Sewer Odors in Bathroom

My husband & I just moved into our new construction home not even a month ago. We started noticing a really bad smell coming from the guest bath in the middle of the house. We use it frequently. However, we have noticed that the rest of the house is starting to stink too. I am 5 months pregnant and I am worried if I am smelling something that will harm the baby. Please help!!

Rebecca,

Read all of my sewer gas columns and the ones that have the keyword "biofilm" in it. See if that is your problem. There is little danger for that new baby, unless you are hovering over the sinks and breathing deeply for hours.... But do try to get this resolved quickly.

Here is a very simple remedy for sewer odors, If wind appears to cause of the problem, try the most obvious solution.
The breather pipe is the only part of the plumbing system outside the house subjected to the wind. Fix it!

We have spent the last 6 years fixing the odors on RV's at 60MPH, a house or building is alot easier. A simple plastic vent cap (took us 3 years to design), non-mechanical, inhibits any potential of down drafts or high presure at the port opening. converts any breeze into a low presure drawing off fumes and odors - Gauranteed.
Can be installed on any angle, sideways, even upside down. Has a bug screen and fits all the standard breathes pipes; 2", 3", and 4".
The only non-mechanical device in exsistance with airflow characteristics that match that of rotating devices. See us at:
www.360productsinc.com

Our washer is in the basement. The water drains into a utility sink and into a sump pump. When the washer drains, it pulls water from the upstairs toilet until the bowl is almost empty. The toilet fills back up slowly after the wash cycle is over. Could this be a venting issue?

I am having a problem with foul smelling water coming from the faucets in a few of my bathrooms. It is actually the water that smells. I have had two plumbers look at the situation and they can not figure it out. Any suggestions?

We just had a sewer problem under our home. Under the bathroom vanity is where it still stinks even though the problem is fixed. Any way to eliminate the smell without replacing vanities?

I think most of these people have the same problem i have [water smells like rotten eggs]sulfur gas and it is just the hot water heater, the anode and the bacteria are the cause. The solution im told is to pour peroxide into the water heater to kill the bacteria as that is safeer then bleech but i cant find anywhere to pour it in?? Just where do you add anything to a waterheater tank??

I have recently been getting sewer gas smells from the bathroom area, but only when the air condition system is on.I can't detect it at the sink or tub drain area, but it seems more pronounced in a towel closet through which the vent pipe goes up through to the roof (in a mobile home)
The only recent change was an S trap
that I replaced under the tub drain, although I think it was the same as the one that was replaced.

I have a toilet pump in my basement which is producing a lot of odor. It comes and goes but is pretty bad when it does smell. How can I eliminate this problem and what is the cause? Would appreciate any help.

Help! There is a horrible sewer gas smell coming from our third floor shower, which we use daily. After it sits awhile, it starts to stink. It seems to be worse after we do laundry. The laundry room is on the second level; basically adjacent and slightly below this bathroom. We live in a "California Split" house and have 3 full baths; one on each level. The second floor bath is no problem. The bottom floor bath has a toilet that gurgles and gets sudsy when we do laundry. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

My wife and I have lived in our new construction home for about 2 years now. We get a very strong sewer-gas-like smell from the water closet of our master bath...the funny thing is that it is only present when the temperature drops significantly in our area (below 50 degrees or so) and also on cold/rainy days. All summer long - no smell. Then, when the fall season hits...it's back!

I have read as many of your columns as possible in regards to odors and to biofilm. I have checked my drains for the biofilm, but nothing. The smell is definitely coming from the tiolet area and or exhaust fan area of the water closet and not from either of our double-sink drains or our shower drain. I paid to have the toilet removed and then re-installed with a new seal a recaulked....still smells. Our contactor's plumber has been out numerous times - he can't find any leaks or problems with our traps.

Sorry to be so lengthy here with my question, but we have been trying to get pregnant for over 2 years now and have even had miscarriages....and I hate to be over-dramatic, but i worry about anything that can be causing our problmes...and this sewer gas smell is #1 on my list of suspects!

thank you,
-Chris

Hello, I just moved into our new home we had built. We are getting a terrible smell from the master bathroom toilet and shower drain. No other bathroom in the house. We have tried the boiling water and bleach, that did not work. Could it possibly be bad venting and is there a easy way for me to check this myself and fix? Or is there something else you recommends us try first? Thanks in advance.

