Hello
We live in a 5th floor apartment and ever since we have moved in there has been a very strong odor coming from the kitchen sink. We don't have a disposal. It smells like sewer and seems to start when hot water is ran down the sink. But then, other times it will be very strong first thing in the morning when no water has ben down it. The only way we can get rid of the smell is to run cold water down the sink for hours. We have had plumbers come by to check it but they all give the excuse that they can't do anything about it until they smell it?? Its got to the point that I think they just do this because we are on the 5th floor and it would be too big of a job to try to fix any problem. Needless to say we will be moving in 2 months when the lease it up but Ive been worried about if this could be a health hazard? Would appreciate any information if anyone has had this problem before.. or what it could possibly be. Thank you

Hey katetea... pipes have junk on the sides... can get to smelling pretty bad. None of the plumbers suggested replacing the pipes... huh? And I am sure you have a p-trap under the sink... yes (see pic. Below)?

Could always try a 1/2 cup bleach down the drain... let sit overnight then wash down with about 6 cups boiling water... that should help reduce smell a little.

OR could use some baking soad and vinegar to foam up the drain lines... again.. let sit overnight... and then add boiling water to flush away. Either one should help reduce odors.

Let me know if that helped. And as long as there is a ptrap under sink there should not be any health hazards!!

If my answer helped please RATE THIS ANSWER. Thank you.

Sewer gas can become a health problem so I'd continue trying to get this fixed. Since you are renting it's the landlords responsibility to hire a competent plumber who will assess your problem. It sounds like your trap is not working. Does you drain go into the wall after the trap or does it go straight down through the cabinet floor after the trap?

Hi.. thanks for the quick response.. we have put gallons of bleach down the sink before.. was the plumbers idea. Which didn't solve the problem. Under the sink is a trap but it doesn't look like the picture you showed. Its more like a cup shape. They have checked it before and said that water was in it, so it supposedly was working OK. We have had several plumbers here but we still get the same answer that they cant... or more like won't... do anything until they smell it... makes no sense and its aggrevating and scarey. The drain goes into the wall after the trap

Hey Katetea... how many floors above you?

One floor above us

The trap look anything even close to this pic.

I am just wondering if the trap is getting siphoned (having water pulled out as water from sink upstairs drains past your sink). Not that it matters at this point. If trap is in place... no hazards.. that we can prove.

No.. its shaped like a kids drinking cup with a round bottom , and you pull it off to take it off to check it.. they took it off before to show me. Im living in england right now and it might be something different they use over here that is different from the states?

MASS I was thinking siphoning too that why I was asking if this could be an S trap. Kate where do you live and any chance of a picture? Maybe you can Google plumbing sites in your country and capture a picture to post back to us.

YUP! I am sure that the trap is different from here then.

Can you post a pic..

As long as you don't think it's a health hazard... has had me worried a lot wondering, because all I would get for an answer from the plumbers is that there was no way that the sewage smells or anything else could be coming up through the kitchen sink plus its getting to the point where it actually makes me feel sick when the smell comes so I was getting worried and wanted to check

Look anything like this trap?

Yeah I will try to get a pic of it for you

I wonder... do you know the people upstairs well enough to ask them to fill their sink full and then drain it? You must stand in front of your sink when they drain their sink.. see if gurgles or bubbles..? If it does, then your trap may be getting siphoned which would suggest that system was piped wrong and you would have a case for them to change pipes. If not... then I am stumped!

Did you see pic. Of third trap?

Where do you live Kate? Sewer gas smells just like you'd expect sewage to smell, pooh. If this is what you are smelling them you have a venting issue or bad trap. You vent pipe in the wall could even be cracked or broken loose.

I took a pic of it with my cell phone... do I just attach it on one of these messages? Sorry but I'm new at this

Yes that is what it looks like sorry I didn't see the pic before

You are doing fine. Yes just attach it to your message. I think if you open the "Go Advanced" box to the left of spell check it will help you.

I'm not sure if there is anyone living above us but its worth checking it to see if that could be the cause of it... thank you both so much for all your help and information

Post pic. If you want too... exactly as Ballenger said.

I still want you to talk to your neighbor upstairs and see if they will fill/drain sink for you. Keep me posted if this is possible.

The smell is just like the sewer smell that is outside sometimes... is awful and coming up through the kitchen sink

Kate, I must leave for a few hours but MASS has your trap pictured with his 3rd picture. He'll stick with you and I'll check back later. What country do you live in??

