We have a 2 year old house that we moved into last November. Shortly after moving in, we noticed a sewage smell in the powder bath on the main floor, in the master closet that has an adjoining wall, and in the mechanical room immediately beneath the bath. A plumber was called but could find nothing wrong. Toilet and sink in bath get used regularly. Floor drain in mechanical room has an automatic filler to keep it from getting dry. Smell is somehow getting into vent that provides air to the closet.

Nothing could be found, but mysteriosly the smell stopped in the Spring. However, it returned a few days ago. Fall is arriving and the heat is being used now. Also, the weather has been kind of wacky and really wet.

Any suggestions on how to find the problem? No visible leaks or evidence of previous leaks. Vent pipes are intact in attic. Powder bath vent combines with another bath vent before exiting through roof. Nothing visible obstructing the vent on the roof, and based upon the smell that comes from it, it is not clogged. Funny that the smell is coincident with the weather and ? With the use of the heater.

Help! My wife is not happy.

Funny that the smell is coincident with the weather and ? With the use of the heater. Bad smells have a tendency to raise with heat and fall closer to the ground in wet, colder and humid weather.



We have a 2 year old house that we moved into last November. Shortly after moving in, we noticed a sewage smell in the powder bath on the main floor, in the master closet that has an adjoining wall, and in the mechanical room immediately beneath the bath. A plumber was called but could find nothing wrong.
A ruptured wax seal could cause this. Water could still pass by with no leaks but sewer gas could escape every time there was a little back pressure in the system. Did the plumber pull the toilet and check and replace the wax seal? Back to you, Tom