Hi Tim
Over the past couple of years every time it rains we get a sewer smell in the main hall. During a particularly bad spell of weather when the smell was at its worst I lifter the floor under the stairs and there is no sign of water. The house is 80 year old and has had many extensions over the years. One of these was to fit wash basin under the stairs with a 2" metal waste pipe that runs under the house. The basin was removed before we purchased in 75 and the waste pipe sealed. I have since resealed the pipe using a sealing compound and a plastic cap and there is no apparent rust on the outside of the pipe.
Having read the details above I appreciate that this is not just an irritating bad smell but could be a hazard.
I would appreciate your recommendations.
Kind Regards
Joe Robinson

I just purchased a 3 year old prefab home and i have a sewer gas smell in the master bathroom. If i stick my head under the sinks i can smell the oder even more. I have cleaned the p trap and all the pipes in the sinks and the smell is still there. I do not detect that there is any cracks in the piping and it looks like the p trap is working. Any ideas of whre the smell could be comming from? Thanks.

I HOPE YOU CAN HELP ME FIND AN ANSWER TO MY PROBLEM. IT HAS PERSISTED FOR THE 6 YEARS WE HAVE BEEN IN OUR HOUSE. MY PROBLEM IS NOT UNLIKE SOME OF THE OTHERS ON THIS PAGE, BUT WITH SOME DIFFERENCES. I HAVE A CLOTHES CLOSET ADJACENT TO A FULL BATH IN MY HOUSE, WHICH HAS A SLAB FOUNDATION. THE PROBLEM ONLY OCCURS DURING THE SUMMER AND FALL, THE WARMER MONTHS. WHEN WE ARE GONE FROM THE HOUSE FOR SEVERAL DAYS OR LONGER, WHEN WE FIRST GET BACK AND RUN WATER, EVEN IN THE UTILITY ROOM ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HOUSE, A HORRIBLE SEWER ODOR, HEAVY ON THE AMMONIA SMELL, EMINATES FROM THE CLOSET, AND IS GENERALLY STRONG ENOUGH TO MOVE INTO THE ADJOINING BEDROOM. AFTER 15-30 MINUTES, IT GOES AWAY AS QUICKLY AS IT CAME. THERE IS A VENT PIPE IN THE CLOSET WALL ADJACENT TO THE BATH, AND WE HAVE HAD A PLUMBER TEST THE VENT SYSTEM FOR CRACKS/LEAKS WITH A SMOKE TEST. NO LEAKAGE ANYWHERE. THERE IS NO SMELL AT OTHER TIMES, SO A CRACK IN THE VENT SYSTEM DOES NOT SEEM LIKELY. WHEN THE SMELL IS IN THE CLOSET IT DOES NOT SEEM TO BE STRONGER ON ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER, SO I CAN’T GET A BEAD ON IT. ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

Smell, I believe sewer gas, coming from the tub or shower drain

Will Draino, clorine or just flusing help?

I have the same problem as Mike. Whenever I start the bathroom faucet, it smells. The smell lasts for about the first 30 seconds and then goes away. But, I'd like to know how to prevent the smell in the first place. Any advice?

We live in a moble home when we get a heavy rain the small bathroom in the front of the house has a bad gas odor. We have a septic tank, the smell is no where else

Help, I have read all your articles, but still need help. Two days ago, our first floor toilet area started smelling like what I assume sewer gas smells like. I made sure there is water everywhere it should be. The toilet is anchored tightly to the floor. I can't even open the bathroom door, the smell is so bad. A plumber came out today, but said he didn't know what is wrong, he suggested leaving the fan on in the bathroom for a few hours. well, I did that. The smell is still there. I asked him when he was here if it smells like sewer gas to him, he said no, he didn't think so, it smells like dirty diapers, he then said it smelled like poo. If this plumber can't diagnose this problem what should I do. Also what does sewer gas smell like? Our bathroom smells horrible, kind of like a sewer. Is is possible that even though our toilet is secure to the floor, that the seal under it is broken, and gas is escaping? Also could there be anything in the wall behind the toilet that could smell like sewage? The smell is only coming from the toilet area, but permeates the whole room. it's a half bath,just only toilet, and sink. Our house is 4 years old, and all other bathrooms etc. are fine. Any help you could give would be appreciated. thanks so much.

We recently replaced our linoleum bathroom floor with porcelain tiles. We replaced the toilet at the same time. During this process, the contractor removed our toilet and left it off for about a day. They stuffed rags in the opening. The floors have been finished and the new toilet installed. I still smell the sewer smell but it is slowing fading. Could the sewer smell be coming from the walls or other bathroom surfaces? How do I get rid of this smell? Thanks.

I LIVE IN AN APARTMENT IN THE 1st FLOOR OF THE 3 STORE BLDG.THE PIPES OF THE 2 FLOOR ARE IN MY ATIC W MY AIR CONDITION DUCTS. I HAVE BAD SMELL LIKE "WET SOCK" AND IS DIFICULT FOR ME BRITH IHAVE A PAIN BURNING MY CHEST EVERY TIME I GOT INSIDE MY APART. I NOTICE SOMEONE TRIED TO ISOLATE MY APRTMENT WITH CEMENT IN THE PIPES BEFORE I MOVED TO HERE, I THINK VENT PIPES. PLEASE TELL WHAT TO DO

ok when it rains my guest bathroom smells like someone had already went in there but no one did. i have sewer and the smell is coming from the toilet i put on the fan and it still doesnt help!!!!! hubby is deployed and i live in a mil town where people like 2 rip off the mil its sad 2 say. i dont think i can wait till he gets home cause the smell is over powering my plugins. please help me. thank you so much!!!! usmc wife

I am having a smell and I would like to see answers to the above comments.

