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    kelsaco's Avatar
    kelsaco Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Apr 14, 2008, 07:54 AM
    Smell coming from bathtub drain, especially after usage
    For several months now we have been observing a musty smell in our upstairs bathroom. This smells comes and goes and at times it is much stronger. It seems that after someone takes a shower it gets worse afterwards. The tub is not clogged and there do not appear to be any leaks visible on the second floor or the floor immediately below the bathroom.

    Last night I removed the tub overflow and removed a little hair, nothing major. I closed the drain and filled the tub above the overflow. (I covered the overflow with my hand so that the water level went halfway above the overflow hole. Overflow not clogged however, when the tub faucet is on full blast the overflow appears to drain the water at a slower rate than the faucet can fill it. Stuck wire hanger and it seems to go freely. Nothing came up. After we let the water drain, last night and this morning the smell was much worse. In fact it was the worse we ever experienced. I am going to list all the things I know below. Please help us fix this.

    - House is 12 years old and we have lived there for the last 8 years.
    - No smell in the bathroom for the first 7.5 years. We have been observing smell for the last 4 - 5 months.
    - 2 full bathrooms upstairs and one full bathroom downstairs. Other than the bathroom in question no smells present in any of the other bathrooms.
    - The bathroom in question is on the second floor and far end of the house (furthest from street and sewer).
    - We live in central NJ and have public water and sewer.
    - The smelly bathroom also has a double sink and the drains from those sinks do not appear to smell.
    - There is no trap door in room adjacent to this bathroom for us to check whether there is a properly installed trap. However, considering that there was no smell for the prior 7.5 years it is a fair assumption that there are traps.
    - Smell comes and goes but becomes stronger after the tub has been used.
    - No construction or change has been done anywhere near this bathroom, except that the toilet was replaced 2 years ago.
    - No clogs or smells in any of the other bathrooms in the house.

    Please let me know if you have any other questions.

    Thanks.
    ddollinger's Avatar
    ddollinger Posts: 145, Reputation: 12
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    #2

    Apr 14, 2008, 08:40 AM
    It sound like you have a small leak in your bathtub trap. In case you don't know, I will explain what the trap is and how it works. All appliances hooked to a sewer/septic system have to have some way to seal it off from the sewer when not in use to prevent sewer gases from backing up into the house. If you look under any of your sinks you will see a trap. It is the pipe that is shaped like an S. What it does is this, when you drain the sink, tub, etc. water remains in the bottom of the trap. The entire bottom of the U shape will be filled with water. This water is the plug that keeps the sewer gases from being able to permeate into the house. Because they always have water in them they tend to rust through on the bottom of the trap. If it has a small leak it will slowly leak out of the trap thus no longer sealing the pipe. There is not a lot of water in a trap so it could leak for quite some time before it is noticeable.
    massplumber2008's Avatar
    massplumber2008 Posts: 12,832, Reputation: 1212
    Senior Plumbing Expert
     
    #3

    Apr 14, 2008, 10:25 AM
    Kelsaco:

    Sounds like you may have a clogged vent or a slightly clogged drain that is causing a "back rush" to the tub trap and letting sewer gasses escape from drain pipe.

    When draining full tub... stand and listen to see if any gurgling occurs at sinks or at toilet. At just near the end of draining full tub listen to see if gurgling sounds occur after tub completely empties... listen for 30 seconds or so until totally empty.

    Could also try to remove the pop-up assembly (see pic.) and see what you pull back/up from overflow mechanism.

    Otherwise, wait until Tom, Bob, Harold, Kiss or some of the other guys pop in, they all have concoctions to help reduce odors like these.

    Report back on what you hear when draining tub... Mark

    .
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    kelsaco's Avatar
    kelsaco Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
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    #4

    Apr 14, 2008, 12:01 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by massplumber2008
    Kelsaco:

    Sounds like you may have a clogged vent or a slightly clogged drain that is causing a "back rush" to the tub trap and letting sewer gasses escape from drain pipe.

    When draining full tub...stand and listen to see if any gurgling occurs at sinks or at toilet. At just near the end of draining full tub listen to see if gurgling sounds occur after tub completely empties...listen for 30 seconds or so until totally empty.

    Could also try to remove the pop-up assembly (see pic.) and see what you pull back/up from overflow mechanism.

    Otherwise, wait until Tom, Bob, Harold, Kiss or some of the other guys pop in, they all have concoctions to help reduce odors like these.

    Report back on what you hear when draining tub...Mark

    .
    Dear Mark,

    My overflow plate does not have anything attached to it. It was screwed on to the tub. When yo unscrewed it the plate came off. There was something that prevented large objects from going into the opening but no assembly as in the picture you posted.

    Thanks for your help.

