has done (when I raised the issue he said it was likely to be problem with the drains themselves, i.e. conveniently the bit he hasn't worked on!).

Thanks for any assistance.

 

[bobby13]

.... in case it is relevant, the sewer runs away to the left of the photos, i.e. the unvented stack is closer to the sewer.

 

[plumben]

The work looks fine there to me, cant see anything that jumps right out,
I'd of put a rodding eye on the second stack at the bottom and on the long branch but thats just my personal preference,

are all of the traps full of water in both bathrooms?
dose the smell come at a certain time or is it constant? (after a toilet is flushed?)
are there any anti vac traps fitted?

 

[joni os]

If wc is plumbed directly into unvented stack then this could be source of smell. Should have internal stub stack with air admittance valve otherwise stacks look fine. Make sure traps in basins, bath and shower are full of water.

 

[plumben]

+1 for above, if theres no air admittance valve, that elbow could be swapped for a tee and a short length of pipe to an external AAV

 

[Unregistered]

Thanks for the replies so far. I have checked that there is water in all the waste traps. Is it the unvented stack that could do with an external AAV just where the pipe comes through the wall? I'll suggest it to my plumber

 

[Unregistered]

The only toilet that is currently in use is the one connected (directly) to the un-vented stack. The smell seems pretty constant. I do not think there are any traps fitted other than the standard traps connected to each of the wastes.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

please log back in and click/check keep me logged in

 

[bobby13]

Thanks for the replies so far. I have checked that there is water in all the waste traps. Is it the unvented stack that could do with an external AAV just where the pipe comes through the wall? I'll suggest it to my plumber.

The only toilet that is currently in use is the one connected (directly) to the un-vented stack. The smell seems pretty constant. I do not think there are any traps fitted other than the standard traps connected to each of the wastes.

 

[Sharp Point]

The left hand stack needs venting some way, either AAV or to atmosphere. It's probably pulling the water seal out of the appliance that is connected to it.
On the right hand stack, I see there's a basin waste tee'd into that other waste pipe, is it a bath? When baths are emptying they create quite abut of negative or positive pressure in a pipe, it could be again pulling or pushing the trap outta the basin. When it pulls or pushes a water seal, it doesn't necessarily mean the whole deal gets removed, maybe enough to allow foul smelling air to enter the room. I would never tee into a bath waste, because of this problem. The basin needs its own branch into the stack. It's bad practice to to combine any wastes together. Separate wastes for the win everytime 😀

 

[plumben]

Thanks for the replies so far. I have checked that there is water in all the waste traps. Is it the unvented stack that could do with an external AAV just where the pipe comes through the wall? I'll suggest it to my plumber.

The only toilet that is currently in use is the one connected (directly) to the un-vented stack. The smell seems pretty constant. I do not think there are any traps fitted other than the standard traps connected to each of the wastes.

Yes the un-vented stack should either have a AAV above the spill over level or vented to atmosphere like the other stack, although i wouldn't tell your plumber that you've been on a plumbing forum

 

[bobby13]

Only the shower over the bath has been used.

I will suggest to my plumber that he vents the left hand stack and see whether that improves things.

In the meantime I have now got a lot of noise coming from a hot water circulating pump. Perhaps I should start another thread but am I right in thinking these pumps should not be heard from a bedroom located below the pump (the pump is located in a loft space above the bedroom).

 

[bobby13]

Plumben - Haha, I will try to be tactful!

 

[stevetheplumber]

baths are seldom the problem as the amount of run of due to the area will usually refill the trap personally i hate durgos(aav) as a stack vent to atmoshere keeps the drains smelling sweet due to the flow of air. For the sake of saving a few metres of pipe I would run the second stack up above the gutter

 

[plumben]

Plumben - Haha, I will try to be tactful!

I only say it as I wouldnt like to go back to a job and be told by the customer that they've been on an internet forum and this this and this isnt right with my work, I might not be as helpful then,

as to the hot water pump, is this off a cylinder and does it only turn on when the hot water/shower is turned on?

 

[bobby13]

The pump is off a cylinder and it runs via a time clock (it runs for 15 mins then is off for 15 mins). The pump was originally very noisy but I was told that the noise was coming from a non-return valve, which was located very close to the pump. The pump has recently been moved and since it was moved the pump itself is now making a noise (different noise to that which the non-return valve was making). Having just inspected it, I think it is because part of the pump is in contact with the timber boarding, which is vibrating/resonating against the timber and making the noise. I will ask my plumber to make adjustments as I presume the pump is designed to be suspended.