We had our upstairs bathroom remodeled about a year ago, and everything was okay until a few months ago when we started to smell this sicking odor similar to sswage. We do not know what is causing the bad odor, or what we can do to stop it. Please help.

Tim,
Our house is one year old. Sewer gas just started coming in through the shower drain while water is in the p-trap.It comes and goes. It usually comes in around 3:00 am. At times the smell is very strong. A team of three plumbers checked things out this last time. They scoped the lines, checked the attic for stack leaks,and visually inspected all drain lines.No luck on finding the reason. Any ideas?

I periodacally get a terrible odor in my spare bathroom. It is seldom used, other than the toilet. I had this one other time, then my kids had to use the shower for a couple of weeks while they had their bath room replaced. The smell dissapeared after that for a while. It is back. How do I fix this problem for good? That is the most obnoxious smell. Colleen Lutz

Colleen,

Sounds like the water in the drain pipes might be drying up from lack of use. When the kids used the shower, the smell went away for a while. Try running water in the drains on a regular basis. That will keep water in the drains and hopefully, block the odor.

I have a half bath that has sewer gas odor only when it is cold outside. As soon as fall gets here and it is close to freezing out, it starts smelling again. I have lived here for 16 years and this wasn't a problem until 3 or 4 years ago. I've tried running water in the tub and sink I don't regularly use, but the odor is still there. Only when it gets cold out. Could it be the breather pipe?

I have this awful odor in my spare bathroom We thought it was the toilet wax ring so we had it replaced and that didnot take care of it.The odor is till there I poured bleach in all the drains and scrubbed everything down with bleach. Do you have any other suggests. It smells almost like a very strong urine smell. Thank You Yvonne

I have lived in my mobile home for a little over a year and recently we have had a sewer smell almost all the time. It is really bad when I am doing laundry. The water sometimes backs up in the kitchen sink but the smell lingers all the time. I also read that the plumbing might need an outside vent and I do not see any kind of plumbing that goes out. All of mine is from the ground right to the trailer. Any suggestions?

I HAVE A MOLDY SMELL COMING FROM MY BATHROON SINK VENTS ,THE BATHROOM WAS RENOVATED 1 YEAR AGO ,I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING ,HAD A PLUMBER DO A DIGNOSTIC TEST AND COULDN,T FIND ANY PROBLEM .$250.00 LATER , THE PLUMBING UNDER THE SINK ISN,T S SHAPED ,THERE IS A EXTENTION MADE TO CONNECT THE ORIGINAL PLUMBING ,THIS EXTENTION IS ABOUT 3 INCHES WIDE ,COULD THE PROBLEM BE THE EXTENDING PIPE IS HOLDING WATER AND THIS WATER SITS IN A FLAT PIPE AND DOSEN,T FLOW UP PROPERLY .I AM AT A LOSS OF IDEAS.PLEASE HELP

Getting Sewer odors in bathroom and outside in the morning. Can't tell were the oder is coming from in bath room.You can smell the odor on th roof.

I own a 1922 bungalow duplex. The tenants on the second floor say that a bad odor come from the bathroom sink/vanity. I've had two plumbers out - and they cannot find the problem. I've asked the renters to not what they've been doing prior to the odor occurring...and they've concluded that after they have done dishes in the kitchen sink - the odor seems to appear in the bathroom. The plumbing for the bathroom and kitchen are on opposite walls. I have not seen any water leaks. Everything drains fine. The odor does not occur every time they do dishes. There is no dishwasher or disposal in the house. No odors on the lower level or basement. Could it be a crack in the upstairs vent? If there is a crack - would the odor appear only occasionally? Please help - your comments are appreciated.

I live in a Rental Home I have sewer problems for 4 yrs. the landlord put in 9 toilets and they all over fill and sewer in the bathtub There is air in the toilet when you shower the toilet gurggles water all over the floor my husband and i are always sick from the smell and i don't no what to do Can you help?
Thank you
Judy

There was the smell of sewer gas coming from an upstairs bathroom, but only when the downstairs gas fireplace was lit. We could not determine the exact source of the smell. We followed suggestions made on this Website, and finally turned to Rescue Rooter. The technician used a smoke machine to finally locate the trouble in a bathroom wall behind the sink. He opened the wall to find several vent pipes with cracks and one with a missing elbow. He repaired it all and my family now breathes clean air. Thank you Askthebuilder.com.