    Quote Originally Posted by ddollinger
    It sound like you have a small leak in your bathtub trap. In case you don't know, I will explain what the trap is and how it works. All appliances hooked to a sewer/septic system have to have some way to seal it off from the sewer when not in use to prevent sewer gases from backing up into the house. If you look under any of your sinks you will see a trap. It is the pipe that is shaped like an S. What it does is this, when you drain the sink, tub, etc., water remains in the bottom of the trap. The entire bottom of the U shape will be filled with water. This water is the plug that keeps the sewer gases from being able to permeate into the house. Because they always have water in them they tend to rust through on the bottom of the trap. If it has a small leak it will slowly leak out of the trap thus no longer sealing the pipe. There is not alot of water in a trap so it could leak for quite some time before it is noticeable.

    Is it possible for there to be a leak, even a small one, for five months in a second floor tub that gets daily use and there not be any leak stains in and around the tub or anywhere on the ceiling below?

    Why would the smell get much worse after the tub is used? Wouldn't the absence of water in the trap cause constant odor?

    Thanks,
    massplumber2008's Avatar
    massplumber2008 Posts: 12,832, Reputation: 1212
    Senior Plumbing Expert
     
    #5

    Apr 14, 2008, 12:38 PM
    Kelsaco... did you try to drain tub and listen for the sounds I mentioned..

    Also, this must be a toe trip type tub drain if nothing attached to overflow plate (see pics.)... right..

    And it is VERY UNLIKELY that you have a leak issue here (sorry ddollinger.. ;) ) And yes, empty drain would cause awful odor.. odor also may occur as result of back pressure in drain line when draining tub and sewer gas escaping in bubble form (gurgling/bubbling sounds I am talking about).

    Get back to me once you try draining tub and listening for gurgle sounds.. ok?

    Mark
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    kelsaco's Avatar
    kelsaco Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
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    #6

    Apr 14, 2008, 12:46 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by massplumber2008
    Kelsaco...did you try to drain tub and listen for the sounds I mentioned..?

    Also, this must be a toe trip type tub drain if nothing attached to overflow plate (see pics.)....right...?

    And it is VERY UNLIKELY that you have a leak issue here (sorry ddollinger..;) ) And yes, empty drain would cause awful odor..odor also may occur as result of back pressure in drain line when draining tub and sewer gas escaping in bubble form (gurgling/bubbling sounds I am talking about).

    Get back to me once you try draining tub and listening for gurgle sounds..ok??

    Mark

    Thanks again Mark. I am not home right now to do the gurgling sound test. I will post again tonight once I get home and try draining the tub. And yes the tub drain is like the picture on the right. You install it by screwing it in. To open or shut the drain you simply step on it. It appears to be spring loaded. The over flow does not appear to have any assembly. Only a plate that gets screwed on with flat head screw. The plate naturally has an opening that allows the water to escape into drain.
    ddollinger's Avatar
    ddollinger Posts: 145, Reputation: 12
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    #7

    Apr 18, 2008, 10:02 AM
    Mark maybe right and his response makes sense. Do his check first.

    Too answer your question, yes it is possible to have an undetected leak. It all depends on where your trap is located. On some homes, with certain types of tubs, there is not room under the tub for a trap so it is offset to an area between the wall studs and is connected to the tub by a drain pipe that comes out of the bottom of the tub and has a 90 degree bend on it. It slopes slightly and connects to the trap that is offset to the side. Thus a leak would drip between your wall studs and would take a very, very long time for a problem to show up on the interior wall.

    If it is sewer gases then you would have a constant odor "somewhat" but at most times it would be slight enough to almost be unnoticeable and with good ventilation in the bathroom it would pretty much keep the odor at bay. Right after using it, it is stirring up all the sludge, etc and that would make the odor strong until things settle back down.

    Like I said, Mike makes sense and try what he is asking. If that doesn't work this is just another avenue to explore. I used to be a plumber but have been out of the business for over 30 years and things definitely change...
    beaumont's Avatar
    beaumont Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #8

    Jul 23, 2008, 02:26 PM
    The same thing is happening at my house. Any luck on this issue? We just gutted the bathroom when a plumber told us we had water damage. We did have a little behind the fixtures, but everything has been replaced and the smell is still there. It only smells after we use the shower or bath. You can now smell it when I walk in my front door. Smells similar to urine. Help, our next option is to move... We have lived here for 7 years and did not have this problem until 4 months ago.
    jonsbill's Avatar
    jonsbill Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #9

    Sep 7, 2008, 08:42 PM
    I also have the same problem except we first noticed the smell years ago. It has progessively worsened over the last few months. We very rarely use the tub in question. ALSO, we hear the gurgling when the water is draining and when the sink is draining as well, although the smell is definitely coming from the tub. What does the gurgling mean exactly? The drain is also corroded.
    hkstroud's Avatar
    hkstroud Posts: 11,929, Reputation: 899
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    #10

