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erharv · Nov 23, 2005, 08:18 AM

I have a shower on the second floor that has a foul smell. I have tried to put everything recommended through the drain with no luck.

Can you please give me some advise?

CrackedHalo · Nov 23, 2005, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by erharv

I have a shower on the second floor that has a foul smell. I have tried to put everything recommended through the drain with no luck.

Can you please give me some advise?

Wow, similer problem here too. Have a nasty smell coming form the sink overflow drain. So, the plumber changed the whole sink and pipes, smell form there is gone. Next, after he left... I smelt the same smell coming from the tub drain and over flow. So I plugged the over flow and plugged the tub drain with a stopper. The smell is still lingering. It's a strong mold type smell. I check around the toilet, and its not coming from there. The plumber things I'm nuts as he say he can't smell it. But it's there and seems to be stronger at night. HELP~! :(

speedball1 · Nov 23, 2005, 03:37 PM

Hey Guys!

Most bad shower and lavatory smells are caused by rotting hair matted with grease from the soap. Try this. Tonight before you go to bed pour 1/2" gallon of bleach down the drain. Next morning flush the bleach out with, (and this is important) two large pans of boiling water. The bleach will start to dissolve the hair and the boiling water will melt the grease and flush the mess out. Good luck, Tom

CrackedHalo · Nov 23, 2005, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by speedball1

Hey Guys!

Most bad shower and lavatory smells are caused by rotting hair matted with grease from the soap. Try this. Tonight before you go to bed pour 1/2" gallon of bleach down the drain. Next morning flush the bleach out with, (and this is important) two large pans of boiling water. The bleach will start to dissolve the hair and the boiling water will melt the grease and flush the mess out. Good luck, Tom

Hey Speedball!

I have tried the above advise a few times. Funny thing, after the new sink went in and p trap, the smell was gone. So you thing they will have to put in new pipes in the tub to clear the smell?

speedball1 · Nov 23, 2005, 04:08 PM

" So you think they will have to put in new pipes in the tub to clear the smell??"

No, but I think the tub drain should be snaked out and flushed. Regards, Tom

CrackedHalo · Nov 23, 2005, 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by speedball1

" So you think they will have to put in new pipes in the tub to clear the smell??"

No, but I think the tub drain should be snaked out and flushed. Regards, Tom

Ok, I will mention this to the landlord.

I guess I should have added the building history as well, not sure if it matters... 3 apt house, Im in the basement, built in the 50's, the unit was made in the late 80's. No vents for the tub or sink.

I have been in the apt for over one year now, this has just started about 1 month ago.

Justin

CrackedHalo · Nov 24, 2005, 04:36 AM

Originally Posted by CrackedHalo

Ok, I will mention this to the landlord.

I guess I should have added the building history aswell, not sure if it matters... 3 apt house, Im in the basement, built in the 50's, the unit was made in the late 80's. No vents for the tub or sink.

I have been in the apt for over one year now, this has just started about 1 month ago.

Justin

Further to my last post. Seems the smell is very strong at night, fills the whole apt. I can't understand how it can continue to smell after plugging both the overflow and drain in the tub?

speedball1 · Nov 24, 2005, 06:43 AM

" Seems the smell is very strong at night, fills the whole apt. I can't understand how it can continue to smell after plugging both the overflow and drain in the tub?"

Smells are always stronger at night. The air is heavier and the smells are grouped closer to the floor. Since you've plugged off both the drain and the overflow to the tub have you opened up the access hole and checked under the tub by the trap and drain line? Regards, tom

CrackedHalo · Nov 24, 2005, 06:48 AM

Originally Posted by speedball1

" Seems the smell is very strong at night, fills the whole apt. I can't understand how it can continue to smell after plugging both the overflow and drain in the tub?"

Smells are always stronger at night. The air is heavier and the smells are grouped closer to the floor. Since you've plugged off both the drain and the overflow to the tub have you opened up the access hole and checked under the tub by the trap and drain line? Regards, tom

No, its all sealed up. I just spoke to the landlord again. We're trying to find someone that deals with smells/odors to figure out where exactly its coming from. I don't think that landlord is up for replacing everything until its pin pointed. I have a feeling it's the tub, maybe under it... I have no idea. Any idea's on a company that deals with tracking or identifing odors? :D

erharv · Nov 24, 2005, 07:30 AM

My internet has been down. Thanks for the advice. I am going to try pouring bleach, if that doesn't work I will use a snake, if that doesn't work... you will be hearing from me again.

Thanks.

CrackedHalo · Nov 27, 2005, 07:38 PM

Originally Posted by CrackedHalo

No, its all sealed up. I just spoke to the landlord again. We're trying to find someone that deals with smells/odors to figure out where exactly its coming from. I don't think that landlord is up for replacing everything untill its pin pointed. I have a feeling its the tub, maybe under it... I have no idea. Any idea's on a company that deals with tracking or identifing odors? :D

Seems that there is a problem with the toilet and the tub/shower. The plumber flushed the toilet and said he can hear water flowing in the tub drain, which the P trap is supost to stop. So that seems to be the problem and were the smell is coming from.

CrackedHalo · Dec 14, 2005, 07:06 PM

Originally Posted by speedball1

" Seems the smell is very strong at night, fills the whole apt. I can't understand how it can continue to smell after plugging both the overflow and drain in the tub?"

Smells are always stronger at night. The air is heavier and the smells are grouped closer to the floor. Since you've plugged off both the drain and the overflow to the tub have you opened up the access hole and checked under the tub by the trap and drain line? Regards, tom

After a few hundreds of dollars, the landlord poured CLR into the tub drain. I lef the apt for the day, and came back to find the smell gone. A few days later and a few showers later, the smell seems to be starting up again? So... any idea's why the CLR would have fixed it only for a short time ?

speedball1 · Dec 15, 2005, 06:50 AM

Ifthe tub is not vented and the plumber heard sounds in the tub trap when he flushed the toilet that would indicate the toilets attempting to vent through the tub trap. This will put a suction on the trap seal in the tub and could lower it down to where sewer gas could escape.

"Im in the basement, built in the 50's, the unit was made in the late 80's. No vents for the tub or sink."

This is not good for a basement apartment. You have both upper apartments discharging sewage past your unvented bathroom and putting a suction on it that could be deleting the water seals out of your traps and letting sewer gas into your apartment. I don't know why this problem just started up but I would, at the very least, have the land lordlord into the possibility of installing a "cheater vent" (see below) on your lavatory. Good luck and let me know. Tom