Attachment 6286

I live in england

OK, MASS has identified your trap but there still may be other sources for your sewer gas. Can you see where the horizontal drain pipe connects to the larger pdrain pipe in the wall? Do you see any cracks on any of these pipes or can you fine your vent stack, it eventually goes through your roof.

Hey Bob... wondering if she could have a defective studor vent... huh? I mean reaching for straws here... but a thought.

Katetea... I hope you are working at gaining access to upstairs kitchen sink... fill/drain and watch like I suggested earlier.

Then.. as Ballenger said... is that a tee fitting in there behind the wall (take flashlight and try to see if fitting is an 90 degree elbow or a tee looking fitting just as pipe enters into the wall).

And another thought is... well... why not just have them replace that trap under sink...it looks easy enough to do....buy at a home supply store and replace.... wonder what is inside that trap?? I mean, even if you were told it is OK... does not necessarily mean it is OK... right? It could have some real gunk tied up somewhere..? Just thinking aloud here...

Also.. is that a dishwasher hose tying into sink drain on right?? That could cause some odor.. Maybe.

Finally, as I look at the pic. you posted...I see a double sink (yes?), a dishwasher connected into drain on right (yes?) but what is coming off the left sink fitting that is a y shape? I can see the tee part going to sink (I think) on right...but what is going into drain at y part of tee...????

Get back to us. Try to answer all questions. Thank you

Let us know. Thank you.

You know I just totally forgot the failure rate of AAVs. They just don't all work forever and a bad AAV would be an answer. Kate, try wrapping the AAV with aseveral layers of Saran wrap and a few rubber bands. If there is not smell tomorrow morning it would mean the AAV needs to be replaced. You could use your sink with the wrap in place but it will gurgle and chug a bit.

Hi... I don't see any cracks anywhere in the pipes and the one going behind the wall is a 90 degree angle one. Yes, on the right is a dishwasher and the odor does come sometimes after the dishwasher has finished. On the left is a washing machine and after running that it doesn't cause the smell. I haven't got ahold of the neighbors, I don't think anyone is living up there.
What I did today just to see if hot water would cause the smell is run the hot for a little while and then shut it off... it wasn't 5 min later and the smell is really strong. It did that every time today. When we first moved in here the landlord sent the caretaker of the buildings to check it and he took all the pipes apart to check and clean them and he swore and still does today that what he found in there was pooh. But the plumbers say there is no way that could happen. I don't know its very strange that it gets really strong after running hot water... and running cold will take the smell away. But then also it will sometimes do it without running the hot water.

katetea... is there a threaded vent under the sink?. something that is not clear in picture appears to be an automatic air vent... see pics. Below. Do you have anything under your sink that even remotely looks like the pic.?

No nothing like that

At this point then, without opening walls and/or draining that sink upstairs... I am stumped.

It does sound like you have an overloaded drain system... a washing machine, 2 sinks, a dishwasher... all on a 1.5 inch drain line... sounds overloaded... anything else on that line?

If hot water did not cause odor 5 minutes afterwards today I would swear your washer is siphoning the sink drain... but anyway.

Also, you said that people would not work on pipes until they could smell odor... well sounds like you can make it happen all the time now... and you said they said there was POOH in the drain line... I would want to know what that meant.

You could always call the board of health (or the equivalent) in your area and let them know what is happening.see what they think.

Let me know if I missed something.

If you are interested I took another picture of the pipes... its a lot lighter and clearer. The hot water did cause the odor today every time I tried it

It can't hurt.

Will send so you can at least have a clearer picture. We called the 24 hr plumber today but no answer.. of course. Guess the only thing to do is to keep calling until he will answer. I want to thank you for all your answers and help... its nice to finally get someone that will try to help!Attachment 6314

I will do the paper towel thing and see what happens. I tried the drain plug but that didn't help much, even put towels in the sink to cover it but the only thing that will take the odor away is running the cold water down the sink.

We are glad to help... and glad to be challenged.

Last thought for me... is there any way that you can tie this back to the timing of washing your clothes??

I would take those pipes under the sink apart...yourself...see what you find. You should only need a pair of pliers...something tells me that that trap under the sink is defective. It is only thing that makes sense at this point. By the way.. I mean you should replace the trap.. or demand that the owner replace it. Let me know what happens.


Anyway, good luck with your next house!!

Could this be a venting problem. Lay a couple of wet paper towels over drain, see if they get sucked down into or partially into drain. To stop odor put drain plug in.

Whenever, IF ever , we finally do find out what this mess is, I will let you know. Once again.. thank you so much!

If plugging the drains doesn't stop the oder it must be coming in through the dishwasher or clothes washer.

Just for fun leave a little water in both the dishwasher and the clothes washer.