    Sep 7, 2008, 09:04 PM
    Pour two cups of cooking oil down the tub, pour slowly. See if odor goes away. If it does, or if it does for a while, you probably have a block or partially blocked vent. Post back what happens, start a new thread.
    SRide2's Avatar
    SRide2 Posts: 4, Reputation: 1
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    #11

    Sep 8, 2008, 11:53 AM
    WOW... lots of people have this problem. I have it in a shower which is not used all the time. A maintenance co-worker told me to do this:
    1\ Pour some liquid bleach down the drain to destroy the bacteria sitting in the drain or trapp. (about 1/2 gallon)
    2\ Run the water for about 2 minutes.
    3\ Pour about 1/2 bottle of cheap cooking oil down the drain.

    You may have to repeat this at different intervals but it works! I was extremely grateful to know that for about $5, the trap could seal those odors and the smell would be gone.
    Try it, you have nothing to lose.
    SRide2
    loribelle16's Avatar
    loribelle16 Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #12

    Apr 26, 2009, 09:19 AM

    This sounds similar to what's happening with us. The smell seems to either be coming from our tub or in the space between the tub and toilet. Can the wax gasket on the toilet be leaking and not see any water? This just started a few days ago and the smell is unbearable! I've lived in my manufactured home for over 12 years and nothing like this has ever happened. It's in the master bathroom and it's making it hard to sleep at night. It's not fading, it's constant.
    4ortegas's Avatar
    4ortegas Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #13

    Dec 3, 2009, 12:17 PM
    We have the same issue as the original writter. We have lived in our house for 11.5 years now and up until last winter/spring we have never had any odors. I first started noticing this moldy/musty smell in our hallway just outside the bathroom. Then we started noticing in the bathroom. The smell would comes and goes and the intensity of it varies. Once the weather started warming up the odor went away. Now that the weather has cold off again, the odor is back! We just had a plumber come out to see if they could figure out were it was coming from. He told us that there is exposed dirt in the area for the plumbing and the odor is coming from the moist dirt. He told my husband this morning to put bleach into the overflow and then seal it good and the odor should just go away. Does this make sense?
    xzaqus's Avatar
    xzaqus Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
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    #14

    Dec 3, 2009, 09:42 PM

    One of the commode, which is almost never used, fills up with water by itself (no flushing). Worst is when it starts overflowing and there is water almost everywhwere. A plumber once came and ran the snake and said it is clear now. However, it just happened again (no one has used the commode since the plumber came last time). Any suggestitons.
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
    Eternal Plumber
     
    #15

    Dec 5, 2009, 10:21 AM

    Most bad drain smells in the bathroom drains comes from rotting hair mixed with grease. Purchase a Zip-It drain cleaner and run it down the drain to pull out the hair. Check it out at: Zip-It Unclog Drains in Seconds
    After you clean the drain pour a quart of bleach down the drain and let it set for a few hours. Then flush he drain out with a few pans of boiling water to loosen the grease and flush out whatever's left. Good luck, Tom
    cyberheater's Avatar
    cyberheater Posts: 321, Reputation: 12
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    #16

    Dec 5, 2009, 10:37 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by loribelle16 View Post
    This sounds similar to what's happening with us. The smell seems to either be coming from our tub or in the space between the tub and toilet. Can the wax gasket on the toilet be leaking and not see any water? This just started a few days ago and the smell is unbearable! I've lived in my manufactured home for over 12 years and nothing like this has ever happened. It's in the master bathroom and it's making it hard to sleep at night. It's not fading, it's constant.
    This could be a problem with the wax ring, but that would depend on what type of smell it is. Usually I smell more "urine" type smell with that problem. Do the cleaning of the drain as suggested by Mark, Tom and Harold, first.

    "Gurgling" means that your vent may have a block and will also produce a bad smell.
    Jersey2004's Avatar
    Jersey2004 Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
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    #17

    Jul 11, 2012, 05:17 AM
    Kelsaco,

    I am having the same problem right now. We first thought it was mold so we took out the shower and replaced it and even removed the drain and over flow trap. The smell went away for about a month but it is slowly creeping back and it has us perplexed to say the least. I was wondering if you were ever able to solve your problem and if so how did you do it? I was wondering if it has anything to do with our HE washing machine? Someone told us it might be backing up into the shower drain. Anyway I hope you let me know your results. Thanks.
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
    Eternal Plumber
     
    #18

    Jul 11, 2012, 07:32 AM
    Hi Jersey and Welcome to The Plumbing Page. At AskMeHelpDesk.com. You're responding to a 4 year old dead thread. Look in then upper left hand corner of the first post form the date in the first post before you post, Thanks,
    Please read the last post directly above yours, Comments? Regards, Tom

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